Apartment Decorating Ideas: How to Make a Rental Feel Like Home

20 ways to add style and personality to your smaller space

If you live in an apartment or rental property, making your space feel like home can be a challenge. If you live in an apartment, condo, or rental, your decorating options may be limited by HOAs, rental rules, or landlord laws. With a little creativity and strategic design ideas, you can still turn your rental home into a place that reflects your style and personality. Here’s some ideas for making the most of your smaller spaces.

1. Update your entry
   Even if your apartment lacks a designated entry, you can create the illusion of one. Hang wall-hooks or a wall-mounted organizer to hold your coats, hats, and handbags. If you have enough room, add a small table or a shelf to hold smaller grab-and-go items such as keys, glasses, and your phone. Finish off the entry with a wall mirror that will reflect more light, make the entry seem larger, and let you quickly check your appearance before you head out the door.
2. Choose some fabulous furniture
   Just because most rental apartments have basic finishes and materials, doesn’t mean your furnishings have to be bland. Invest in some beautiful and functional pieces of furniture that will stand out in your rooms. Pick high-quality, timeless pieces that will work in your space now and in a future home. Make a statement piece of furniture the focal point in a room such as a striking sofa in the living room, a gorgeous table in your dining area, or a stunning headboard in your bedroom.
3. Install floating shelves
   Mount floating shelves on your wall to display decorative objects, books, and mementos. They complement any décor and give you added storage without taking up valuable floor space a freestanding bookcase would. Rotate the collections you have on display to change up the look from time to time to keep your style fresh.
4. Maximize kitchen storage
   Tiny kitchens are a fact of apartment life. When cabinet space is limited, take advantage of vertical space to maximize your storage space. Baker’s racks, freestanding shelving units, and wall shelves will add needed storage while utilizing less floor space. Stash items used less frequently on the upper shelves and items you need to access more often on the lower.  
5. Add a peel-and-stick tile backsplash
   When you can’t make major changes, but still want to spruce up your rental kitchen’s style, a peel-and-stick tile backsplash is an easy and cost-effective option to update your space. The provide the look of tile without the hassle and mess of installing the real thing. Better yet, they can easily be removed without worrying about losing your security deposit when your lease expires and you wish to relocate.
   
   
6. Layer wall-to-wall carpet with area rugs
   Many apartments come furnished with wall-to-wall carpet, often in a neutral and bland color such as beige or light gray. A basic carpet, however, can be layered with area rugs to spruce up the space. Area rugs will add style and color, added comfort and warmth underfoot, and help you define functional zones within a larger room.
7. Hang draperies high
   Quality curtains and draperies can add a luxurious look to a room. They bring textural interest, color, and insulating properties to your rental home. To make a lower ceiling seem higher and create the illusion of a larger space, hang draperies and curtains with the rod mounted a few inches above the window frame and choose panel lengths that reach down to the floor.
8. Utilize hidden storage units
   If your apartment or rental home lacks sufficient closet space, you can easily add extra storage space by choosing furniture and accessories that have hidden storage compartments or act as concealed storage. These pieces can include a sofa with storage space for remotes and magazines, lidded decorative boxes or baskets that can be used to stash items under cover, accent tables with shelves and drawers, or desks with built-in storage for office supplies.
9. Make your TV wall into a focal point
   Since most of us have a television in our homes, it makes sense to turn your TV wall into a focal point in the living room of your apartment. If your TV is wall-mounted, hang artwork around it to create a picture gallery to frame it. Add a console table underneath it to prevent the TV from looking like a random object floating on your wall. Use the top surface of the console to display other decorative items to complement the art gallery above it.
   
   
10. Add attractive and colorful artwork to neutral walls
    Enliven plain and neutral apartment walls with framed art prints, paintings, and eye-catching wall accent pieces. You can select traditional master works, colorful contemporary artwork, minimalist modern art, or quirky and fun handcrafted artisan wall décor to showcase your personal taste and style, add splashes of color, and create visual interest in any room.
11. Use faux plants for touches of greenery
    Love the look of potted plants, but mess and hassle of caring for them? Lifelike faux plants are the answer. Available is a wide variety of types and sizes, artificial greenery brings a natural element into your décor that is maintenance free. Choose from a selection of potted floor plants such as palm trees, olive trees, and fiddle leaf trees, smaller house plants for tabletop display, and hanging plants to place near a window.
12. Choose a consistent color palette for a cohesive look
    To make your dwelling appear cozier, decorate with a consistent color palette from room to room. Repeating finishes and materials will also help you achieve a cohesive look throughout your space even if your home is a smaller studio apartment.
13. Paint your furniture to add pops of color
    Contrast neutral toned wall and flooring by painting your furniture in colorful hues. Giving a wood dresser, table, or bed a new look with a painted finish can be just as impactful as changing the color of your walls. Paint can transform bland furniture into a showstopping focal point and breathe new life into an older or outdated piece. Incorporating painted furniture amid your stained wood pieces will add a fun, colorful style to your home.
14. Create multi-purpose zones in your living room
    In the main room in your apartment is large enough, consider dividing it into different zones to make the space more functional. Turn part of the living room into a home office or dining area by arranging furniture, accent rugs, and accessories into distinct areas. You may have to get creative and float certain pieces in the middle of the room to create visual boundaries to differentiate the separate zones.
15. Pile on the throw pillows
    Throw pillows are an easy and inexpensive way to change the look and feel of a room. They add softness, warmth, and texture to a sofa, chair, bed, or window seat. With an almost limitless array of styles, colors, and designs available, accent pillows give you a great way to instill a little personality into your rented space.
16. Save space with multi-use bookcases and shelving units
    Invest in a large, multi-functional bookcase or shelving unit to serve additional storage needs. You can use on in the living room to store books and display art objects. A shelving unit in the kitchen can be used to stack dishes, cooking and baking essentials, and dry goods in spaces without adequate cabinets or pantries. Shelves in the bathroom make a great place to store linens and beauty supplies. Add bins and baskets to conceal stored items on the shelves.
    
    
17. Illuminate rooms with lamps and plug-in wall sconces
    Lighting not only illuminates your space, but creates ambiance. Though most rentals come with basic or builder-grade ceiling fixtures, you can enhance a room’s lighting and style with floor and table lamps strategically located when extra illumination may be needed. You can also add plug-in wall sconces that don’t require hardwiring to add decorative and functional accents to your living room, bedroom, or dining area.
18. Use garden stools as accent tables and occasional seating
    Versatile, chic, and multi-functional, garden stools will give you extra occasional seating when needed and can also serve as an accent table next to a chair, sofa, or bed. Garden stools come in a wide range of styles, designs, and materials including wood, metal, and ceramic, so you’re sure to find just the one to suit your individual taste.
19. Stash items out of sight with decorative storage baskets
    Employ some decorative storage baskets to corral a variety of items in every room. A larger, lidded basket can function as a hamper for your dirty clothes. A beautifully woven basket placed next to a sofa can hold a cozy throw blanket in easy access while bring a warm, textural element into the space. Smaller baskets can hold hats, gloves, accessories, and more in the bedroom or closet to help keep you organized in style.
    
    
20. Accessorize your bedroom and bathroom with high-quality linens and textiles
    Indulge in high-quality bed and bath linens to make these rooms of your basic rental look and feel more upscale. Dress your bed in luxurious, high thread-count sheets, topped with a beautiful comforter or duvet cover to turn your resting place into the room’s irresistible and welcoming focal point. Pamper yourself with plush Turkish cotton bath towels and  bath mats that feel soft and cozy to the touch and give your bathroom spa-like style.