33 Apartment Decorating Ideas to Make Your Rental Feel Like Home (2024)

33 Apartment Decorating Ideas to Make Your Rental Feel Like Home

Floating Shelves

A floating shelf arrangement is an apartment decorating idea that can be used to show off a collection of decorative objects and mementos. Simple shelving staggered for a unique look works as a rotating display you can quickly update. Wood or metal goes with almost anything, so you can use them with any furniture style.

Ideal Furniture

You might be stuck with basic apartment finishes and materials, but that doesn't mean you can't have fabulous furniture. Fill the space with pieces you love to help make it your own. Choose a statement furniture piece in every room to become the focal point. With a stunning mustard-yellow sofa or midcentury modern coffee table, you'll quickly forget about any less-than-ideal features you can't change.

Updated Apartment Entryway

If your apartment lacks a designated entry, try this apartment decorating idea to create your dropzone with a few wall-mounted pieces. Hang hooks for stashing hats, purses, or light jackets. Choose a unit with a shelf on top for grab-and-go items like your keys and sunglasses. Finish the setup by hanging a large mirror for last-minute touch-ups on your way out the door. And if your rental doesn't allow you to screw into the walls, pick up a few adhesive-back hooks to do the job.

Maximized Small Apartment Kitchen

Apartments are notorious for having minuscule kitchens. Take advantage of every inch of kitchen storage by maximizing vertical space. If your setup includes open shelves, place several stacks of dishes on each shelf, arranging like items together. Use the upper shelves for lesser-used items you don't need to access as often.

Updated Apartment Bathroom

Finding non-permanent apartment decorating ideas is key to making a rental feel like home. For example, you might want to add patterned tile to your bathroom, but your rental agreement makes it a no-go. Instead, use peel-and-stick tiles that are easy to apply and remove when needed. Choose a small area, such as the wall above the sink, to keep costs low.

Creative Apartment Bedroom Design

Add luxury to a rental with gorgeous draperies. Hanging several sets of draperies along a wall is an apartment-approved way to give your space personality without the permanence of wallpaper or paint. It also gives the illusion that windows are hidden behind the draperies rather than just an expanse of blank walls.

Faux Built-In Storage

Some vintage apartment buildings have gorgeous built-ins, ideal for storing necessities. If your apartment doesn't, fake the look by adding a wall unit or bookcase that reaches almost to the ceiling. If allowed in your building, install moldings around the tops of the shelves to reinforce the built-in look.

Gallery Wall

Turn your TV wall into a focal point in your living room using this clever apartment decorating idea. Hang a gallery wall of artwork around the TV to frame it, and surround the display with furniture. This TV could have been placed on the console table beneath it, but using the wall leaves the tabletop available for serving when entertaining. Plus, having a piece of furniture beneath a wall-mounted TV grounds it and prevents it from seeming as if there's a random object floating on the wall.

Double Duty Daybed

A daybed can be a sofa by day and a guest bed by night. Accented with plenty of pillows for back support, you can sink comfortably onto a daybed to watch TV or read a book. When overnight guests come, this apartment decorating idea gives them a comfortable place to sleep. Keep a large basket nearby for extra linens to make the transition from sofa to bed easy.

Studio Apartment Decor

Employ a few smart studio apartment decorating ideas to make your all-in-one dwelling seem cozier. Stick with a consistent color palette from the kitchen to the bedroom. Similarly, repeat finishes and materials to create a cohesive look. Employ rugs to anchor different zones and provide visual boundaries between areas.

Apartment Kitchen Storage

Employ an industrial metal shelving unit as extra kitchen storage if your apartment's options are less than generous. The cool finish of this unit brings to mind stainless steel appliances that are standard in pro kitchens. Use baskets to corral kitchen staples, and incorporate a few decorative touches to keep it fun.

Apartment Wall Art

Small apartment decorating ideas on a budget require a little creativity and ingenuity, especially if you want your deposit back. Proving that temporary can be clever, this display of black-and-white prints is installed with neon pink washi tape. Mixing mostly-black prints with lighter images brings depth to the casual arrangement.

Colorful Apartment Decor

If you can't paint the walls in your apartment, paint your furniture instead. A new paint job on a bed frame or dresser can be just as impactful as a new color on the walls. Use the furniture colors as a springboard for other apartment decorating ideas to incorporate into your space. Repeat the colors on accessories and fabrics for a pulled-together look.

Ideas for Apartment Floors

You're often stuck with whatever finishes are in place in a rental. If your apartment's carpet or flooring doesn't appeal to you, camouflage the problem with an extra-large area rug or multiple layered rugs that coordinate with your other decor. Plus, if you're looking for small apartment decorating ideas on a budget, this fits the bill since you won't need an oversized rug, which can get pricey.

Apartment Window Treatments

You're not limited to the mini blinds that come standard in most rentals. Dress up your windows with easy DIY curtains. This no-sew project can be done in a weekend!

Apartment Furniture Placement

Picture your apartment's living space unfurnished to help you think beyond your current furniture arrangement. Decide if the room is large enough to divide into zones for a more functional space. Then, get creative with arranging furniture. It might make the most sense to "float" the sofa in the middle of the room and place your TV on the opposite wall. The space on the other side of the sofa can be used as an office or dining area. Place a console behind the couch for storage to serve both zones.

Colorful Throw Pillows

Even if your rental walls are white and your seating is nondescript, the smallest of apartment decorating ideas can make a big impact. Bring personality to your apartment with plenty of fun throw pillows. To make future changes to your look easier, buy pillow covers and pillow forms separately.

Bathroom Storage Solutions

Efficiently using your apartment's storage—such as a bathroom vanity—is a useful space-saving idea. Maximizing what you already have eliminates the need for additional storage units that can make a room feel cramped. Stackable or pull-out storage in a bathroom vanity fills the vertical space and organizes necessities. Utilize behind-the-door storage to maximize bathroom cabinets.

Out-of-Sight Apartment Storage

A crisply-skirted table provides an apartment decorating idea that adds both style and function. Beneath the fabric, you can use the open space or shelves for out-of-sight storage. Try the skirted-table trick in a small bedroom to stash shoes or handbags or in a living room to hide media components.

Two-Color Scheme

Neutral walls can be a challenge to apartment decorating ideas. But rather than complain, use the sea of beige to your advantage. Layer in luxe-looking elements, such as sumptuous bedding and enviable area rugs—yes, it's okay to put a rug over carpet!—all in similar neutral tones.

Then, add a strategic punch of color. Stick to a two-color scheme and place the colorful elements so the eye travels around the room. Here, blue-patterned curtains dress the window, while blue throw pillows on the bed work with a yellow headboard for a cheerful palette.

Layered Area Rugs

Layering gives a ho-hum apartment a touch of sophistication. Take this trick to the floor with a duo of area rugs. Anchor a furniture arrangement with a simple neutral rug, and place a second statement rug on top. Arrange apartment furniture around the rugs for a cozy seating area.

Minimize Unappealing Features

Older buildings may have character, but some original elements can get in the way of your best apartment decorating ideas. Rather than cringe at something you don't like, embrace it and find a workaround. If the bathroom tile is a shade you can't stand, pick a different color to serve as the primary hue. The tone of green used in this bathroom has a hint of yellow, which helps the accents stand out, and the yellow tile recede. Try a blue-green with powder blue tile or sherbet orange with salmon-color tile.

Space-Saving Apartment Ideas

Small apartment decorating ideas for space saving rely on multipurpose solutions. Invest in a large, multifunctional bookcase that will serve multiple storage needs. Place it in a central location in your apartment unit and store books and dishes on the upper shelves; place bins, baskets, or drawers on the lower shelves to house linens, flatware, office supplies, and other odds and ends that don't have a place to live.

Mirrors and Light

In any small space, using mirrors is a decorating trick that works wonders. They reflect light and make a space feel bigger. Hang a large mirror in your apartment's dining space, living room, or bedroom across from a window so it's in a prime position to reflect natural light into the room.

Apartment Dining Nook

A cramped eating space can be dinner party-worthy with a few innovative strategies. Use clear chairs or a glass-top table to expand the space and make it feel bigger visually. Then hang up some artwork and adjust the lighting. Install wall-mount sconces that don't need to be hardwired, or place lamps on a narrow console.

If your dining area has a chandelier, see if you can cover the bare bulbs with shades. Keep safety in mind, ensuring the bulbs won't get too hot with the shades—and, of course, check with your landlord first. Shades will diffuse the light, softening the room's glow.

Living Room Furniture

Use colorful garden stools as impromptu coffee tables or bedside tables. These relatively lightweight pieces can be moved from room to room and are much easier to carry up apartment stairs than a bulky table. Look for a color or finish that coordinates with several spaces in your home so they can be used in multiple ways and always look like they fit right in.

Expert Small Apartment Decorating Tips

Decorating expert Eddie Ross is a pro at giving small spaces big personality. Watch as he shares the small apartment decorating ideas he used to make his own home look fabulous. Embrace these inspiring ideas and customize them for your own decorating needs.

Extra Apartment Storage

This apartment decorating idea uses awkward features cleverly. Tap odd corners or small closets for storage or a cozy seating area for one. In this living room, two narrow nooks store office and crafts supplies, and curtains can be drawn to conceal the spaces.

Bathroom Furnishings

Bring furniture into your bathroom to add function and style, especially when the bathroom has a pedestal sink. A slender table with a drawer can be used for storage and as extra counter space. A sturdy chair is a perch for clean towels.

Apartment Wall Update

Go all out to fill up boring walls with this apartment decorating idea. Hang a grid of favorite pictures or prints inside frames with large mats. The bigger mats will provide much-needed white space for an active display and easy photo viewing.

Multipurpose Apartment Storage

Hampers can hold more than just dirty clothes. Use them around your apartment for stashing umbrellas and hats, extra linens, or kids' toys. Employ clever add-ons, such as a basket intended for over-the-door storage, to prevent the hamper from becoming a bottomless pit. Here, a basket clips to the side of the hamper to corral hats and scarves.

Apartment Lighting

Good lighting can transform a room; its source shouldn't only be a hardwired ceiling fixture. Invest in lamps to place on end tables, nightstands, and occasional tables. Position floor lamps to illuminate dark corners and hang plug-in sconces in hallways or above sofas. Plug-in undercabinet lighting will give your kitchen work areas new life and make cooking easier.

Hidden Apartment Storage

Place furniture in the corners of rooms at an angle, and use the space behind to stash storage baskets for bulky items. Select baskets that coordinate with the room's style. This helps functional storage read as stylish decor.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are recent apartment decorating trends?

  Recent design trends have ranged from nature-inspired color palettes (think colors of blue, green, and even taupe) to vintage vibes and lots of prints and patterns that add personality to any space.

• What should I invest in to make my apartment look more expensive?

  To make your apartment look more expensive, invest in items and upgrades that increase the personalization of your space. Paint or peel-and-stick wallpaper is a great way to improve the design of your walls. At the same time, things like custom curtains, artwork, and even finishing upgrades (like swapping out lighting or cabinet hardware) can make your apartment feel—and look—more expensive.

• What is the best way to decorate a small apartment?

  When it comes to designing a small apartment, it's a good idea to choose furniture and accessories that pull double—or even triple—duty. A couch with a hidden storage solution or a kitchen table that can double as a work-from-home desk are all great ways to make the most of your square footage without sacrificing style and function.