Alert Alert! Fun post ahead!! I’ve teamed up with Rent.com to help all of you cute renters with your apartment decorating needs!
Lets get right to it shall we?
Hack #1 | Create a statement wall with 100% removable fabric. All you need is liquid starch and some gorgeous fabric (tutorial here!)
Hack #2 | Get yourself some plants. Plants are critical to making a house a home, they bring in life and color and help clean the air! If you haven’t yet developed a green thumb try Snake Grass (aka Mother In Law’s Tongue) pictured below. Its almost impossible to kill! See my favorite DIY planters here!
Hack #3 | Shop the right stores. We all know and love IKEA for their renter friendly sizing but did you know that there are other stores that cater to smaller living situations? Places like CB2 and Urban Outfitters have scaled down furniture that wont feel like putting an oversized inflated elephant in the room when all you wanted was a couch.
Hack #4 | Large art that covers lots o’ space. I am a MASSIVE fan of large scale art and it takes the guess work out of what to do with that giant blank wall.
(Tutorials here: Planter, M Art, Black and White Art)
Hack #5 | BYOL. Bring your own lighting. So what if you are stuck with the dreaded boob lights? Bringing in your own lighting can create the illusion that they dont exist! This obviously depends on the landlord and their rules on holes, but it is much easier to mask a hole in a highly textured ceiling that will never be at eye level.
Hack #6 | Brighten up your front door add a wreath and a cute rug and you are good to go! (Tutorial here)
Hack #7 | Command Strips are your real life actual best friend.
Hack #8 | Actually Monkey Hooks might be your real life best friend. If you are allowed to put a few small holes in the walls then this is your saving grace. You can hang huge and heavy things and only create a a small hole in the wall. They are genius and hold up to 50 LBS! Dude. That’s like my 6 year old.
Hack #9 | Use Rent.com and their AMAZING 3D floor plans to scout out your next pad. I LOVE that they offer a furnished and unfurnished option (its wonderful for all of us visual people.) Their site is massively easy to navigate too.
Hack #10 | Just because you dont own it, doesn’t mean that you have to live in an uninspiring beige box for your whole life. I feel like the serenity prayer TOTALLY applies to apartment living. Accept the things that you cant change, and have the courage to change the things you can. There are just so many non permanent ways to bring life and personality into your space. Just embrace it!!
HUGE thank you to Rent.com for teaming up with me on this post!
Fabulou tips and suggestions for home owners too.
These tips are fantastic! I am in awe about the removable fabric as wallpaper, definitely giving that a try!! XX
https://hannahhappily.blogspot.com
Love this! But I do have to say, I was so excited to get a snake plant because I’d read they were virtually indestructible, but alas, a dark stairwell is NOT the place for it. IT DIED. I killed a snake plant. Just keep it somewhere with some light. 😉
What you said about plants is so true! I’m only just learning to keep them alive, but greenery is so beautiful that I’m determined to make it work!
YAY! I love this apartment series!
Where oh where is that coffee table from in Hack #2?? Gorgeous!
Love the tips!
Its from the thrift store!! Seriously, one of those finds of a lifetime!!
xo
m
I own my home but home values are NOT moving and I don’t think we want to stay here long. So these temporary tips will help me a lot! I love a fun home, but I know those don’t sell well!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the little loveseat in #5. LOVE IT SO SO SO SO MUCH. The cool wall art reminded me of my daughter that likes to put things on her wall using diagonal band aids. (The association made me smile) And I need to ask- what is that cute little plant in that picture?
I have never heard of removable fabric wallpaper! Sounds like a great idea – will look more into it as I am going to move into a temporary living space next year. Thanks for sharing these great ideas! 🙂
X Min, honeyandgazelle.wordpress.com
You’re always so full of great ideas! XOXO
All hacks are very helpful! Hubby and I have renewed the lease on our apartment and I’ve been looking for different decorating ideas to make the apartment a little more like a home. Really interested in trying hack #1 in my office! 🙂
Love the interiors – full of personality 🙂
Love the interiors – full of personality 🙂
Good inspiration 🙂
Great advice, but I’d like to mention one little warning. The fabric on the wall is a great temp wallpaper, but if you live in a place that tends to have bugs and/or moisture in the air, this might not be such a good idea. Bugs LOVE the starch! It attracts them and they will eat it, and your fabric along with it. Bug leavings can cause sickness.
Humidity will play havoc on it, too, because the starch will feed mold and mildew. You may not see it if it grows behind the fabric, but it can make you very, very sick.
Not saying not to use this trick, just be careful when deciding if you live in a good place for it, and please keep an eye on it once it’s up. No wallpaper is worth getting sick for. 🙂
These hacks seem pretty useful.. Its a good thought to do it for an apartment or a rental house. Mostly doing a good decor in such homes is a challenge. Really nice post. 🙂