How to Elevate Your Apartment Decor and Style

There is much to be said about your home being an oasis and an escape from the world. If you live in an apartment, figuring out how to make your space work for you might be more challenging, especially if you are a renter. The good news is that there are many easy tips and tricks to make your apartment feel like a comfortable and personalized home.

Whether you're relocating to a new apartment or want to refresh and spruce up your current one, we have you covered. In this post, we've compiled a list of tips that will help you elevate the style of your apartment. From small bachelor studios and attics to comfortable one-bedroom condos or penthouses, we have solutions for all city dwellers that can be easily incorporated into any space.

Pick a color scheme

It is a simple yet effective way to make your space feel new and fresh. Color plays a massive role in any interior as it is, more or less, the base that we build upon when creating a room to match our style. While minimalistic colors and monochrome will always be the go-to for many, other colors are becoming increasingly popular. You can utilize them to help bring your room to the next level.

Vibrant colors like green, blue, peach and fuschia are popular now and bring a positive and inspirational atmosphere. These shades work exceptionally well if you're creative and working from home. When used correctly, these colors can help you add some life to an otherwise dull room. Read up on color psychology to understand how colors affect your mood so you can decide the vibe you want to create. If bright color is a no-go, you can still make an impact with darker, moody colors such as blacks, dark blues, purples, and earthy browns.

However, if you're not brave enough—or not permitted—to change the color of your apartment, you can still add a pop by using pillows, blankets and rugs to make the place more lively and add that vibrant touch that will definitely add a nice depth to your apartment.

Consider an accent wall

When done correctly, accent walls can be a showstopper in your apartment. They're the perfect way to add a nice elevated design touch with minimal effort, as they are low cost, low commitment, and take only a few hours to pull off. You can paint them or opt for removable wallpaper or panels.

You need to pick a wall in your apartment with the most visual impact—whether in the living room, bedroom, bathroom, or even all of these rooms—and go from there. Walls with a fireplace, behind your bed, behind the bathroom sink, or even a window wall work great, as the eyes are usually drawn to these walls instantly when entering the room in question.

Once you have your chosen wall or walls, you must decide on your vibe. Accent walls can be simple and sleek or bold and graphic. It depends on the effect you are going for in your space. The most important thing about accent walls is that they are eye-catching, as they are only one wall. For simple prints that still add visual beauty, try some floral patterns that can work well in more rustic or traditional vibed homes. For a more chic and designer vibe, go for some geometric prints in bold colors like black and gold - this will definitely spruce up a room and create a massive impact.

Focus on functionality

Functionality is the key to any home design, whether you have a mansion or a small apartment. Making the most of your space and utilizing every inch of your space can create a more coherent and calm vibe. Not all apartments have a lot of space, so it's important to maximize what you have with effective space planning.

Start by designating different areas in your home based on their use. This will give your apartment more function and create separate spaces to keep it organized. For clearer separations, use room dividers and partitions. These are particularly popular right now and are a great weapon for anyone—professionals and amateurs alike—to have in their arsenal if they're looking to make their apartment functional as well as stylish.

You can add the classic room divider to separate your workspace from your sleeping area, or if you are working in your living area, you can use tricks such as rearranging your shelving units or sofas to create a separation between relaxation and work. This trick works well in small and big apartments. It helps create order in your home and allows you to customize the room to your liking. It not only spruces up your apartment but also makes it more versatile and functional.

Add personal touches

In interior design and decorating, the focus is often on beauty and aesthetics. Sometimes, personal aspects and nods to our lives can be lost in trying to reach a standard of beauty in our homes. While it is always important to keep your apartment appealing, adding personal touches throughout your home can elevate this to the next level.

Yes, in the beginning stages of designing and decorating, you add your personal style and vibe to the overall aesthetic of your home. You do that with the color choices, design quirks, pattern ideas and decor items. Now, let's look at incorporating mementos and souvenirs into your decor.

We spoke of an accent wall earlier, which is always a great choice to make your room more personal. Take this accent/feature wall to the next level and transform it into a gallery wall. Choose a color (or don't) and use that as the base to build your memories. Frames in various sizes and shapes, filled with memories of your life, add a personal touch to your home decor. It is a beautiful nod to your life, family, and friends that you can incorporate into your home life.

While this is not the only personal touch you can add, it is effective, as pictures can speak louder than words. You can also get crafty and personal with ideas like patchwork throws or family heirlooms. If you have old t-shirts from your younger days or any clothes that carry memories, think about giving them a new lease of life and turning them into patchwork quilts or blankets to use in the bedroom and/or living room.

Likewise, if you have inherited any family heirlooms or furniture, use this to your advantage. It adds a great personal touch to your home while also becoming a conversational piece and elevating your interiors to a new level of uniqueness.

Incorporate nature

Adding natural elements to your home is the oldest trick in the book, but it is a very successful one. With people spending more time at home lately, there has been a newfound appreciation for the outdoors and a growing interest in having outdoor features inside your home.

If you are looking for a tried-and-tested way to elevate your interior to the next level, look no further than adding some of nature's touch through plants and flowers. They come in all shapes, sizes, types and colors, so you are sure to find one or more that will not only fit with your decor but also bring out your personality and create an amazing home with organic elements.

Flowers are an excellent way of adding color to a room, especially if you are going the more neutral route but still want a pop of color. Potted plants can be relatively high maintenance, but you can still add some natural touches to your home with low-maintenance options such as classic cacti.

Another option to add natural vibes to your apartment is to use natural elements like furniture, flooring and decor. Wood, leather, and stone all spring to mind, and wood flooring can be a perfect choice, depending on your budget and willingness. Stone elements work great in any room, especially the living area and kitchen. In older apartments, you might be able to strip back the walls, revealing the natural brick walls. This feature can elevate the entire look of the apartment.

Make the most of your outdoor spaces

Outdoor spaces come at a premium for many apartment buildings. However, if you are lucky enough to have even some outdoor space, use it. Just like adding some natural elements to your home can help elevate your apartment to the next level, utilizing any outdoor space can do the same.

If you are a city dweller who isn't lucky enough to have a terrace or patio but does have a balcony, you might have enough room to put a table and chairs out there to enjoy the cooler nights with a book or some wine. If there is no space for tables and chairs, combine the idea of natural elements and grow some herbs or even chilies - always a great talking piece should you have friends over.

If you have been blessed with a larger outdoor space, spruce it up and be the envy of your friends. Invest in some patio furniture or a simple table and chairs, and enjoy the best of both worlds while being outside but still in your own home. Go the extra mile and install a BBQ, invest in vegetable planter boxes, or a gas fire pit for those colder evenings. Whatever you choose, utilizing any outdoor space will elevate your apartment to a level that will ensure you aren't jealous of those living in the suburbs or countryside.

Conclusion

As our lives constantly transform, we can use those transitional phases to change our homes and take them to the next level of amazingness. Living in an apartment doesn't mean fewer opportunities to experiment with your style and design. It just means you must think outside the box and get more creative.

As always, what you do with your space matters, and there are endless ways you can change or upgrade your apartment to create something impactful and incredible. Whether you go the simple route or fancy going for the all-out overhaul, these tips are in place to help you and inspire you to spruce up your apartment's style.