You’ve signed a lease on a new apartment — congrats! But now that you have moved in, the space doesn’t quite resemble the model apartment you toured or how it looked with the previous renters. Instead, it’s utterly empty and devoid of personality whatsoever. But that’s the good news: you can make it your own!
While an empty apartment can feel overwhelmingly dull and lifeless, it offers a blank canvas with lots of opportunities, too. But if you are feeling uninspired or don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered! There are ways to spruce it up and create the apartment of your dreams. Here are nine ways to make your apartment feel more homey, from lighting scented candles to dressing up windows and walls.
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#1 Light a Candle or Two
There’s something special about the warm, soothing glow of a candle. Luckily, there is an endless array of scents, colors, and even containers that can bring a little life into your apartment. Discover Homesick’s New Home candle that smells like freshly pressed linens and a blank slate ready for making memories. Need to invite in some nostalgia? Check out Homesick’s Grandma’s Kitchen candle, infused with notes of cinnamon, sugar cookie and apples, making your home smell just like Nana’s house. Whatever candle you choose, it’s sure to make your apartment feel more homey while making it smell amazing, too.
#2 Incorporate Color and Textures
When you move into an apartment, it might lack personality and charm, from blank white walls to beige carpeting and tiles. Luckily, there are lots of ways you can distract from the monotony by incorporating more color and textures. Even if you prefer calming neutrals, an accent color here and there can do wonders to make your apartment feel more homey.
Colors aside, texture can go a long way, too. Add some swanky velvet throw pillows or hang a woven textile along the wall. Textures can even come through in furniture, from your rough, rustic woods to smooth, shiny metallics. So be open to mismatching textures and furniture items to create a lived-in look that feels more aesthetically pleasing and charming than that moved-in model home look.
#3 Roll Out an Area Rug
Instead of leaving your apartment floors bare and sterile, give them some life with an area rug. Whether it’s beneath the bed frame, in front of the vanity or laid out across the living room, an area rug makes a foundation that grounds the space. Plus, it offers a bit of color and texture that livens up the room and provides a warm underfoot.
#4 Hang Some Curtains or Blinds
Not a fan of those bland vertical blinds many apartments still consider fashionable? Whether they’re those annoying vertical blinds or just boring metal mini blinds, dress them up with some stylish curtains. Not sure how to hang a curtain rod without losing part of your rental deposit? Check out the NoNo Bracket company, offering specialized brackets that simply slip over the existing frame without drilling anything! This way, you can add heavy-duty rods, blackout curtains, or sheers — whatever you prefer.
#5 Dress Up Your Outdoor Living Areas
If you are lucky enough to have a balcony or some form of outdoor living space, make the most of it. Make your balcony or patio area feel homier by adding a small cafe table and folding chairs or even a bench. Spruce up and soften the corners with a potted plant to add a touch of greenery. You could even hang some plant baskets over the railing. Position them toward your patio to make them more visible from inside, too. Even if you lack a proper outdoor space, you can at least add a welcome mat at the front door along with a plant stand.
#6 Add Artwork
Artwork is so personal. But whether you prefer black and white Ansel Adams photos of nature or colorful, poppy graphics and illustrations, your blase apartment needs art on the walls. Of course, it doesn’t have to be framed artwork either. Anything that dresses up the walls is perfectly fine, from mirrors to textiles and even decor. Whatever gives your flat walls some dimension and life will do the trick.
#7 Welcome Guests with More Seating
Making an apartment feel more homey isn’t always for you. Sometimes, it’s nice to make it feel homey and welcoming for guests, too. While you might feel comfortable cuddling up on the sofa each night, you need more than a loveseat. So offer up an extra chair or two for visitors to make themselves comfortable, too. Not a lot of space? That’s okay! Choose a multi-purpose piece of furniture, like a coffee table/ottoman combo or borrow your dining chairs instead. Are you having a party and having more of a crowd? You can reutilize the balcony table and chairs, too.
#8 Add a Theme to the Bathroom
Give your boring apartment bathrooms a theme. Whether you choose coastal decor with seashells and art of sandy beaches or prefer a serene, Zen-inspired vibe with eucalyptus and crisp white robes, a personalized bathroom will brighten up the space and give a more homey feel. Be sure to add some color and textures, too. Start the day off right with some inspiring art or stepping onto a luxuriously thick bath mat after a relaxing shower in the evening. These small touches can make an apartment feel more like a home.
#9 Add a Bookshelf
When most apartments have smaller square footage, take advantage of wall space and go vertical. Whether you choose to hang a few floating shelves or line a wall with several bookcases, add a bookshelf to display your favorite novels. The bookshelf doesn’t even have to hold lots of books. You can style the shelves with magazine holders, trays of decorative knick-knacks and framed photos of family and friends. You can even transform it into a bar cabinet or place it along a bathroom wall. Ultimately, it can act as extra storage space for wherever you need it.
