Interior Decorating For Small Apartments
Posted on April 12, 2009
Filed Under Apartment Living | 9 Comments
So you have a small apartment. You are possibly wondering, how do I make my small space look comfortable and inviting with out looking cluttered? I have your answer. Actually several answers first of all start with looking around, notice the placement of windows and which way the light reflects in the rooms during different times of day. You do not want to blind someone, who could possibly be visiting, by that stunning sunset. Also look at your current furniture and the colors that it is or is not. Some colors can make a room look small, clinical and cold. Good warm toned colors also make it more comfortable for you to live there. Browns, Reds, Yellows, and Oranges are great colors to open up space and make the room warm and inviting. Use accent rugs to help with the addition of colors as some Landlords do not allow you to paint. Sofa Covers are a great way to add color and save from wear and tear on your furniture.
When choosing a color scheme please note that you should choose something that is easy to clean i.e., browns and grays. White is not a good choice, unless you plan on never really living in your place. Try to look at the big picture, small living rooms means that you shouldn’t get a sectional sofa. Instead try a small love seat or futon couch. Not only does the futon couch help with space but it can be converted to a bed for those single room apartments. If you are on a budget and don’t want to get rid of your current bed and you are in a studio apartment try a bed that looks like a bunk bed with out the lower bunk. That way you can store your dress and other articles under the bunk and enclose it with a curtain and no one can see your unmade bed up top. This is very useful for bachelors.
Try creating rooms with the use of decorative screens. It can make a single room look like two or more rooms are there. Also remember your curtains, they should be allowing the light in, the more light you allow in the bigger the space looks. Use a small bistro table as a dining table. It is intimate and makes for a great coffee talk spot. If you are lucky enough to have some one in your apartment remember to always hide your laundry. Laundry laying around makes the apartment appear cluttered and small. Plants are a great way to make your room appear bigger. Try hanging them from the ceiling or by using hooks on the wall. Don’t forget the importance of mirrors. The use of mirrors can make your small apartment look large. Use a focal point and angle your mirror towards it, it gives the illusion of depth. Most importantly make sure you always have a clean space, it is always bigger when it is clean.
Ok so now you have gone and cleaned, you are noticing that the apartment still looks small. Question your storage. You need some ideas for storage you say? Well I am full of them. Look around and if you notice you have lots of magazines lying around get yourself a magazine holder. It is a handy little box that is decorative to your specific likes and it cleans up your tables of clutter. Get your self a footrest that has storage inside of it. It is nice for when the surprise guest comes over and you need to store something quickly. A coffee table with storage underneath it is also a wise choice. The more storage you have that isn’t added clutter makes your life easier. Wall shelves help to eliminate tabletop mess. Put your collectible gnomes on a small wall shelf and look at all the free space you have just created for yourself. All of the suggestions presented here to you are easy do it yourself projects. You can get most of these easy to use items at your local all purpose store and hardware store.
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Living in a small apartment- what kinds of bins, baskets, etc. to use for toys?Hi. I asked this earlier, but didn't get many questions. We are living in an apt. until my husband finishes up grad school. My 7 month old's toys are already beginning to take over his room and the living room. We've used the cute little weaved baskets so far, but I was wondering if anyone else has better ideas for storage in small spaces or found anything cute online? I may end up getting a toy box, but even that is a little bigger than what I am looking for. Thanks!
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Masni Rizal Mansor is publisher for Online Furniture Store and Discount Furniture Store.
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9 Responses to “Interior Decorating For Small Apartments”
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Starting with a disco ball. I'd pick up a styrofoam ball at a craft store, You can use a drill, or just a drill bit to auger small holes into it, then recess some Christmas lights into the holes. Use a hot glue gun to secure them. Wrap it with clear plastic, make holes for the lights, mask them off to spray paint your choice of colors.
An alternative to disco balls I've seen was using coat hangars, and old AOL installation CD's to make a mobile. If you paint the top sides of the with a metallic paint from Home Depot, it should glitter and refract light nicely when there's a light source on it.
Just as a thought, I've known plenty of art students who would give you the piece just for buying supplies so they could practice.
Bonsai and other plants aren't that expensive or difficult to maintain.
Try a flea market. Neat looking old bottles should be pretty cheap and will also do an excellent job of refracting light.
Toss in a few throw rugs from yard sales, and you should be set.
D
You are fortunate to be allowed to paint in an apartment, but as you know, the ambiance is in the accessories.
Bahama Blue is a lovely color by itself, paired with a sandy yellow and a peachy pink (not girly pink) with crisp white accents is one of the "traditional" schemes.
Try an accent wall where you blend in some darker blue or green at the bottom, and your white to lighten the top. Let it go a bit wavy and you have a water wall where your underwater decorations feel at home. It doesn't have to be a large wall, and you don't have to show the whole thing, it could be the perfect backdrop for your mosaic.
Then go peruse the fish section of a pet store. The selection of aquarium accents is incredible these days! So realistic. I have a master bathroom done up in an aquatic scheme and since I also keep aquariums, I am familiar with the offerings.
Natural looking resins in typical offerings: brilliant coral without destroying reefs… shells, wrecks and sea monsters on a tray of sand can make a whimsical centerpiece. You will have your own collection to showcase but don't overlook the thrift stores for buying fish toys, shells and seashell jewelry to make new accents.
Try using some of the underwater plants in a large glass container instead of potted plants. With an air stone, you get some really nice effects with bubbles and light, all without having to actually maintain live fish. If live plants are not for you, simply place the plastic "seaweeds" in a container instead… you can build an underwater garden that rivals the real thing with very little effort.
An inexpensive mobile of toy fish dangling from a section of bamboo and fishing line can look surprisingly stylish as a room divider or over curtain.
The most appropriate woods for "Tropical" are bamboo, rattan, and teak. Some people go "Colonial" with dark chocolate and ebony woods.
Wood shutter panels can be hinged together as a stand up screen (think Bahama), or room divider… all manner of sarongs, canvas, and tropical prints can be draped or used as "shade cloths" on portions of the ceiling… also think of bringing patio furniture inside, there is an array of high style recliners and loungers that are very comfortable… don't forget eye popping color and botanical patterns on pillows.
Ok too long, you get my drift.
I've never hired one and if you have a small budget you probably shouldn't either..lol…
If you are unsure about what you want, take a little time to figure out what it is that you like. Grab a handful of decorating mags and start clipping out the things that catch your eye. Glue the images into a notebook. I bet you'll start to see a pattern or style emerge. Really take the time to figure out what you want your home to reflect. Are you fun and carefree? Conservative and quiet? Studious and serious? What is the main function of the room? Will you work there? Relax there? Is the room your sanctuary from the world? Let your home make a statement about who lives there. You think you're horrible at choosing colors but you've just had bad past experiences. The nice thing about paint is……it can always be painted over! When I do a room, I take the time to reflect what changes I want to make and then start shopping for the details.I usually choose my paint color based on the largest piece of furniture in the room or the color of a bedspread perhaps or maybe window coverings that I like and I let the details fill in as I go. My one recommendation is to get everything you'll need for a finished room before you even begin to open a paint can. If will save you from having a half done room! It's much easier to shop when you know exactly what colors and style you're shopping for and it's fun to put it all together once the painting and floors are done. Keep in mind that decorating, like life, is ever changing. If you don't like it you can always change it later! Hope that helps! Good luck
Colors are wonderful…but you really need to stay away from dark colors. That will make your room look even smaller,I would maybe go into a Home Depot or a your nearest Home Improvement store. Find some colors no more than 5. Collect 4 swatch's of each color to put on you wall. Creme isn't hard to cover, different paints work different as cover up. Ask…. Leave the swatches up for about a week to see with one draws your attention and which one totally irritates your eyes. The biggest mistake is buying a color with out bringing it home first. The light in stores are very different than your home. Don't be afraid to use colors you would have thought about using. Add your taste in and things you like….Rock n Roll. Do a theme in that Hard Rock cafe style..You call always pick up prints, old records from a second hand store. Country can be a little to much so dint go full country. Use your imagination…look at restaurant your favorite restaurant style!
If painting is an option, keep the rooms light in color to give them a more spacious look. Asian style decorating uses a less is more approach, for example, in a bedroom you have a bed and dresser, clean and simple window treatments and art. A diningroom would have a table and chairs and again a simple arrangement of artwork. A nice bamboo plant would work well too. Roll up blinds would look good on the windows, bamboo or cloth. Do not mix up a lot of colors, if your walls are white use black furnishings and asian style decorating accents. American Indian is another idea all together, it's closer to a Mexican style with a lot of color and texture. Pick one and stick with it.
Yes, you should quit and go back to school and learn how to spell Colonel. And, P.S., "newlyweds" is one word.
Sorry, but that just bugs the he// outta me.
Take it to her boss and apply for her position when she is let go. There is no reason YOU should quit for this. She should be reprimanded or dismissed. Keep notes on all her tardiness, excuses, lies and lack of work, then professionally go to who she reports to and explain the situation.
(Actually, Johnny, you spelled it wrong too. …ah, but I see you've corrected yourself now. Thank you for editing.)
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Ok. Wait. I totally missed that she is your BF. That makes it harder. Go to her and tell her how unfair she was to take credit for your ideas. Tell her that she should have owned up to her distractions on this job and that you can't work with her if all future situations are going to end in this result. Ask her what she is going to do to make amends. Tell her you'd like both the clients and your bosses to know of the ideas and results having originated and been executed by you. Let her know that if she won't own up in the appropriate way that you'll have no choice but to let the truth be known yourself.
how about a garden theme, or paint murals on the walls with a Tuscan slant? Maybe more Roman Garden?
hgtv.com, rate my space, search for "Northville" for ideas.
well, how long are you going to live there, are they going to replace the carpet when you move out, if they are, you can have the carpet tinted to a slightly darker color, if not, you can do what you think is nice, or just put a large rug in, its your place, not ours, you got to live there, not us, just carefully be constructive, or you will wast a lot of money, trying to find what you like.
I'd go with light colors. A dark color will make it look small. As to what color, that depends on the color of your furniture, rugs. Stick to light colors.