Whether you just moved in or you’re feeling inspired to re-decorate, decorating an apartment can be lots of fun, but also very tricky. Check with your landlord first about what you are allowed to do as far as painting, wallpaper, and holes in the wall. Apartments can also be very limited in storage, making it difficult to stay organized and tidy. As we said, they can be difficult to decorate at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll have tons of fun!
While decorating your apartment, there are a few key points to keep in mind, all of which we will go over, but the most important thing that we always say here at Frame It Easy, is to have fun and never take it too seriously! If there is something that you like, we say go for it! Designing and decorating is all about what you like — you’re the one living there after all!
Below we’re sharing some ideas when it comes to decorating your walls in an apartment!
Work With What You Have
There will be things included in your apartment that you can’t control, like flooring, the layout of your apartment, bad lighting, etc. Don’t go crazy trying to change things around, instead work with what you have! Your wall decor is one thing you can control, so we suggest coordinating your wall decor with the rest of your decor, using what’s already there as inspiration. If you are decorating your living room, take a look at your tv stand, coffee table, and even your light stands. If you have a dark wash wood, take a look at our Dayton frame style in Cocoa, this way everything works together.
Lighting plays a huge part in decorating. If you order our non-glare acrylic cover, it will elegantly diffuse light with a matte finish. However, we don’t recommend our non-glare cover for colorful art pieces or pieces with matting as it will soften the colors slightly and cause a less crisp display. Our clear acrylic cover is clear like glass and will protect your art from some harmful UV lights, however, will produce some glare if you are planning to hang it near a window.
Wall Color
If your wall color is neutral, you’re in luck! There is plenty you can do with neutral wall colors when it comes to decorating. You can choose to stay neutral with any of our frame styles, and even add a white or colored matboard, or you can choose to add a pop of color like our Hanover frame style in either Red, Green, or Blue, or even dare to be bold and use our Ashford frame style in Hot Pink. Either way, your frames will pop off the walls!
On the other hand, if neutral walls aren’t your thing, or your wall color isn’t to your liking, you could always ask your landlord about painting or adding wallpaper. If the answer is no, there are still plenty of ways to work around it. You could create a gallery wall to take the attention away from the wall and focus more on your frames. If you found a wallpaper that you would love to hang, cut it to a size where you then can frame it, as you would with any other picture, and measure it for your “Art Size” on our site. That way you still get to enjoy the wallpaper, but won’t get in trouble for hanging it up!
Create An Entryway
Creating an entryway is important because it is the first thing that people will see when they walk into your home. If it is warm and inviting, they will be more inclined to take off their coat and stay awhile! If your entryway is messy and unorganized, they may hesitate to keep walking. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, or it could if that is what you want. Consider adding a bench or table to enhance the look. You could even choose something that is multifunctional and doubles as storage to keep your entryway organized and clutter-free.
Be sure to add a light fixture to brighten up your space. You don’t want to come home to a dark space or have your guest enter into a dimly-lit room with no idea where to go. If you have high ceilings, consider adding a beautiful chandelier. You could also add a floor lamp or table lamp that will give off enough light. Remember, your entryway is your first impression to guests, so we recommend getting a light fixture that is bolder than the rest of your decor, while still staying true to the overall design style of your home.
Add a rug in order to protect your floor, since this is a high-traffic area. Look for a rug with a fun design or color that is inviting to guests. Adding a rug can make your home look cozier and will “warm” your home up a bit. If you don’t have a hallway that leads from your entryway to the rest of your home, a runner can create a faux hallway and will make your space feel bigger and longer.
Don’t forget to add some decor pieces to your entryway. Wall art, a mirror, and some greenery will look great. Remember, you don’t want to overdo it because that will outshine the rest of your decor, but you want to create a warm and inviting entrance to your home for your guest to feel welcome!
Add Some Personal Art
Nothing makes a place feel more like home than some picture frames! If you’ve been to our Learning Center before, you know that we have tons of inspiration for what to frame. Family photos, wedding photos, photos of your pet, or even just some of your favorite art pieces are always great options! Hanging pictures of what’s important to you will bring a smile every time you pass by them. Plus we make it easy for framing: simply upload your photos to our site, pick the size that will work with your wall space, and design your frame!
As we mentioned in regards to neutral walls, bringing color into your apartment is a great way to brighten things up, especially because apartments aren’t always equipped with the best lighting! Art is another great option for framing, whether you found a beautiful piece at a local art show, are supporting a small business from Etsy, or even have an art project from your kids. If you already have your art piece, just simply measure the piece and plug the measurements into our Frame Designer as your “Art Size.” In this case, you will have to add your art to your frame once you receive it, but we make it super simple, so we’re sure you’ll have no problems. In case you do, we have a guide on how to add art to frames and if you’re still having trouble, you can always reach out to us as we’re always around to help!
Create An At-Home Spa In Your Bathroom
When decorating your bathroom, you might not think about it as you think of the rest of your apartment. But with the right steps, you can create an at-home spa in your bathroom to make it feel more personal. With the right towels, lighting, and decor, you can spice up your space and make it the most relaxing space in your home.
Candles give the ultimate spa feeling. Even if you have no plans to burn them, a sleek candle on top of your counters will look great on display. Of course, if you do have plans to burn them, they double as an air freshener, so win-win! The scent is important though, so be sure to find just the perfect scent that will be soothing and refreshing in the atmosphere.
Plants can also be a great addition to your bathroom decor. Besides just looking good, they actually have a ton of benefits such as reducing pollutants and dust, keeping your room cool, and reducing carbon dioxide. If you’re afraid you won’t be able to keep real plants alive, faux plants will work just as well, and some even look just as real! Whether you choose to add a large potted plant next to your bathtub or small succulents on a shelf above your toilet, a plant is never a bad idea! Adding Eucalyptus to your bathroom also has many benefits. You could hang it behind your shower head or add it to your countertop. Eucalyptus can help with stress reduction, pain relief, respiratory health, and your sinuses, so consider heading to your local market and picking some up for the ultimate spa feeling.
As we mentioned, lighting is also a necessity. You don’t want to be taking a warm bath with bright lights shining down on you, making it hard to relax. Of course, you’ll still want to have enough light to actually see what you are doing, so consider adding a dimmer to your light switch so you are in full control of how bright, or dim, your lights are!
Dress Up Your Kitchen
When we think of our kitchens, we rarely think to add artwork and other decor items like we do the rest of our space. Adding artwork can be an inexpensive way to rejuvenate the room that is often the heart of the home. Let’s face it, for some reason we all tend to congregate in the kitchen. So why not add some artwork that reflects your personal style?
Of course, a kitchen has some built-in complications when it comes to adding artwork. There’s often limited wall space due to cabinets and appliances. Naturally along with the cooking (and cleaning) that comes with a kitchen comes water, steam, and changing temperatures, so artwork needs to be protected and safely cleaned. And since we tend to gather in the kitchen, we want to be sure that our artwork is secure and safe from accidental damage.
Your kitchen might be small, so adding small decor pieces will work best. Think about adding a decorative towel to your oven handle, a small succulent plant near your sink, or a bowl of lemons to your countertop. These small changes can make a big statement!
Try To Hide Fixtures
Do you have a bulky furnace that’s in a space that makes it stick out like a sore thumb? Hide them! Now, you might have to get a little creative on how exactly you will do this while still allowing them to do what they are designed to do, but fear not, because we have some suggestions! Before we start, we want to make sure that you are aware of the clearance that you need to follow. Be sure to research the amount of space your furnace needs to still properly let out heat. For the most part, furnaces only need about 6 inches, but be sure to find out exactly how much space is necessary before you get to the next step.
Once you figure out the clearance, you have a few options to hide the fixture. You could try creating a distraction around it. Add some wall decor, a comfy chair, or a bookshelf. This will help the fixture to blend in more and your guests and you will be more focused on your decor pieces rather than your furnace.
Another way you can hide these fixtures is a curtain. Find a color that matches your decor or a funky pattern that you like, and simply hang it in front of your furnace. It’s a quick and inexpensive fix! Another quick and easy fix is getting a folding shoji screen and placing it in front of your furnace. It’s easy to move in case you need to get to the furnace for any reason and there are hundreds of different styles to choose from!
Always Remember to Have Fun
When it comes to decorating your space, remember to always have fun with it! Mix and match styles and colors, stick to one theme throughout your place, or have a different theme in each room. There are no rules when it comes to custom framing. Whatever makes you happy will look great in the end! The best thing about our custom, affordable frames, is that you can switch out the frames as little or as often as you want!
If you have just added our frames to your space or this has inspired you to order some, don’t forget to send us your pictures, you could even be featured in our emails!
