ideas and inspiration

How To Decorate Your Rented Apartment

• 19 January 2022
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• 5 Min Read
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• By Jaipur Rugs

From changing your postal address, from that of your guardians’ or parents’ to that of a place that belongs to you completely and to having to plan everything about your day by yourself, living by yourself presents new challenges each and every day. 

Having a space of your own and living on your terms is a privilege that many of us get to and have to experience at some point in our lives. Moving to a new city, state, country, or even just a new neighbourhood, and into your apartment, and therefore setting foot into a new life is a big step and quite a necessary part of growing up for all of us. And doing so isn’t that easy as it is portrayed in popular films and books, and it doesn’t always come with a user’s manual. Stepping into a new life is usually quite daunting. From changing your postal address, from that of your guardians’ or parents’ to that of a place that belongs to you completely and to having to plan everything about your day by yourself, living by yourself presents new challenges each and every day. 

With real-estate prices, the way they are right now, purchasing your own space is definitely not possible for someone who is just starting into an independent life. In fact, most of the spaces that young people set out to live in are rentals. But who says that if your space is a rental, it cannot look beautiful. No matter if it is your own house or a rented one you should always adorn it with love till the time you are there. As they say, “it’s better to cry in a Lamborghini than on a bicycle,” we are here to help you get your home décor set up and look swanky and comfortable. We have done your homework for you, and have compiled a few tips for home décor to help you get set. To know how you can set up the place of your dreams, keep reading. 

Decide which space to set-up first: 

One thing to remember is that the first month is usually the toughest for anyone moving into a new space. Putting everything on pause and focusing on setting up your apartment isn’t something that most of us can afford to do. Starting afresh requires doing what you can every single day. One thing that will make the setting up easier for you is to prioritise your spaces and focus on one room at a time. A bedroom or a living room where you can catch a good night’s sleep is a good place to start. If you are someone who cannot eat take-out or dining out every other day, then we suggest that you work to set up your kitchen as soon as possible. 

Work with the elements:

In an already built-up space, the constructed parts are nearly impossible to change. In rental places, the doorways, windows, and partition walls have already been set and the only way to layout your decor is to work with these elements. Natural light and adequate ventilation are your allies, and make sure to maximize them as much as possible instead of blocking them with your decor or furniture.  High ceilings, large windows, and spread-out areas are all attributes that will work well with minimalist decor. Invest in thin-legged furniture and handmade rugs in light tones for an airy and spaced-out look. A rug’s importance in home décor is often underrated, but it can do wonders for your space. A home rug works wonderfully to delineate or mark separate spaces in a room. Chunky and oversized furniture and appliances will not only make your space look smaller, but are also difficult to clean and move around by yourself. As a rule of thumb, keep the largest piece of furniture in the central space in the room and use smaller pieces to accessorize your space. A bed, sofa-set, or dining table in the centre along with small tables and chairs at the sides along walls or windows to create a study corner are all great places to start. 

Setting a theme and colour palette:

Setting your decor around a theme is a great way to bring balance and harmony to a room. Often in many rental places, you are not free to repaint it the way you want, but that shouldn’t mean that you cannot bring in the colours of your choice. Upholstery and soft furnishings like curtains, cushion covers, or handmade rugs are good ideas to add in a dash of colour to your space. Work with the 60-3-10 rule, where 60% of the room is in a primary colour, 30% is in a secondary colour, and 10% is in an accent shade. Handmade rugs with multiple colours can help you set this up if you simply take the colours from the rug and replicate them over your space.

The largest objects in your space generally set the theme, while the smaller accessories like lamps, cushion covers, and curtains will help reinforce it. We highly advocate the fact that what looks good to you, works for you. After all, our spaces should be nothing less than an extension of our personalities, and one should be free to express themselves as one pleases. However, when redecorating, remember that a space should not have more than four different vibrant colours. An easy way to make sure that you’re not overdoing the colours is to take one piece of furnishing that has the most details and accent colours and stick to those tones for the rest of the objects. An unusual shade in your decor will almost certainly attract attention, so consider that a superpower and use it wisely. 

Use your decor to change the apparent size of your space

The right decor will enhance not only the style of your space but also its apparent size. Using a wall-to-wall fitted home rug will make your space appear smaller while a smaller home rug with sparse space will make it appear spacious. The size of your furniture too will influence how crowded the space looks. While bulkier pieces will make the space appear smaller, at the same time they’re quite inviting and cozy. Minimalist furniture makes a space appear spaced out, airy, and sophisticated, so choose the best option for your space as it suits you.

Use your decor to tie your space together:

You don’t need to stick to a single theme to have a well-put-together space. What sets a well-put-together space from one that is not is that a well-done space seems like it has something to tell. A well-done space does not seem incomplete and can tell something about the homeowner while a space that is not doesn’t speak about the owner's persona or character at all. And this is true even if your place is a rental space. 

When decorating a place, the biggest reason behind it is our need to express ourselves. When decorating your new rental apartment, note that your home is supposed to be a safe place where we get to decide who and what we welcome into our lives. And that in the end, it is all about what feels comfortable to you, both practically and figuratively.