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Moving into a new apartment is exciting and stressful at the same time. After you’ve finished unpacking you can start getting to some of the more fun parts like decorating your new place. Again, this is both fun and stressful sometimes. There are always limitations to what you can do when you’re renting your living space from someone else.
A lot of landlords have restrictions on what you’re able to change about your apartment. You might not be able to paint your rooms and you need to consider other things like your flooring. It’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to change your apartment’s carpeting, for example. That’s something you’ll have to plan out when you’re decorating.
The decor can get a little more challenging if you add pets into the mix. You can use resources like a dog friendly apartment locating tool to help increase the odds of finding a place that’s ready to accommodate you and your pet. It’s a great way to make sure you’re moving into the perfect apartment for both of you.
If you’re still unsure about how to decorate your apartment now that you’re unpacked that’s okay. There are plenty of ways you can decorate and still make sure your landlord isn’t going to be upset about anything you do. (They may even love it.) Here are five ways you can decorate your new apartment that even your landlord will love.
1. Removable Wallpaper is Awesome
You read that correctly. There is removable wallpaper out there and it can look amazing if you use it the right way. Removable wallpaper is landlord-friendly because it’s exactly what it says it is- removable. It’s not permanent but you still get to have your apartment look highly personalized and decorated while you’re living there.
You can find removable wallpaper in almost any budget range, and if you don’t want to wallpaper a whole wall or room with it you still have some creative options. Use removable wallpaper to decorate a small accent wall, highlight cupboard doors, or on the back of a bookshelf to give some extra intrigue in your living room.
This is a really versatile way to decorate your apartment and the great thing is you don’t even need to worry about sticky residue when you peel it off. That’s not going to be an issue like it might’ve been with older ideas like using contact paper to decorate a wall. This stuff is perfect for anyone who needs to decorate and be able to appease a picky landlord.
2. Area Rugs All Around
Area rugs are a great way to make your rooms look more put together and stylized. They’re a way to combat the frustration of having to have plain jane carpeting in your living space. You don’t have to deal with ugly carpets the entire time you live in your apartment as long as you’re using area rugs to help you decorate.
Think of area rugs as both a chance to decorate and a way to keep your carpets safe so you can get your deposit back. Area rugs are easy to clean and if you spill something you’re spilling it on the rug you own instead of the carpeting your landlord is going to charge you to clean if you stain it.
Use area rugs in all of your rooms to help decorate, protect, and spruce things up. They don’t have to be overly expensive and remember, you’ll be able to take them with you when you move. Don’t underestimate the ways you’ll be able to use area rugs no matter where you’re living now or will move in the future.
3. House Plants are More Than Decor
House plants are a great way to decorate your new apartment. They’ll make your rooms feel more lush and luxurious and, again, they’re landlord-friendly. They won’t require any permanent changes to the apartment but the transformation that happens when you bring in plants will feel dramatic despite its lack of permanence.
In addition to being decorative, studies have shown house plants can improve your concentration and productivity by up to 15%. The same study also showed house plants can reduce your stress levels and boost your mood. They’re more than a decoration and no matter your ability level when it comes to plant-care there’s something out there that will work for you.
4. Backsplashes Can Still Be Decorated
Your kitchen is an area of your apartment you’ll probably be spending at least a little bit of time every day. Most apartment kitchens are fairly basic and that means if you even have a backsplash at all, it’s very standard and bland. That’s okay but it doesn’t have to stay that way if you don’t want it to.
You can use the same idea as the first tip on this list and use removable wall tiles to decorate your kitchen‘s backsplash or even create a backsplash where there’s just plain wall right now. You might be surprised how much of a difference this one small change can make in your kitchen. Again, it’s not permanent so no one is going to care about it when you move.
5. Curtains aren’t Something to Skip
Curtains should be part of your decorating plan for each room in your new apartment. Even if you have blinds curtains are still something you should overlook. They’re a chance to add color, soften the look of a room, and pull everything together with your own personal touch. They’re just not an optional thing when you want to fully decorate your new place.
If you don’t want to spend a ton of money on curtains you can check out your local thrift stores or even sites like Craigslist to see who is selling used curtains they don’t need anymore. You can usually find some great deals and as long as they’re still in good shape it won’t even matter if they’ve been used before.
Conclusion:
Decorating your new apartment should be something you enjoy. With these tips, you’ll be able to figure out ways to decorate while avoiding any stressful situations where you aren’t sure if something will be okay with your landlord. Use these ideas and enjoy the decorating process. It will be worth it when you realize how much you love your new (and newly decorated) place.
