If you’re in your first apartment, odds are you’re living on a budget and trying to make your money stretch as far as possible. But your slim budget doesn’t have to mean you can’t have the stylish apartment of your dreams! With careful planning and tasteful decorating, you can make your first apartment look much more expensive. Read on below to find out how!
Stick with a color palette
When choosing furniture and decor for your apartment, make sure you stick to a color palette so the whole place comes together. The base of your palette should comprise neutral colors, but it’s okay to include a few accent colors too. Try to coordinate your accent colors and pieces but not make them exactly the same.
Additionally, make sure you’re including a balance of warm and cool colors in your palette. Black and gray are great, but a little brown or blue in the mix can really help soften the tone of your decor and help your apartment feel more comfortable and homey.
Use the right metals
Using metals strategically can help elevate the look of your apartment as well. You can’t go wrong with silver, which works perfectly with the brushed nickel finishes that have been in style for a while now.
Gold metals can look tacky and cheap if not executed properly, so if you choose to go with gold, make sure to do it right. To use gold in your apartment, make sure you use it in small amounts and basic designs. Too much can make it look like you’re trying to be flashy with cheap finishes.
Think about the walls and floor
Most people think about furniture first when trying to make their apartment nicer, but you don’t want to neglect the walls and floor. Tasteful art pieces and large area rugs can help add a touch of class to your apartment. Additionally, try getting a set of long curtains that starts high above the windows and goes to the floor. These curtains can give the illusion of your ceiling being higher than it actually is.
Use mirrors
Mirrors might be the best kind of wall decoration if you want your apartment to look more expensive. Mirrors help refract light around your apartment so it feels bright and warm as opposed to dark and dingy. In addition, mirrors can give the illusion of a larger space so your apartment feels much bigger than it really is. If you’re going to use mirrors, however, make sure they’re impeccably clean. A dirty mirror will have the opposite effect and make your apartment feel dim and dusty.
Declutter and keep things clean
Possibly the most important step is to get rid of clutter and keep your apartment clean. A cluttered apartment will make you look like you don’t value your things as much, while a decluttered apartment makes it seem like your furniture and other possessions have been tastefully selected for their part.
When decluttering, you can sell or donate furniture or decorations that don’t fit the look you’re going for. Then, you should commit to keeping your apartment tidy – that does more to make your apartment look nice than anything else.
