Apartment Therapy’s post on “Small Changes, Serious Impact” really got us thinking: what are the best ways to make your apartment feel more upscale, without scaling up your decorating budget? Below are some of our better ideas (plus some of AT’s we just had to share!).
Coat hooks
As soon as you walk in the door, you should be able to store your jacket and bags; otherwise, they’re going to end up draped everywhere. I love having hooks everywhere: in the entryway for jackets and purses, in the bathroom for towels and robes, in the bedroom for scarves and sweatshirts and anything else that my partner might otherwise leave on the floor. Hooks are easy to install, easy to find in attractive models, and easy to decorate around. You won’t regret having more.
Good speakers
If you like to listen to music, listen to every part recorded—not just the part your dinky speakers can communicate. I recommend spending a little more on a quality product, preferably one with a warranty. Any time the house feels lonely or boring, you’ll have a party (or even a pity party) at your fingertips.
A nice bathroom
There are many components to a good bathroom—nice (clean) towels, powerful showerhead, lack of mold, cushy shower mat…I could go on. You could retile your whole bathroom, or you could just invest a little time and money into cleaning and accessories, and be rewarded with a bathroom experience more akin to a spa’s than a prison’s.
An easily made bed
I’ve been saying this for years, and I’m glad to see Apartment Therapy agree: why does anyone use a top sheet anymore? Instead, you can have a colorful and comfy duvet cover, as easily washable as a sheet but require no elaborate tucking every morning. My bedroom instantly looks tidier just from a simple fluff of my comforter. Yum.
Plants
Give yourself the gift of life (without the 9 months and the next 18 years). Living plants brighten up a room, and even if you have a thumb that’s somewhat less than green, you can always buy or pick flowers to bring home each week.
How have you transformed your apartment? Tell us here or on Facebook!
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Not yet but I will make some improvement in my apartment this weekend, I am focusing on bathroom area first and some of the tips here
My artistic daughter visited & we moved everything on the diagonal across from a focal point in the living room-in this case-the fireplace. Cool looking!
Great idea, Anne — thanks so much for sharing! It’s always nice to have artistically-minded friends and family
Let us know if you guys come up with any other cool decorating ideas!
Julia
MyNewPlace.com
These are some really cool tips! It’s important to know how to make effective use of the space given. Sometimes even the smallest things can make a place feel bigger even though it isn’t.
You are so cool! I do not believe I’ve read through a single thing like that before. So nice to discover somebody with a few genuine thoughts on this issue. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This web site is one thing that is needed on the internet, someone with some originality!