Make Your Apartment Shine With These Simple Design Tips
If you’re anything like me, you probably wonder how Rachel and Monica in the television show Friends lived in such a great NYC apartment. Or maybe you gawked at the downtown loft Kurt and Rachel from Glee rented while attending college in the Big Apple. While you may not be a fictional character in a movie or TV show, there are still plenty of ways to make your apartment or loft shine like your favorite on-screen spaces. Here’s how:
1. Peel N’ Stick Wallpaper
Odds are you rent your apartment, and odds are you’re limited to what you can do to the wall color. The Corner Studio now offers Peel n’ Stick wallpaper from some of our leading wall covering companies. The wallpaper remains a permanent fixture while you’re living there, but can easily be removed once a lease concludes. It’s a fun and inexpensive way to add designer elements to a place that’s not a “forever home.”
2. Screen Printed Rugs
Rugs can make a dramatic difference to a room. Not only do they frame a space, but they add color and design elements to what may be a very simple area. Screen printed rugs are affordable, durable rugs that are ideal for apartment dwellers. They typically come in stunning, colorful patterns but don’t have a price tag of an oriental wool rug typical for a more permanent home.
3. Small Scale Furniture
One of the biggest problems we see as interior designers is when a client purchases furniture for their apartment or loft that is oversized. Apartments are typically small in scale, so you want your furniture to be small-scale to avoid a cramped and over-crowded room. Comfortable furniture like Barbara Stewart Interiors’ new Regina Andrews side chairs are a perfect example of a designer piece that’s great for an apartment living room or bedroom.
4. Furniture with Storage
The less clutter that can be seen in an apartment or loft, the better. Investing in furniture that doubles for extra storage is a wise way to hide clutter that stands out more in small spaces. Consider entertainment stands with drawers and cabinets, or bar cabinets instead of bar carts, like this natural wood bar armoire.
5. Expand Outside
Maximize your living space by expanding to your balcony or terrace, if you have one. Investing in comfortable outdoor furniture, outdoor rugs and pillows, and outdoor décor can create a second living space. Doing so makes your apartment seem both bigger and more open.