Renting Your Apartment? Here Are 10 Ways to Make it Cozy!

Living in a small, rented space can be tricky—not just when it comes to decorating, but even when it comes to planning the layout of your furniture. Using few pieces can make the space seem lacking, but having too many can make it seem even smaller.

How do you decorate a rental apartment?

Renting involves following a contract which details how you can improve the space. Since it's a temporary home, there are landlords who don't allow major renovations to be done, leaving you with limited decorating options. From following an open layout and doing away with the tables, to investing in multipurpose furniture and maximizing walls, there are ways to improve the look of your small small to make it your own home sweet home. Here are more tips to keep in mind:

1. Look for transparent furniture

Chairs, tables, and other pieces of furniture made of either plastic, glass, or plexi will keep a tight space from looking too cramped or cluttered. Visit stores like SB Furniture and Mandaue Foam for options.

2. Keep it open and airy 

Consider using open shelving instead of traditional cabinetry with doors. This will look much lighter and still hold everything you need in one place.

3. Consider letting go of tables

Not every living room needs a coffee table. Keep your seating area cozy and intimate using occasional chairs, plants, pillows, or other small-scale accessories instead.

4. Make use of doors and walls

Adhesive hooks are great alternatives to screw-in fixtures, and more practical for renters. Space them strategically on doors and walls to hang everything, from hats and jackets to umbrellas. You may even allot a specific hook for each family member.

 

 

5. Create multipurpose areas

A bed doesn’t have to be the only piece of furniture in a bedroom. Create two zones in your sleeping area by adding a loveseat at the foot of your bed, which will instantly create a place for both sleeping and lounging.

6. Look into how you fix your furniture pieces

Set your dining table against a wall to add a good three to four inches of space to the room. If you have guests over and need more seats for dining, you can always pull out the table to make way for extra chairs.

7. Maximize the available height

For spaces with high ceilings, invest in bunk beds or custom-made loft-style furniture that can free up floor space for other functional activities.

 

8. Invest in double-duty furniture

Pretty poufs are multipurpose accessories that can be turned into extra seating, coffee tables, or even functional footstools. Choose ones in striking jewel tones or upholster plain ones in textured fabrics to add visual interest to your space.

9. Maximize every inch of space

Expand your workspace in a cramped area by setting up a longer-than-standard desk against a wall. This will create enough room to set up a functional workstation, as well as space to store your things.

10. Look up and down

Create storage above head and above ground to store as much as you can in a limited amount of space. This will work whether you are having custom-made furniture pieces built or are stacking your own modular shelving units against a wall.

With tips from “10 Temporary Space Solutions For Renters”  from the October 2011 issue of Real Living Magazine.

This article originally appeared on Realliving.com.ph.

Minor edits have been made by the Smartparenting.com.ph editors.