Last Updated on October 15, 2024 by Corynn
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Living in a small apartment can be tough. You want to make your apartment feel like home without having the large amount of clutter everywhere.
Here is a list of ways on how you can decorate your small apartment on a budget without breaking the bank.
if you’re looking to decorate your apartment by season, I have two blog post that can help you decorate for the Fall season and decorate your apartment for Christmas.
How Much Does it Cost To Decorate an Apartment?
It really depends on your plan on how you want to decorate your small apartment and the square footage of space you have.
Some budgets can be around $500 to $2000. It all depends on your wants and needs for your apartment.
Firstly, I wouldn’t start decorating your entire apartment at one time. This could be costly and stressful for some.
Take each room and see which area you want to decorate first. This could be the bedroom, all the way to the front hallway.
After you decided the order on how you are going to decorate your apartment. Decide on a budget for each room.
Why should you have a budget for each room? It’s all about the space. Some rooms are larger than others.
For example, you wouldn’t have the same budget for your bedroom and bathroom.
After you have came up with a detailed budget. Now it’s time to start shopping!
How To Make My Small Apartment Feel Homey?
Honestly, there is no place like home. You want to make your apartment feel like the coziest and homiest place on earth. After all this is where you will be sleeping, eating, and lounging around.
You want to make sure that your small apartment doesn’t feel like a temporarily space, with boxes and junk everywhere.
To make your small apartment feel homey, you may want to add some plants, pictures of you and your family. In addition you can paint the walls a different colour.
Down below we are going to share a few decor items that you can use to decorate your small apartment.
17 Small Apartment Decorating Ideas on a Budget
1. Shelf Liners
The one thing I did when I moved is put in shelf covers in our cabinets and pantry. This really spruce up our cupboards a lot and made it feel very homey.
If you’re looking for a small apartment decorating idea that is easy to install and remove, place covers inside your cabinets.
You can find the same shelf covers on Amazon.
2. Add Wallpaper
Usually apartments come with wall to wall white paint. Some people enjoy that look and others want to make a change.
Adding wallpaper to your walls can allow you to show off your personality right in your apartment. You can even designate a wall in your apartment just for wallpaper.
3. Add Paint
Like I said before, majority of apartments come in a simple bland colour that can be changed the way you want it to be! This could be by painting your bedroom, living or even the bathroom!
4. Add Shelving
not only are shelves great for added storage but they can also be used for as decor. You can put up floating shelves or a whole shelving cabinet.
You can deck out your shelves by adding books, movies, sculptures, and so much more!
5. Add a Ladder (not the one you’re thinking about!)
Yes, you can use a ladder as a decor piece. The way you can use this ladder is by hanging your clothing, throw blankets, or just design it the way you want it to look like!
6. Add Some Plants
Because we live in an apartment and if you live above the 1st floor, you’re going to be limited on the amount of gardening you can do.
If you have a green thumb and want to decorate your small apartment. Why not add some plants?
This could be artificial plants or even real plants. These plants can be on your balcony or even inside your small apartment. They are so many ways you can display your plants.
7. Wall Art
If you don’t want to paint your walls or add wallpaper, another idea you can do is add wall art.
Wall art is super easy to install and remove when it’s time to move out. You can find wall art at your local art galleries or even some thrift shops.
This way you are decorating your small apartment on a budget while also supporting small business owners.
In addition, you can place wall art anywhere you like. This could be in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, or the living room.
8. Mirrors
Placing mirrors around the apartment is a great idea because the only mirror you really have is the one in the bathroom. Sometimes that doesn’t always do justice when it’s time to get ready.
I highly suggest you get a mirror that is full body length and one that is hanging up near the door.
It’s always great to see how your outfit looks completely and a last minute fix before heading out the door.
9. Pictures
Having pictures of you and your spouse, friends, and family can make your small apartment feel cozy and less lonely.
As well as looking at those photos can bring you back to those times of great memories with the people you love.
10. Add/Change Headboards
I never knew just adding a headboard to a bead can literally be a game-changer for a bedroom.
Adding a headboard to your bed can help to elevate your bedroom decor, plus prevent wall damage.
11. Carpets and Rugs
If you have hardwood floors and want to protect them or wall to wall carpet? Add some rugs!
Adding carpets or rugs can help upscale your small apartment. Having a carpet in the living room can help go along with your theme.
Or even having something soft to step on after coming out of the bed.
12. Fairy Lights
If you’re anything like me and always on Pinterest, you will see so many inspiration on how to use fairy lights.
If you find that your apartment lacks a lot of sunlight or overall lightening, add some fairy lights.
13. Woven Basket
I personally find that woven basket somehow make your place feel trendy. You can literally add a woven basket anywhere.
You can add a woven basket in the livingroom to hold your throw pillows, or inside the bedroom to place your dirty clothes in.
If you’re looking for an item that can help with limiting clutter while coming off as a decor piece, get some woven baskets!
14. Front Entry Table
When my husband and I moved into our first apartment, we had a blank wall that was in between the front foyer and the kitchen. We weren’t sure what to put there.
We knew we needed something there due to the fact that our wifi box was connected there.
So we decided to get a Front entry table.
This idea was a life saver because we actually had a place for our keys mask and made our empty wall useful.
15. Bar Cart
Do you host a lot? Or make different cocktails a lot? Why not add a bar cart inside of your apartment.
Having a bar cart can really add a nice touch to your living space. Each season you can add decor or even add a specialty drink.
You can find so many inspirations on Pinterest or on Instagram.
16. Tea Towels
Looking for decoration ideas for your apartment that won’t take up a lot of space? Get some tea towels.
This idea works for every day decor, Christmas and fall decor. You can sit them on your oven handles, inside your bathroom or even over the sink.
This decoration idea is great for people who have small apartments and don’t want a lot of clutter.
You can find tea towels that match your theme, season, or the holidays.
19. Throw Pillows
Another clutter-free decoration ideas are throw pillows. You can put these on your bed, or on your couch.
Just adding a pop of colour or print to your staple pieces really brings the room all together.
Essential Tips For Apartment Decorating On A Budget
1. See What You’re Allowed To Do Within Your Rental Agreement
Before starting on any projects that involve drilling or painting, remember to carefully read over your rental agreement.
Some rental agreements allow you to decorate your apartment as you please. As long as you fix everything back the way it was before.
Although some agreements prohibits you from painting, drilling, or making any major damage to your apartment.
While researching decoration ideas for your apartment, remember to see if they are non-permanent and are able to be removed when it’s time to move.
2. Take Photos Before Making Any Major Changes
This tip goes along with tip #1, Remember to take before photos!
We tend to forget all the little things we put in our apartment that we barely remember what it looked like the first time we moved in.
If you’re going to be making some major changes to your apartment, remember to take a picture of what the room/area looks like before.
This will really help you at the end of your lease and a higher chance of getting your deposit back.
3. Shop Around Before Purchasing.
Remember that we are trying to decorate our small apartment on a budget. So we don’t want to go super overboard on decorating.
Here are some places you can shop at that offer budget friendly home decor;
- Amazon
- Walmart
- Target
- Bed Bath and Beyond
- and even the dollar store
Begin writing a list of decor items you want to add into your apartment (by rooms) and research the prices of each item. Then decide which store has it the cheapest.
