Decorate a Very Tiny One Bedroom Apartment on a Budget
Decorating a tiny apartment on a budget presents a challenge. The advantage of a small apartment is that it takes less money to decorate than a large one. The disadvantage is that you will need to make pieces you purchase do double-duty.
Instructions
1. Develop a budget. Knowing how much you can spend keeps you on track from overspending.
2. Write down your priorities. If you want your apartment to be your sanctuary, you'll probably focus more on privacy and comfort than if you want to entertain your friends in your apartment every weekend.
3. Check decorating websites, books and magazines to see what styles appeal to you. Download interesting looks or make color copies of the pages from books or magazines that interest you at the library. When you're finished, you'll have a good idea of your style.
4. Decide on a color scheme for the apartment. Lighter-colored walls are generally better for small spaces. Be sure to obtain permission from the landlord if you want to paint. Some landlords do not object, while others strictly forbid it. Use fabric from a secondhand store to add color to the walls if painting is not allowed. Hang the fabric with double-faced tape on the walls, tension rods or use grommets and hooks.
5. Visit garage sales, flea markets and charity stores for furniture and accessories you can paint or recover. Make your selections fill more than one function. Choose a dining room table that has a drop leaf, so it takes up less space, and it can function as a desk as well. A mirror can be decorative as well as functional. If you have a one-room apartment, choose a futon or convertible sofa that can double as a bed.
6. Check outlet stores for bedding and window treatments. Keep drapery treatments short, to the bottom of the windowsill, rather than past it or to the floor, so they won't seem overwhelming in a small space.
7. Ask family and friends if they have furniture that you could have but be selective in what you accept. A nine-foot sofa might have looked great in a family room but it will look huge in a tiny living room and won't leave space for anything else. A love seat would be a better option.
8. Use everyday objects as accessories. Put green apples in a glass bowl and display it on the coffee table, if your color scheme includes green. Fill glass vases with cheap hard candy and display them on shelves. The vases can be purchased cheaply at secondhand or dollar stores. Candy comes in a myriad of colors and is priced as low as $1 a bag. For less than $10 you'll have a focal point for the room. Use inexpensive bags of seashells, glass pebbles or river rocks in place of the candy.
Tags: Bedroom Apartment, Budget, books magazines, color scheme, Decorate Very