This post is about rental friendly upgrades you can make to improve the look of your apartment.
Apartments are springing up everywhere faster than ever, and with every brand new “luxury apartment” popping up in every neighborhood, comes the boring, same color pallets and fixtures that some on the internet (TikTok specifically) have deemed as “Millennial Grey”, named after the boring grey linoleum floors, in these mid range luxury apartments millennials who can afford to rent but not buy are ending up in. These apartments are always very modern and clean, but to the point of sterility that ends up lacking a lot of character and can make the space feel cold and unwelcoming. So, here are some ways to breathe life into your apartment, even with a difficult base like “millennial grey”
1. PAINT THE WALLS
You can start off making a big difference to your apartment with the walls. Painting your walls will be an easy way to start to introduce more color to your space, and if you need to keep it cost effective, you won’t even need to paint all of them! Try painting an accent wall with a color that really pops, or even a design on the wall to frame a piece of furniture. Another suggestion, if you’ve got the budget and patience, is to paint the a whole room, trim and ceiling included the same color! This will counter the millennial grey with a more enclose, cosy feeling.
2. TRY WALLPAPER
While in the past, adding wallpaper was out of the question for renters as obviously the traditional, way of doing it is permanent, and not at all a friendly removal for a renter, these days there are many options for peel and stick wallpaper that are easy to remove once it’s time for you to end your lease. Be mindful that wallpaper can be both a costly and time consuming endeavor, as it will cost more to cover the walls, and it can end up being difficult making sure it’s all laid out flat and the patterns match up, but often this option ends with a big payout. If you’re into patterns, or boldness, this a great route, and the possibilities are endless. You could choose to add wallpaper to a small are like as an accent wall, or behind your bedroom. You might even decide to use it in a smaller room like an office space or kitchen.
3. DIY WALL TRIM
There are trims that you can purchase on Amazon or Home Depot that are temporary and won’t damage the walls, you can even paint them. These trims will add texture to your wall and will add an overall grandness to your apartment.
4. ADD SHELVES OR A BOOKSHELF
Really stake your claim on your rental and drill some holes…in your walls I mean. Floating selves and bookshelves offer opportunities for you to display more of your personality with books, knock knaock, art, and they’re quiet practical for being able to store and hold things you might use often. Bookshelves especially add a sense of permanence into a place and to it look really lived in.
5. BUILD A MANTLE
You can either create your own mantle/fireplace, or you can even purchase a mantle on websites like Wayfair. Depending on the kind you chose or build, it can make your apartment look a little older in a classic way. This adds to the permanence and lived in feeling of your apartment. On top of this, mantle will allow another place to display personal photos, art, and other decor making it a perfect place to add in some personality into your apartment.
6. DEVELOP YOUR GREEN THUMB
Adding Plants give the eyes something interesting to look at and can instantly add intrigue into an already it also will breathe live into any space with the adddition of something living! The vibrant greens from plants are seldom in other places and even if they are, won’t look as natural. There are so many varieties of plants, and even if you dont have a green thumb there are plenty of low maintenance plants that are beautiful.
7. PUT IN NEW LIGHTING
Adding table laps floor lamp can be interesting way to add more lighting and warm lighting will change the entire vibe of your apartment, especially at night. Adding a sconce or a pendant light is always an interesting vocal point, but their inclusion in an apartment is uncommon and will add to the uniqueness and sophistication of your rental. There are plenty of plug in options for both pendant and scone lights that make these really rental friendly. If you’re up for it you can even change out the lights in your apartment, I would suggest hiring an electrician if you’ve never done this before as it can be dangerous, but it’s easy and usually inexpensive to have an electrician do it for you.
8. LOOK INTO WINDOW TREATMENTS
With windows, you should add treatments, this makes the are look much grander, as well as adds layers and texture to the overall look of your apartment. Weather it’s the window in your kitchen, living room, bedroom, or bathroom there’s always an opportunity to add some decor around your window. Make sure your curtain rod is longer than the window and installed a couple inches higher to frame it properly.
9. SWITCH OUT YOUR HARDWARE
Switching out the cabinet handles can completely change the vibe, and I would say is probably the easiest change out on this list! The possibilities are endless, you can search around on Amazon, or any home decor store in order to find some good looking and affordable handles, you can also look on places like etsy, or ebay or even facebook market place to find some older vintage looking hardware if that’s your style. Just remember to keep all your hardware together so it’s easy to replace once you move out. Same goes with the bathroom hardware, switch out your old shower head that is no doubt well used and looking it with a brand new one of your liking, update the sinks hardware and maybe even add a filter if you’re into that!
11. USE PEEL AND STICK TILES
Adding Peel and stick tiles to the bathroom or kitchen floor, or as back splashes in the kitchen adds more texture to the wall and it’s another opportunity to incorporate color and texture into your apartment to make it your own. There are several options and they and easy to install and remove.
12. SWITCH OUT YOUR LIGHT COVERS
The real beauty of this upgrade is in it’s simplicity. Switch covers are often mistakenly overlooked as a way to enhance your space. Switch covers have the ability to harmonize with your decor, and pull the home together through different rooms. They come in a variety of styles, materials, and colors, no matter your style there’s a switch cover that will perfectly match your aesthetic. By choosing covers that resonate with you, you’re adding a personalized touch to every room in your apartment.
This post was about upgrades you can make to your rental apartment in order to make it more unique.