Getting your very first apartment is an exciting thing that feels like a major milestone in life. With the fun of getting to create a space that is distinctly yours comes the stress of figuring out how to design the place to feel like home. With the slew of new real estate properties becoming available, it’s becoming a tempting opportunity for even more people to snap up their own place (and have this very dilemma in their hands).
If you’re not sure how to decide with the design of your new home, check out these easy-to-follow tips.
Start with pieces you can work around.
Since not everyone can shell out a ton of money to get full sets of everything at once, buy some core pieces that you can showcase and centre around. For example, a good coffee table with some stable seating around it is a great centrepiece that you can then complement with other furniture like lamps, drapes, and rugs. That sets the layout and tone of the room, and it’s easier to build around it.
Lean into art you like.
Using art for decoration is an easy go-to that can liven up the area and say something about your own tastes. Whether you opt for some sculptural pieces, paintings, or pop culture posters and photography, this can make any space feel not empty and have more personality. An excellent way to decide picking what art to put up is also designating the style by room.
Style your entryway
This factor is the first thing anyone sees as they walk into your unit, so it’s the best place to create the initial impression of the whole space. Not only is this an excellent way to establish the vibe to any guests, but it can also make you feel good every time you come home. You can opt for a seasonal style where the entryway is themed depending on the time of the year, or you can go for practical usages like an artsy rack for jackets and hats or a decorative bowl for keys and change.
Create a colour palette or theme to follow
While each person has their own taste, this can be an easy way to determine what items you purchase to create the whole aesthetic of your apartment. While some people prefer a monochrome look, others like eclectic styles with a lot of contrast and different colours. Whichever one you choose, a good next step is to start with the colour wheel and see what draws you in. From there, experts suggest starting with the most prominent features and accents of the space and go vertically.
Think about storage
Another necessary factor that can inform your design choices is simply practicality. Think about how you want to maximise the space that you have in terms of storage and use that as a guide to the kind of decorations you can put in and how much space you’ll have to play around with.
With these ideas, you should be able to have a better idea of how to make your place come together and feel like home.