How To Make Your Rental Apartment Feel More Like A Home

“Decorate your home. It gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is.”
                                                                            Charles M. Schulz


Apartment living can be a great option whether you are downsizing or moving out on your own after college, however,  they tend to lack "character" an essential part of any home decor scheme.  Character basically makes a home feel like a home -in essence,  it changes the overall vibe of your abode. 

If  you just moved into a rental apartment and it feels a little sterile, dark or cold and you desperately want it to feel more like a home follow these steps outlined below:

1. Hang a lightweight medallion on the ceiling (see photo) to make a boring light fixture seem more dramatic.  You can find these readily available at The Home Depot or other hardware stores.
2.  Replace kitchen and bathroom cabinet hardware with modern/vintage knobs.
3. Switch out those outdated plastic light switch covers with something unique and contemporary.
4. For dark areas of your apartment add electric wall scones or battery powered wall lamps.  Both are affordable and can be easily installed. 
5.  Upgrade your bathtub shower head with a Rain or LED showerhead to create a spa-like feeling within your bathroom.
     
6.  Removable wallpaper - hang wallpaper to a blank boring white wall to update it instantly.
7.  Remove those blinds (if you are allowed to) and update them with quality draperies.
8. Add houseplants.  They are cheap, good for the air and will make any space feel like home.  Make sure to place houseplants in a good quality/pretty planter so they don't look cheap.
   
   
   

                                 Houseplants create a zen-like atmosphere in this living room

A french-style ceiling medallion makes this space look opulent

A wall sconce the perfect lighting needed to create hominess

This global decor style light switch will give any wall character  

                                                                    Source:  Pinterest

                                Modern cabinet knobs and pulls a quick fix for any outdated fixture


These rental updates will transform any bland apartment into a palace. Hope they have inspired you.   Give them a try!

Decorate Your Abode With Timeless Chandeliers

No other light fixture is as beautiful as a chandelier. Chandeliers refract light and contain numerous crystal and glass prisms that subtly brighten a room by giving it a warm ambience and enhancing its sculptural beauty.

Incorporating a chandelier in your home will give it elegance, glamour and change the overall mood of the room it's featured in. Just choose the style of chandelier that compliments your decor. Chandeliers can be placed in the entryway, in a dining room, bedroom or bathroom.

Types of Chandeliers:

Crystal

This type of chandelier is classic and timeless, made from Swarovski crystals and glass.

Teacup 

Made from real china teacups and saucers for the shabby chic/cottage style decor.

Modern/Contemporary

Made from shiny steel or wrought iron for the chic modern home.

Mini Chandeliers  

Mainly used in small intimate spaces or as wall scones. Measuring approx. 9-12 inches.

Chandelier Design Tips:

Pick the right size of chandelier for your room.

Tall ceilings require larger chandeliers.

Foyer - bottom of the chandelier should not hang more than 7 feet from the floor.

Dining rooms - bottom of chandelier should sit about 30-32 inches from the table top.

                                                   
                                                 All photos courtesy of Pinterest

 Chandeliers  are a timeless, beautiful and functional and a  great lighting choice to decorate your abode.
                                                   

5 Stylish light fixtures to brighten your abode for the summer months

"Design is defined by light and shade, and appropriate lighting is enormously important."       

                                              Albert Hadley, The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer

Lighting is pretty important when decorating or staging a home.  It can illuminate a treasured object, or turn a dim and dingy basement into a bright and cheery space where everyone wants to hang out. With so many types of light fixtures on the market today from pendant lighting, task lighting to globes, why not brighten your home this summer with these stylish light fixtures below:

Ikea kitchen hanging light fixture with a mix of modern and vintage

  Globe light fixtures from Ikea in a range of styles and colors

                                          Ikea task lighting lamp perfect for above a nook or beside table

Flush mount lighting from Pottery Barn

                                             Classic Pendant lighting from Pottery Barn to brighten a kitchen

                                                                              or entryway

Photos courtesy of Ikea and Pottery Barn

Happy 4th of July!