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20 décor tips and ideas to steal for your apartment
When it comes to apartment décor, a bit of inspiration is never a bad thing
Your apartment is your safe haven – it’s where you spend most of your time and where you should feel most content and relaxed. But often our busy lives can mean that our apartments get a little left behind. Décor that once felt fresh and exciting now feels tired, and colours that once brought you joy no longer receive a second thought.
But to retain the enthusiasm and happiness that you first felt when you moved into your apartment it’s important that you continue to give it the same tender loving care that you always had; and that you look at what you can do to give it a refresh from time to time.
That’s why it’s so important for you to stay up to date with your apartment décor – so you can feel content and comfortable in your own home. Knowing where to start with a décor refresh is often tricky, which is why we’ve created this handy list of apartment ideas to get you inspired!
Rotating gallery
A rotating gallery is a great way to keep your décor constantly fresh with minimal effort, and it’s a lot simpler than it sounds. Using floating shelves, display some of your favourite items – whether pictures, ornaments or a mixture of the two – and switch them around every so often to stop the display feeling stale.
Dress up your windows
Good décor takes every area of a room into account, so make sure you don’t forget your windows. From blinds and curtains to decorative ornaments and window art, there’s plenty you can add to spruce things up.
Personalise your accessories
If you’re feeling crafty, a little DIY is a great way to make sure your knick-knacks and accessories are truly unique. Old and plain items like bookends or even chests of drawers can be jazzed up with something as simple as a fresh coat of paint.
A splash of bold colour
Speaking of paint, colour is a huge factor in good décor. Even the most neutral space can benefit from a splash of bold or bright colour, whether from a feature wall, soft furnishings or wall art.
Floor coverings
Your floor is just as important as the rest of your apartment, so be sure to give it the love it deserves. If you haven’t the time or the finances for completely changing a floor you’re less than happy with, opt for bright, show-stopping rugs to draw the eye.
Open storage
We tend to automatically see clutter as a bad thing, but open storage is a great way of adding interest to a room by simply showing off the possessions you love. Open shelves can be a great décor tool — just think of them as bookshelves for all your favourite knick-knacks.
Work with your best features
Every room should have a focal point, and this should be the area or item in the room that you’re most proud of. It may be something more obvious, like a sofa, bed or fireplace, or it might be something like a painting or table which you absolutely love.
Dress up your hallways and entrance
In apartment living, every space counts. This even includes your hallways and entrance area, which many of us are guilty of overlooking when it comes to décor. Transform your hallways using colour, accessories and a few key items of furniture in order to ensure your home gives the right first impression.
Create an entertaining space
An entertaining area is a must if you like having guests over, and you don’t need a huge amount of space to achieve it. A few choice features like plenty of seating, music, soft furnishing and easy access to the kitchen is all that’s required.
Use mirrors for size and light
Don’t assign mirrors to just bedrooms and bathrooms. As well as having a practical function, mirrors are a great tool for making spaces feel bigger and brighter than they actually are by reflecting light.
Chic dining that’s cosy
Even the most compact apartment deserves a dining table, and it doesn’t need to exude grandeur in order to appear chic and stylish. Sleeker materials like metal and glass can make for stunning smaller designs.
Reassess your layout
If you’re planning a complete décor overhaul, start by going back to basics. Before you replace your furniture, think about whether the layout is working as well as it can. Is there a way to make more of your space?
Bring the outside in
There’s plenty of research to show that bringing a bit of nature into the home is good for our sense of wellbeing. It’s no surprise that introducing plants and flowers into your interior is a simple way of making a space feel fresher and more colourful.
Be sure to match your choices to the space, too. It might be herbs in the kitchen to add an appetising aroma or floral arrangements in the dining room.
Transformative spaces
A sure-fire way to stop your décor feeling stale is to create spaces which can be transformed into something else. A sofa bed can help a living room transform into a guest room, and a foldaway table can make a space become an instant dining room.
Create collages
Wall art can turn a room from drab to fab instantly, and you can do creative things with even something as simple as how you hang the art you’ve chosen. Spreading pieces throughout the room is the most common way to handle wall art, but grouping similar images together on one wall can create a dramatic collage effect.
‘Neutral with a twist’
If in doubt about walking the line between too bold and too bland, opt for neutral with a twist. This can be achieved in a couple of different ways, firstly by choosing a neutral wall colour such as white and then filling the room with touches of bright colour through accessories and soft furnishings. The second is by choosing an almost completely neutral colour for your walls, but one that’s more interesting than simple white, cream or beige. Tones like duck egg blue or pale yellow will help create more interest.
Let there be light
Like colour and layout, light has the power to completely transform a space, so be sure to spend enough time choosing the best kind of light for every room. Do you want soft lighting in a bedroom or dining area? A statement lampshade in your entrance hall? Under-counter lighting in the kitchen for a modern feel? There are countless options to choose from.
Show off what you love
If you’re stuck for ideas on how to fill a space in your apartment, the answer is probably simpler than you think: just fill it with things you love. Show off your talents and your hobbies through your décor: if you are an avid reader it might be book displays; if you are a musician it could be showcasing a collection of your beloved instrument, for example.
Think outside the box
There are no rules when it comes to apartment decorating, and the only limit is your imagination. Whether it’s a bold colour combination or an unusual furniture arrangement, don’t be afraid to try things out and let your personality shine through.
Trust your instincts
And lastly, do what feels right to you. Remember, nobody knows your apartment better than you, and making yourself feel happy and comfortable at home is much more important than pleasing anybody else. So, trust your instincts and find designs that you know you’ll love to see every day.
Inspired to find your perfect apartment? Quartermile’s luxury apartment development in Edinburgh is the perfect place to find your dream home in the heart of Scotland’s bustling capital.
Contact the Quartermile team today by calling 0845 000 2525 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to arrange a viewing.