There are plenty of blogs about finding your next apartment, but it can be hard to find the right resources that will help you after you move in. Many apartment dwellers move into their new home only to find that they can’t make things look quite right. There are lots of things that can go wrong in an apartment’s design scheme, and unless you’re an experienced interior designer, it may be difficult to see where you went wrong. Most apartment decoration faux pas can be boiled down to a short list of prevalent errors. Learn more about the common decorating mistakes below to make sure you aren’t taking away from the aesthetic in your apartment.
1 Making Art Hard to See
The whole point of art is to look at it. If you hang something too low or too high, it’s hard to see. Keep art generally at eye level by positioning it about 50-75% of the way up the wall. That will allow your guests to look around the room easily without craning their necks or stooping down to see what you have on display.
2 Pushing Everything Against the Walls
Space is at a premium in most apartment setups. People tend to react to this by pushing everything against the walls and lining the perimeter of the room. They think this will leave more space in the middle of the room, but it actually creates a cramped feeling in the center. If you leave some space around the walls, the room will feel more spacious. Try letting a piece or two of furniture stay toward the middle of the room. If furniture feels lost in the space, anchor it with a rug (more on this in tip eight).
3 Blocking Natural Light
Natural light is almost always a good thing. If you want to add drapes, either choose something translucent or pick something that can be pulled back around the window frame. Don’t block windows with furniture, either.
4 The “Snowman in a Blizzard” Look
White on white on white isn’t chic or sophisticated– it’s normally boring or downright abrasive. If you’re painting your walls, choose something with at least some colorful undertones. If all of your walls are white and you don’t want to paint them, add color to your furniture or decorations, which leads to…
5 Cultivating a Sterile Environment
If your apartment feels lifeless, the obvious solution is to add something living. Succulents and cacti are easy to care for, provide a pop of color, and work as a sort of living art.
6 Piling the Pillows
Some people go overboard with couch pillows because they think it makes their furniture look soft or ornate. In reality, too many pillows create a messy aesthetic and don’t leave enough room for your guests. Pick a couple of pillows you like, then ditch the rest.
7 Shine the Spotlight
While natural light is good, too much artificial light can actually make a room look somewhat bleak. If your room feels too washed out by lighting, choose some less intense bulbs. You may even want to change out a lampshade to something that will cut down the shine.
8 Choosing the Wrong Rug Size
If you choose a rug that’s too small, it can give your apartment a choppy flow (or lack thereof). If you pick one that’s too big, you’ll dwarf the room and make it look smaller than it actually is. Choose just the right size, though, and you’ll anchor your room to create a cozy feeling and make it appear more spacious. There are lots of schools of thought about choosing the perfect rug size, but the safest bet is to follow the following tips:
• In the dining area, pick a rug that’s at least a few feet larger than the table. When people pull their chairs away from the table to get in and out, all four legs of the chair should stay on top of the rug.
• For your living room, a rug should be about two feet wider than the couch, so that it can extend past the couch by one foot on both sides.
• Follow a similar rule for your bedroom rug, making sure it’s long enough to stick out on the sides of your bed. This allows you to put your feet down on the rug instead of the cold floor first thing in the morning.
Apartments for Rent in Phoenix
The easiest way to avoid a tragic apartment decoration scheme is to start with something that’s already attractive. When you move into a modern, well-appointed apartment property, you’re off to a good beginning. From there, you can take your own style and blend it into the natural aesthetic of your unit. Come take a tour of one or more Heers Management properties, and you’ll see how easy it is to make one of these apartments look great. Contact us today to set up a viewing, and get one step closer to your perfectly decorated apartment.