How to Make an Apartment Feel Like Home in 5 Easy Steps

Yes, relocations require a lot of work. And yes, it isn’t emotionally easy either. There are numerous ways by which we decide where to live. Perhaps we’ve decided to move in with the boyfriend, or we are on a path to independence and moving to another state alone to a city of our dreams. Alas, leaving everything behind and settling somewhere new and unknown can be really stressful and even cause relocation depression. But there’s a simple way to overcome this and help yourself adjust: to create a sense of belonging to the new residence by adding a touch of your personality.

Step 1 – Before You Begin With Your Journey, Get Rid of Excessive Items

You’re sitting in your current abode, and everywhere you look, it feels sterile and not your own. You had to deal with moving stress, and this uncomfortable feeling of uneasiness just piles up on top of that. But what if you can add a few things here and there, spruce up a little bit, and spend a few dimes to get a comfy feel and help yourself feel homey? Before you begin to unpack after moving, set aside a moment or a two to do a little purge around the place. Although you’ve probably already downsized for a move and you’ve made a decision to donate unwanted items, because it’s the cheapest way to move out of state, you should do some more decluttering to add more space to your current abode.

Spruce Up So the New Residence Can Sparkle

Right before the cross-country movers bring your belongings from their storage units, you should get to work and clean the apartment before moving in for good. With a cloth, a broom, and some cleaning supplies, it’s possible to give each corner and surface a sparkling look. You’ll even manage to burn around 200 calories if you clean for two hours, so don’t hesitate to tidy around the residence – it can help you stay in shape, too.

Step 2 – Add Some Brightness to Your Abode

Your moving budget was probably depleted during the relocation and left no room for any decorating ideas, but if you’ve managed to spare a dime, you should invest it to buy some paint and add lighting wherever you can. If you paint the walls of the room a bright color, it will create a whole different atmosphere in residence. Brightness and light will let a feeling of a bigger space overflow the abode, no matter how tiny it is. The lamps and lights you add around the residence will brighten up everything some more.

Experiment With Colors in at Least One Room

If you want some vibrance and adventure in your life and each room as well, you can choose a wall to paint with daring color. Go with a contrasting color that will pop and create a background for a piece of artwork or furniture. Try teal, pink, dark blue, magenta, or any other favorite color, and be bold when combining. The pop of color can bring unexpected joy and a chic look to your residence; it will even ensure that unpacking after a move is easier to handle when you know your abode will be a stylish spot.

If You’re a Renter, Making an Apartment a Home Won’t Include Painting the Walls

Alas, none of these ideas can be implemented in a rental residence because if you do some adjustments to any room, your landlord won’t agree. You’re probably aware of this fact because one of the things you need to rent an apartment is a deposit, and you won’t be able to get it back if you don’t leave the residence in perfect condition. But renters can still find ways to style their walls. The first option is to use peel and stick wallpaper. They come in various colors and designs and can be applied everywhere – from walls to furniture. The other option is to buy stylish curtains that fall to the floor and can be a bold statement, based on their design.

Step 3 – Pillows and Blankets Will Give Coziness to Each Corner

If you’re wondering, “How do I make my apartment cozy,” one of the simplest ways is to place pillows all around the abode. If you haven’t put any on your household inventory list for your cross-country moving company to transport to your future home, you can jump over to the nearest retail store to buy a few. Combine texture, fabric, and different colors to achieve an ultimately cozy look. If you manage to find some stylish blankets that match, the whole residence will feel as fluffy as a cloud.

Or Get To Work and Refurbish Old Pieces of Furniture

You probably have a favorite piece among the packed furniture that the long-distance moving company has transported from your old place. Such pieces can be essential to everyone looking for ways on how to make an apartment homey, as it will remind them of their former abode. Moving furniture from your old place is also smart if you want to save up a bit, so ensure you invest in packing service because professionals even know how to move IKEA furniture without damaging it.

However, these old pieces may be pretty worn out, but you can take care of them and give them a new life, with some work put into it. You’ll need some sandpaper, wood stain, and maybe even some interesting fabric to upholster your sofa and armchair. If you’re interested in repurposing furniture and you don’t own any old pieces, you can look for them on websites such as Craigslist.

Step 4 – Throw a Rug Where You See Fit

Wooden or tiled floors are easy to clean and disinfect but can look a little cold and sterile for a living space. This is where rugs step in – they can contribute to your journey of figuring out how to make your apartment feel like home and give you a lasting sense of coziness. If you were last-minute moving and had to pack up in a hurry, you probably didn’t bring a rug from your old place, so go on a shopping spree and find the most perfect and fluffy rug out there. Your feet will appreciate it, and it will warm up your living quarters.

Step 5 – Nothing Says Homey Like Some Personal Details and Artwork

Although your living quarters are starting to get a shape of a cozy nest, there are a few final touches you can implement. If you’ve packed paintings and other artwork and brought them with you, it’s time to unpack them and rearrange them around the residence. Decorations and artwork are often overlooked when we move, but they are an essential part of giving an abode some personality. You can also frame and hang your favorite photographs on a wall.

Plants and Greenery Will Brighten Up Any Abode

Most of us love some greenery and a pop of living color through our residence, but it’s not easy to bring plants from one place to another. If you’ve managed to move house plants long-distance (and it’s possible if you didn’t ship your car through the auto transport service, so you’ve brought them with you,) start arranging them. They bring life and love to each space, no matter how tiny it is. Here are the most popular choices that will brighten your space:

• A plant that is perfect for apartment living is the Money tree (Pachira aquatica). It loves bright spaces and indirect light but will also thrive under fluorescent lights. It’s a plant that even beginners can take care of.
• Another great option is the Fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata,) which will also love a spot with indirect sunlight. It’s a bit harder to take care of, and it’s not pet-friendly, so if you live with a furry companion, this shouldn’t be your pick.
• Bring some tropical vibes into your abode with Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii). If this is the start of your botanical journey, this is the right pick for you, and it’s also a pet-friendly option. Just be sure you don’t put it in direct sunlight.
• If your abode feels dull because of the lack of color, add a Polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) to brighten the whole space. It comes in a variety of colors, and you’ll love it for its pink spots.
• Most plants bring green into your residence, but the Calathea beauty star (Calathea ornata) shines bright with vivid green and is a favorite among plant lovers. Its perfect spot is by a window, and you’ll easily take care of it, even if you are a beginner.

If you plan to visit a flower shop, ensure you get additional info on each plant you buy and how it’s best to take care of it so that it can live a long life in your residence.

But if You’re in a Rental, You Can’t Hang Anything on the Wall

So, how can I make my home feel like home if I’m renting? Renters have it rough when it comes to redesigning their living quarters because there’s only so much they’re allowed to do. Since you can’t alter anything, hanging artwork, mirrors and photographs are out of the question, but there’s a way around it. Take all your favorite framed artwork and line it on a shelf, or lean it back against the wall on top of a shelf. You can combine pieces and place them based on their height or group them by color. You can purchase a self-standing mirror, and if it is combined with a clothes rack, the better. It’s a few simple steps that can be done in no time. If you’ve managed to make friends in the new city, they will love what you’ve done to the abode.

Check out the video below if you need any other fantastic decorating ideas that you can implement as a renter.

If You Know How to Make an Apartment Feel Like Home, You’ll Create a Cozy Nest in No Time

Planning to make your future abode nice, cozy, and homey can relax even the most stressed-out. Giving the future residence a personal touch is exactly what we need after a relocation. If we contact the movers to estimate the value of household goods and invest in cross-country moving services of our choice, we’ll have time to dream about our new life and focus on arranging our favorite pieces of furniture in the new abode.