Gallery Display
Use floating shelves to show off a collection of decorative objects and mementos. Stagger the shelves for a unique look. Basic shelves serve as a strong basis for rotating displays. They will go with almost anything, which means you can change the look of the vignette, leaving the shelves in place and avoid making any more holes in your apartment walls.Dress Up Your Windows
You're not limited to the mini blinds that come standard in most rentals. Dress up you windows with easy DIY curtains. This no-sew project can be done in a weekend!Paint Options
If you can't paint the walls in your apartment, paint your furniture. A new paint job on a bed frame or nightstand can be just as impactful as new color on the walls.Personalized Accessories
Add a little pizzazz to your entryway or bedside table with a customized tray. Use this simple stencil technique to transform a boring metal tray into something you'll be proud to display.Embrace Open Storage
Employ an industrial metal shelving unit as extra kitchen storage if your apartment'skitchen storage options are less than generous. The cool finish of this unit recalls metal touches that are standard in prokitchens. Use baskets to corral kitchen staples, and incorporate a few decorative touches to keep it fun.Floor Coverings
Often in a rental situation, you are stuck with whatever finishes are in place when you sign the lease. If your apartment's carpet is not so stylish, camouflage the problem with an extra-large area rug that coordinates with your other decor. If the room is on the small side, you won't need an oversize rug, which can start to get pricey.Work with It
Vintage buildings have plenty of charm, but some original elements can pose a decoratingchallenge. Rather than cringe at something you don't like, embrace it and find a work-around. If the bathroom tile is a shade you can't stand, pick a color you do like to serve as the room's main hue. The tone of green used in this bathroom has just a twinge of yellow, which helps the accents to stand out and the yellow tile to recede. Try a blue-green with powder blue tile or sherbet orange with salmon-color tile.Add an Entry
If your apartment lacks a designated entry, create your own with a bookcase. Remove the top shelves and install hooks on the back wall of the bookcase for hanging coats. Add more hooks to the sides of the books case for hanging leashes or umbrellas. Outfit the bottom shelves with baskets and small drawers for storing mittens, sunglasses, and other out-the-door essentials. Add a memo bar from an office supply store to the top of the bookcase as a place to organize reminders.Shine On
In any small space, using mirrors is adecorating trick that works wonders. They reflect light and make a space feel bigger. Hang a large mirror in your apartment's diningspace, living room, or bedroom across from a window, so it is in a prime position to receive natural light and reflect it back into the room.Be Entertaining
Turn your TV wall into a focal point. Hang paneled artwork behind the TV to frame it, and surround the TV with plenty of storage. This TV could have been placed on the console beneath it, but to maximize space and functionality in an apartment rental, take your TV to the wall and place a console beneath it that can be used as a serving surface when entertaining. Plus, having a piece of furniture beneath a wall-mount TV grounds it and prevents it from seeming as if there's a random black object floating on the wall.Adapt Your Apartment
Finding nonpermanent ways to update your apartment is key to making a rental feel like home. You might want to switch out your sink, but your rental agreement makes it a no-go. Instead, modify it to suit your tastes. Hang a skirt around an open sink, using adhesive-backed hook-and-loop tape to hide unsightly plumbing. Hide baskets or a lowshelving unit of bathroom essentials behind the skirt.Cozy, Chic Dining
A cramped dining nook can become worthy of dinner parties with a few smart strategies. Use clear chairs or a glass-top table to visually expand the space and make it feel bigger, hang up some artwork, and adjust thelighting. Install wall-mount sconces that don't need to be hardwired, or place lamps on a narrow console. If your dining area came with a chandelier, see if you can cover the bare bulbs with shades, which will diffuse the light, softening the room's glow.Furniture Placement
Picture your apartment's living space without any furniture to help you think beyond your current furniture arrangement. Decide if the room is large enough to divide up in to zones that will make the space more functional. Then get creative with how you start to arrange furniture. It might make the most sense to "float" the sofa in the middle of the room and place your TV on the wall facing it. You can then use the space on the other side of the sofa for an office or dining area. Place a console behind the couch to use forstorage to serve both zones.Editor's Tips
Better Homes and Gardens edtior Eddie Ross spills the decorating secrets he used to make his own apartment look fabulous.Outside In
Use colorful garden stools as impromptucoffee tables or as bedside tables. These relatively lightweight furniture pieces can easily be moved from room to room and are much easier to carry up apartment stairs than a bulky table.Apartment Assets
Turn awkward apartment features in your favor. Tap odd corners or narrow closets forstorage or a cozy seating area for one. In this living room, two narrow nooks provide storage for office and crafts supplies, andcurtains can be drawn to conceal the spaces.Bathroom Furnishings
Bring furniture your bathroom and you'll be adding plenty of function. A slender table with a drawer can be used for storage and a sturdy chair can become a perch for clean towels.
