Congrats! Having a place of your own is huge accomplishment. Now, you just need to fill it. This can be a stressful process.
Furniture is expensive and decor pieces can easily make you spend more than expected. Decorating small apartments on a budget can be daunting, but don’t worry! In this post, I’ve gathered 15 helpful small apartment decorating ideas on a budget!
Before jumping in and purchasing pieces for your home, finalize on a budget and style. Planning ahead will save you money and headaches. A clear vision can prevent you from creating a mismatched home or spending over your budget.
Let’s begin! Here are the best tips on how to decorate a small apartment on a budget!
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Small Apartment Decorating Ideas On A Budget
Decor is a wonderful way to liven up a place and stamp your personality. If you have a small square footage and budget, here’s how you can make the most out of your decor.
- Mirrors can visually expand your space.
- DIY curtains to frame your windows, provide privacy, and control light flow.
- Light-colored furniture can make a room brighter and bigger.
- Use rugs to separate spaces and add sound proofing.
- Plants add life to your home.
- Buy all your picture frames from thrift stores.
- Use a printing service for your wall art.
- Search for discounts, DIY, and thrift!
1. Mirrors Can Visually Expand Your Space
Mirrors are a great way to capture and disperse natural light in your rental apartment. It also gives an illusion of a larger room. Mirrors can be hung which means you don’t have to compromise floor space and additionally, fill up blank walls.
Not only are they great visually, but also functionally as an area to get ready. Here’s one of the best small apartment decorating ideas on a budget: find mirrors cheap secondhand at thrift store or Facebook marketplace.
If you want one for new, find mirrors (like the affordable wall mirror above) on sites like Amazon.
2. DIY Curtains To Frame Your Windows, Provide Privacy, And Control Light Flow
If you are renting an apartment, your windows might already come with blinds. If your rental apartment is old and has gone through multiple tenets, they aren’t likely the most visually appealing. Curtains can be a great solution to hide blinds, but also provide privacy and light flow. They also make the room cozy and homely.
These linen curtains provide privacy while giving a room an airy feel.
Need help decorating small apartments on a budget? Curtains can be expensive so I recommend to DIY your own! There are so many tutorials online and you don’t need to know how to sew. Think about your space and color scheme before purchasing fabric.
If you are decorating your living room area you might be looking for a fabric that can easily let natural light through, but translucent enough to give privacy. Research before you buy.
3. Light-Colored Furniture Can Make A Room Brighter And Bigger
Light-colored items reflect light better which can make the room feel more airy and brighter. I prefer to use white or lighter-colored furniture to make a smaller room feel spacious. Light wood tones can do the same thing while providing additional texture and coziness.
4. Use Rugs To Separate Spaces And Add Sound Proofing
Looking for small apartment decorating ideas on a budget? Rugs are a great way to prevent echoing in a room while adding a pop of color and texture. It can also lessen noise if you have a loud neighbor below.
If your rental apartment has an open floor plan, you can use rugs to section off spaces like a dining room or living space. Rugs can be expensive so if you decide on utilizing rugs, I would allocate a portion of your budget towards finding a solid one. If you spend a lot of time indoors, it is worth the spurge.
5. Plants Add Life To Your Apartment
Earlier in the post, I warned that too much decor can clutter your home. Plants don’t apply. Go ham purchasing your plant babies! Plants liven up any space and look good with any interior design style.
Did you know that plants have an unconscious positive impact towards your health? They lower stress and improve task performance. If you have a hard time keeping plants alive, don’t worry, go for fake plants (like the one below!).
Fake but still hella cute.
Looking for the best cheap artificial plants to buy online? I wrote a post here.
6. Buy All Your Picture Frames From Thrift Stores
Are you looking for frames to display your memories and art? I recommend to purchase from a thrift store. Depending on if the store carries picture frames, there are usually many different styles and sizes of frames to choose from.
Large or fancier frames are expensive so I recommend to purchase a more affordable option from a thrift store. This a great tip for decorating small apartments on a budget.
7. Use A Printing Service For Your Wall Art
Art is expensive and for a good reason. Artists spend a lot of time working on their skills to produce high quality art. So how to do you support artists without spending a fortune?
Here’s one of the best small apartment decorating ideas on a budget: purchase PDFs of artworks from your favorite artists. PDFs are much less expensive than physical copies. You can find PDFs on Etsy or on an artist’s online store.
Use a printing service like CVS’s photo printing services to print the artist’s art in the dimensions of your choice. Then, use a thrifted frame to hang it up. You just made an expensive looking wall art for cheap!
8. Search For Discounts, DIY, And Thrift!
Lastly, I recommend purchasing your decor when they are on clearance. Collect items over a period of time rather than buying them all at once. Most decor don’t serve a functional purpose, so you can wait on buying them.
Michaels always has huge discounts on out-of-season decor so I recommend checking them out. Thrift stores can sometimes surprise you with interesting decor items.
When decorating small apartments on a budget, you just need a little creativity and inspiration. DIY-ing decor is satisfying, less expensive, and provides a more personal touch to your place. I would go check out other people’s decor DIYs on Pinterest for inspiration.
Small Apartment Decorating On A Budget (Best Tips)
- Look at other homes for inspiration.
- Choose an interior design style or color scheme for each room.
- Get the essentials first. Select furniture with function.
- Decide on layout.
- Make a budget.
- Consider buying affordable or secondhand furniture.
- Be selective choosing your home’s decor. Less is sometimes more.
Do you have a balcony? I wrote some tips on how to make the most of a small balcony here.
1. Look At Other Homes For Inspiration
The simplest way to find what styles work best for you, is to look at other people’s apartment. And yes, not in person. Go on websites like Pinterest or Apartment Therapy to find style inspiration. Check out how others arrange their layouts and style their rooms.
You can find wonderful ideas for decorating small apartments on a budget. I can spend hours scrolling through Pinterest looking solely at interior design.
2. Choose An Interior Design Style Or Color Scheme For Each Room
Looking for small apartment decorating ideas on a budget? Decorate by room. It is much easier to decorate one space at a time. I also recommend to choose a color scheme for each room.
Complementary colors can immediately make a room look put together. Aim for two to three colors. For example, you could go for whites, blues, and wood tones. You don’t have to stick to it precisely, but knowing your colors can narrow down your decor search later.
3. Get The Essentials First
Select furniture with function. Always get the essentials first. Allocate your budget towards items you absolutely need. You might already have furniture that work well with your place.
When small apartment decorating on a budget, get the big pieces first and decorate next. Write down what you need. If you work at home, you’ll need a surface for your workplace. If you have a lot of clothes, you’ll need a sufficient dresser.
If you live in a small rental apartment, I would aim for pieces that provides lots of storage. You might desire a furniture piece that’s cute, but if it doesn’t serve a function, it can just clutter valuable floor space.
When you select pieces, I recommend to purchase ones in neutral colors like beige and white. You can easily alter the mood of your place with smaller decor places. If you have bold-colored furniture, it is much more difficult to change up. Of course, if you already have a clear vision of your space (and that includes bold colors), go for it!
Lastly, consider furniture that can have multiple functions. For example, you can have a dining table that can also serves as your work station. You can save money and floor space by having pieces that serve different functions.
Although this furniture piece is expensive, it cleverly saves square-footage by serving as a desk, side-table, and storage!
4. Decide On Layout
Here’s a helpful tip for decorating small apartments on a budget. Before purchasing furniture, measure the width of your apartment. Plan out where your larger pieces will stay. Think about the size of each furniture in relation to your space.
Make sure that you have enough space to walk comfortably. You don’t want to buy a king bed frame and mattress to realize it doesn’t fit! To save headaches and money, always check the dimensions of your furniture and apartment.
If you are planning to pick up pieces using your friend’s or your own vehicle, make sure they fit in the car. If the furniture is too big, it could damage the inside of a car or be a hazard while driving. Check before you buy. If you can’t personally transport it, you might have to settle with paying a delivery service or renting a larger vehicle for a short period of time.
5. Make A Budget
Looking for small apartment decorating ideas on a budget? Before you start purchasing your pieces, decide on a comfortable budget and stick to it. Furniture is expensive.
Big piece items can easily rack up your spending so make sure to find affordable pieces. Of course, buying cheap items can mean flimsy furniture that needs to be replaced over time. Allocate your budge towards your most needed items.
6. Consider Buying Affordable Or Secondhand Furniture
Small apartment decorating on a budget? Purchasing furniture secondhand can save you lots of money. Just because it’s secondhand doesn’t mean that it is old and decrepit. People can be moving out or just don’t vibe with their furniture anymore, so they’re looking for ways to get them out of their hands.
This is wonderful opportunity for you to get a piece at a huge discount. You can always slap on a coat of paint to make furniture look brand new.
Here are places to purchase secondhand furniture:
- thrift stores
- garage sales
- Facebook Marketplace
If you prefer to have your furniture new, Ikea is the place to look. They have wonderful selections of minimalist furniture at affordable prices. They also have wonderful room showcases allowing you to see how their pieces can be utilized in a space. Unfortunately, their delivery is expensive and not great, so you’ll probably have to transport your own purchases.
If you have furniture and items you no longer want, but are still in good condition, sell them for extra cash on a platform like Facebook Marketplace. This can be a great way to expand your budget. You can also try to DIY the furniture to fit your apartment’s aesthetic.
7. Be Selective Choosing Your Home Decor
Less is sometimes more. Decor can honestly alter your entire apartment. If you select the right pieces, your home can feel spacious and homely.
Follow your selected color pallet to make your rental apartment look more put together. Shop for big pieces first because they have a make a larger visual impact.
When it comes to decorating small apartments on a budget, I recommend to use pieces that brightens up and makes the most out of the natural light of your place. Purchase pieces one at a time. A decor piece can look wonderful on a website, but it might look different in your home.
Play with placement. Avoid having too many pieces especially if you have a small space. They can quickly gather up to look cluttered.
Conclusion
Renting your first apartment is exciting, but expensive costs can make purchasing furniture and decor for your new place daunting. Preparation and a clear vision is the key to saving time and money decorating. Plan before you start purchasing.
In this post, I’ve gathered the best small apartment decorating ideas on a budget. If you need help keeping your new place clean, I wrote a post on how to keep your home always clean.
I hope that the tips on how to decorate a small apartment on a budget helpful. Good luck decorating your small apartment on a budget!