Whether you’re switching to remote working, looking to entertain, trying to facilitate kids, or just want a more relaxing space to live in, redecorating and reorganizing can turn a rented apartment into a homely heaven - here are a few of our best tips to help inspire you.
Entertaining
When you’re expecting guests, you’ll want your living space to look as elegant and inviting as possible. Thankfully, with a few small purchases, results can be easily (and affordably) achieved.
● Mirrors: If you want to give your home the illusion of size without knocking down any walls, all you need are a few well-placed mirrors. Try to angle these at a landscape orientation and place them in large, empty spaces.
● Plantlife: Fashionable, colorful, and good for your health, house plants are an excellent way to bring drab, bland rooms back to life. If you’re not an experienced botanist, start with species that are easy to care for - devil’s ivy or aloe vera plants, for example.
● Interior design: If you’re not a natural when it comes to interior design, hiring a professional can help you to create safe, functional, and aesthetically pleasing spaces. The right expert can help you with budgeting, planning, furnishing, and decorating. Just be certain to get permission from your landlord first and to learn about what an interior designer does in advance.
Relaxation
After a long day at work or a stressful time in your life, it’s crucial to have a haven that you can return to and unwind. Preparing your home for this purpose is often just about prioritizing and making a few small adjustments.
● Physical upkeep: If you can declutter, recycle or simply move around a few items of furniture, you may be able to clear space or repurpose a room for physical exercise, including yoga, pilates, boxfit, or a home gym. Check out online guides for ideas on how to convert a room successfully.
● Creative arts: When your method for unwinding involves creative expression, you may want to restructure an area of the home to facilitate painting, sculpting, and crafting. Pay attention to surface materials and floor types so you can avoid staining.
● Music production: Having a room that facilitates a passion may seem like a pipedream, but can, in truth, soundproofing can be relatively inexpensive, and with modern technology, you won’t need as much space as you might think.
Work
With the advent of remote working, a home office is essential for many of us. When looking at the design of your workspace, try to put productivity at the core of your decision-making - comfortable furniture encourages good posture, bright wall colors can stimulate focus, and you may even want to regulate temperature. Lighting conditions are also shown to affect our efficiency, energy levels, and the ability to maintain concentration within a working context - a new lamp or a change of bulbs is often all you need to achieve optimum conditions.
It may also be necessary to restructure your home working space to improve your filing and logistical processes. This means taking a look at storage solutions and trying to establish a system that utilizes the room efficiently and keeps all of your important resources within reaching distance.
Whether you’re looking to entertain guests, bring in a design expert, accommodate your creative pursuits, or optimize your work process, redecorating and reorganizing can completely transform your renting experience. Speak to your landlord and see what’s possible to change.
Southern Diva Designs is a certified home staging and redesign business that creatively and expertly provides homeowners with the tools needed to make the best decisions regarding their property. Learn more at: www.mysoutherndivadesigns.com
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