Tips for Creating a Stylish Apartment on a Tight Budget

Whether you're moving into your first apartment or are a lifetime city dweller, you can cultivate style in every type of square footage. Sometimes, smaller spaces offer opportunities for greater creativity than larger spaces, as designing them takes more thought. Let's go over a few tips for creating a stylish apartment on a tight budget to get you started on the apartment design of your dreams.

Natural Light and Curtains

In a small space, take advantage of any natural light you can. When living on a higher floor, you probably don't need curtains in the living areas—just imagine the skyline at night! However, if you prefer the security of a window covering, choose lightweight curtains and place them several inches above the window trim; from there, allow them to flow all the way to the floor. This elongates the look of the windows.

Paint Furniture

When on a tight budget, scour flea markets and antique shops for great deals and treasures. Regarding furniture, look for wooden chairs, end tables, and stools.

Have fun painting items like this and placing them where needed. Bar stools and old painted chairs work well in a corner; you can artfully place a plant or books on them. End tables are handy next to a couch or chair for drinks. The great thing about painting furniture is it can be any color when you get it. Just prime and paint however your hidden treasure you like. We recommend plenty of white for a bright and open-looking apartment.

You can paint other objects as well. Old photo frames painted and grouped together on a wall make for simple, inexpensive décor.

Streamlined Couch

Choose a couch with a streamlined, clean look. This gives the apartment an air of sophistication and doesn't overpower the living area the way overstuffed furniture can. Select a low-maintenance, easy-to-clean material for the couch, as it will be used daily. Stylish doesn't have to mean expensive or hard to take care of.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Utilizing large mirrors in small spaces can create an illusion of a much bigger space. If there's an empty wall in the apartment, the biggest mirror you can fit there will add instant style and openness.

Choose framed mirrors in fun styles. These are found at home goods stores and also at flea markets. Even an old mirror with a worn, gilded frame and blurred glass looks unique, classy, and artistic without costing a lot of money.

Functional Pieces

While selecting pieces for your apartment, why not look for items that double as storage? Trunks for coffee tables make great conversation pieces and also hold just about anything (blankets, games, books, etc.).

Unfinished shelves found at hobby stores are very inexpensive, and with a little paint, they can hang just about anywhere as decoration and also as a place to put things.

Loft beds raise the bed off of the floor, giving you basically another small room to use as an at-home office, meditation center, or reading nook.

Creating a stylish apartment on a tight budget is fun and doesn't need to happen overnight. Take your time, enjoy treasure hunting for bargains, and remember good things come in small packages.

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