Olga

It’s difficult to make your place look and feel like home when you’re not the owner. Your personal reasoning says the necessary time and money to remodel would be a wasted investment because of how few years you will continue to live there; however, no matter how little time you’re actually planning to live in a place, home is meant to be a place of rest. Spacious rooms are rare in apartment floor plans, but there are tricks to making your place look and feel much bigger than it actually is. All it takes is some focus and creativity. The easiest places to find some inspiration for remodeling are the internet and magazines. Enjoy looking at various styles to find your own personal style. After you decide on colour schemes and themes, make a simple outline of your vision for each room. Write down as much detail as you can, as these plans will be a basic skeleton for your remodeling project.

Regardless of popular belief, you don’t need to be rich to give your plain-jane apartment a trendy, modern feel. By gaining inspiration from various sources and using your talents, you may be surprised at the overall transformation you’re capable of. Everyone has some type of remodeling talent, whether it’s needlework, woodwork, artwork, etc. As you gain inspiration, think about what you’re capable of doing yourself rather than dishing out money to someone else. Also don’t be shy to ask talented friends or members of your family to help you. By using your skills and seeking assistance, you will see the cash that can be saved in your remodeling endeavors.

Secondhand antique shops and yard sales often hold a lot of potential to coming across the various items in your remodeling plan. From antique rocking chairs and side tables to global pieces such as a Japanese fan or an African wood-carved elephant, the options of what you may uncover are never-ending. We’ve all heard that one man’s rubbish can be another man’s riches, however make sure you’re not making purchases just because it’s cheap. With each item, remember to be certain it will work with the style you’ve had in mind.

Adding shelves to your walls can produce a spacious feel. They not only create storage space, but shelves can also be a place to display the theme you’re going for. For example, make a built-in bookshelf, and add tribal-type book ends for an African themed room. Be careful not to cram the shelf full; rather leave some blank spaces in between book sections to make the wall look bigger. Other space-savers which make great choices for apartments are various types of slender furnishings. These could be narrow side tables for your lounge or a more compact computer desk. It’s important to be able to walk easily around the furniture in a room. Otherwise you and your guests will feel claustrophobic rather than relaxed.

Apartment kitchens often look cluttered and untidy because of how small they are, but it doesn’t have to stop there. One simple idea for you to revamp your kitchen is to hang pans, pots and attractive cooking utensils on your wall. Don’t overdo it; remember that sometimes less is more. Display a lovely painting that fits your theme above the pots and pans to add an artsy flare to your cooking space. Stash the kitchen appliances which are not used very often above your cupboards to create more counter space. A wonderful tip for your dining room is to take an old side table or filing drawer set that may be a bit of an eyesore, and turn it into a slender side board by covering with some attractive material or fabric. Now you have a storage place for papers, cleverly hidden under an extra serving space to serve family and friends. Remember that the possibilities of modernizing your apartment are infinite. Don’t stop looking for ideas until you have the look and feel you’ve been waiting for.