Don’t know how to get started decorating a small apartment? Here are the top 15 mistakes you can make with small apartment decor & how to fix them easily with the best small apartment decorating ideas you’ll ever come across!
We all know how challenging it is to decorate a small apartment properly. You have to make lots of sacrifices if you’d like to keep the functionality of your space, but still want an aesthetically pleasing small home.
But do you actually have to?
I’m here to tell you that it’s absolutely possible to create the tiny home of your dreams, while keeping your living space intact.
You’ll just have to keep a few valuable small apartment decorating ideas, so that you don’t make the 15 most common mistakes when decorating a small apartment.
With these ideas however, you can avoid them effortlessly, so keep reading if you’d like to learn more!
DECORATING A SMALL APARTMENT : EVERYTHING YOU’RE DOING WRONG
01. You’ve chosen the wrong rug size
Your rug choices can literally make or break that put-together look you’re striving to achieve! It doesn’t matter if it’s too large or too small, both these extremes will make your home look super tacky!
So make sure you’re careful when it comes to choosing your rugs in your kitchen, entryway or bedroom, because their size can really impact your perception of proportions! Ideally, you’ll not only want to find the perfect sized area rug, but your runner rugs should also be proportional!
Here’s a really great article that’ll teach you how to find the perfect size rugs for your small apartment!
02. You don’t have enough plants or flowers
The key to a super decorative tiny home is to fill it with life! Potted plants, fresh seasonal flowers, even colorful dried flowers will instantly energize your space, providing for a lively atmosphere.
If you’re not a big fan of that boho aesthetic, definitely avoid getting too many plants, as they can create a jungly feeling. But when you have just enough flowers & plants neatly scattered throughout your home, it’ll definitely add to the aesthetical value of your apartment!
03. You’re working with too many artificial materials
When it comes to decorating a small apartment properly, natural materials have to be your main focus! This means prioritizing anything that’s made of rattan, wood, seagrass, bamboo, silk, wool or cotton.
Why? Simply because these materials help create an airy, harmonious outcome that’s both good for the soul & the eyes!
So go & get a wooden dining table, a bamboo lamp shade for your pendant lights, a set of silk bedding, a cotton sofa, a wool throw blanket & a set of rope storage baskets for your bathroom.
On the other hand, try to avoid artificial materials, like concrete, white gold or acrylic items. They not only cheapen your home when used excessively, but they’ll visually narrow down your space. And you definitely don’t want an overcrowded look!
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04. You don’t have enough reflective items
Reflective items are an absolute must in small spaces! Think glass mainly, but polished, glossy surfaces in smaller areas can also make your home look better. But since the latter are artificial materials, don’t go overboard!
Incorporating glass into your design abundantly however, is crucial in making your apartment feel bigger! This means hanging just a few more mirrors onto your walls, placing standing mirrors in a few empty corners or embelishing your entryway with a full-length mirror.
Decor-wise, mirrored trays, decorative glass balls, clear glass boxes, glass bead garlands & clear glass vases are all great choices for any room. However, it’s highly recommended that you save one for each room! Placing them all in the same spot can make your home look disharmonious.
However, if you really want to take your design to the next level, consider getting a polished tile backdrop for your kitchen & pair it with a set of high-gloss cabinets for that wow-factor!
05. You’re not utilizing vertical space
If you want the best for yourself, you’ll definitely start making the most of your vertical space right now! Smaller size apartments don’t boast much floor space, so you’ll want to save as much of it as you can for your essentials & start utilizing your vertical space for decorative purposes!
Whether in your bedroom, living room or even bathroom, you’re guaranteed to get the results you want with vertical decor.
So go ahead & get some textured canvas art, 3D metal wall art, a hanging macrame tapestry, a gallery wall set, a wire wall grid panel, wood signs, hanging garlands or an abstract painting & take your home decor to the next level effortlessly!
06. You haven’t scaled your items down
Decorating a small apartment is oftentimes associated with making sacrifices. But when you know this simple trick, you won’t have to make compromises ever again!
Some people say that in a small apartment, a stunning decor can’t be brought to life without cutting down on your needs & wants. But let me tell you, this is the absolute worst advice. Ever! Because if you scale everything down, you’ll be able to create the home of your dreams without sacrifices!
Get that extravagant stoneware vase, get that comfy corner couch, get that epoxy coffee table & get that round contemporary dining table! But you’ll need them in at least one size down! This will keep your place looking proportional, while making sure you have the freedom the furnish & decorate your home how you want to!
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07. Your “foundation” is too intricate
Your “foundation” is the first step in your home decor, but when you have a small apartment, it’s easy to go wrong with it. What is meant by foundation is naturally your paint colors, your choice of kitchen cabinets, the tiles you use in your bathroom & your choice of flooring.
These all determine how your home turns out.
And if you’ve been too bold with your choices, your home decor won’t be able to save you! See, if you go with dark, bold colors all the time, your tiles are patterned excessively or the color of your kitchen cabinets clashes with everything else in your home, it’s hard to be creative with home decor.
Rather, try to stay neutral & simple in your foundation, so that you get to decorate however you like!
08. You haven’t included rich textures
Incorporating different textures into your design is among the most effective small space home decor ideas for sure! If you do so, you’ll be able to draw the eyes in instantly, making one forget about the size of your home quickly!
But what can you do to add more textures? Super easy! The most discrete way to do it, is to get some textured wool or cotton throw pillows for your living room & bedroom. If you want to grab the attention even more, consider getting a faux leather, velvet or silk pillow as well!
Hammered metal containers, boho tufted bathroom rugs, faux leather poufs, velvet vanity stools or a wood end table are also great choices, that are guaranteed to elegantly enhance your interior design!
09. You don’t have a consistent color palette
When it comes to decorating a small apartment, you gotta focus on being consistent with your colors!
As for the color palette itself, it’d be best if you went with a simple, neutral color scheme, but made it interesting enough with one-two bolder colors for the details. Preferably complementary colors! They can easily create focal points in your home, which will help open up your space nicely!
But what needs to be accentuated is consistency! Feel free to introduce new colors into your small apartment, but if you do so, don’t just do it in one area! Every single color you choose needs to be present in all your rooms, even if in the tiniest details only!
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10. Your space lacks focal points
Focal points are vital in any home, but small sized apartments benefit from them the most. Since it’s easy to see & feel the constainst of a tiny space, why not try to visually enlarge it?
And the absolute easiest way to do this, is to create focal points in your home! Complementary colors (opposite colors) -as mentioned above- are perfect for this purpose, but any type of statement item will get you the same results! Of course, only if they are easy to spot from anywhere in your home.
If you’re feeling lost, hust get a statement armchair that’s either patterned or rich in material, & place it into an empty corner. Add a mirror behind it, a garland on top of the mirror & a nice fuzzy rug, and there you have an effective focal point!
11. You forgot to add shapes
Just like textures, shapes are have an incredibly important role in decorating a small apartment! You’d be surprised how much adding different shapes into your design can change the outcome for the better!
Why? Alternating rounder items with more rectangular ones, as well as incorporating some funky shapes into your home decor through art or sculptures makes your apartment look exciting, fresh & overall good to look at! And you probably know by now, that exciting items help create the illusion of a bigger space.
12. You’re not putting enough effort into decorating your kitchen
Oftentimes, we forget to decorate our kitchens. Which is a huge problem! When decorating a small apartment, you should ALWAYS match your kitchen to the rest of your decor!
This is to ensure your decor stays as cohesive as possible!
So what exactly could you do to get the results you want?
First of all, to avoid degrading your kitchen to a purely functional space, you should introduce a few highly decorative items: paintings, hanging wood signs, patterned kitchen mats, decorative kitchen towels, rustic mason jar wall sconces or decorative wall baskets!
Then, think of ways to introduce the same colors & materials you’ve been working with into your kitchen! Paint your cabinets, get a peel & stick kitchen backsplash & a table runner that corresponds to your color palette well.
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13. You have basic pendant lights
When you have basic pendant lights, you’re essentially hindering yourself from making your small apartment look its best. However, statement chandeliers can add that wow-factor to any area, while helping your space remain tasteful & elegant.
Multiple light globe or polygonal chandeliers, “black hat” chandeliers, hammered metal pendant light, cage pendant lights & mid-century light fixtures are the absolute best choices out there for you, if you want the perfect small apartment decor!
14. You haven’t even thought about decorating your bathroom
You’d be lying to yourself, if you said you’ve thought about your bathroom decor many times. We all know we don’t really prioritize decorating our bathrooms for some reason. But this is your confirmation: NEVER forget to beautify your bathroom!
If you leave your bathroom looking basic, you’ll ruin the harmony you’re striving to achieve. So make sure you incorporate previously used textures, materials & colors into your bathroom decor through printable wall art, hanging wood signs, a pretty shower curtain, decorative towels, a set of patterned bathroom rugs & even some artificial hanging plants!
15. You’re not illuminating your home properly
Great illumination is key when it comes to decorating a small apartment! Not only should you love all lighting options for their designs, but for their impact of your perception of space & proportions as well!
When you illuminate highly decorative surfaces, like your coffee table, window sills, kitchen centerpiece on your countertop or your reading nook, you’ll direct more attention to these areas, creating even more focal points in your home. And this is going to make your space feel instantly bigger!
So get that candle holder, table lamp, wall sconce or LED candle, and don’t forget to throw a few strings of fairy lights onto your walls or into mason jars & see how the atmosphere changes.
This post was all about decorating a small apartment! Avoid these common mistakes with these simple to follow ideas!
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