Apartment living is a different world compared to a house and it seems like sometimes we have to do everything in miniature versions of how we would had we lived in a home. Then there are some apartments that I have lived in that were bigger than some of my friends and family’s homes. There are just some specific things that you want to consider when you are ready to actually put a theme and decoration to your apartment.

The following are some great tips for decorating an apartment.

1) First thing you should ask yourself is what kind of look are you hoping for? Do you want smooth colors or bright colors? If your home is going to be a common gathering place on a frequent basis, do you have plenty of seating area?

2) If you are a collector of anything, regardless of what it is, are you going to want this theme throughout the house or is it something that needs to stay specific to one room. For example, I collect dolphins and sea creatures, but I do not want every room in my house to have this stuff all over the place. Not only is that not my style, some of my more breakable things that are near and dear to me are things that I do not want to give anyone the opportunity to accidentally break. I am more of the kind of designer that each room has its own space and personality and I decorate each room differently. Plus, if I get bored of being in one room, I can go into another which gives me a whole new perspective even though all of these rooms occupy the same space.

3) It is very important for each person living there to have their own space, a place to call their own. This does not necessarily mean they have to have their very own room, because a couple cannot claim the 1 bedroom as their own, it could be something such as a chair or an area of a room, but it does need to be claimed as "their space".

4) This is really a good idea for any size of home, but specifically in dealing with an apartment dwelling, organization is a must. Everything should have a home and its own place to belong. Otherwise, you will have a clutter mess to come home to every day.

5) Consider the thought of traffic flow and ask yourself how much stuff you really need. Sometimes it’s not all about need, but want, and I understand that better than anyone, however when you are living in an apartment, this does not always afford you to be able to have everything you want in it. Too much stuff can make your guests feel cramped, crowded or even claustrophobic, and that is not something you are trying to convey. Sometimes just going with the bare essentials is best.

With these great tips to keep in mind when decorating an apartment, you should have no problem going for exactly what you are trying to accomplish and ultimately look forward to coming home every day.

Stan Tian

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