Moving to your first and very own apartment is an exciting milestone. Living on your own gives you freedom. It also opens doors to new opportunities such as meeting new people and learning new skills. But in the first few days, you might feel like a stranger in your own apartment. The plain walls might make you feel bored and unmotivated, too. That’s why it’s important to spruce up and optimize your new space. There are some things you can do to liven up your first apartment, so let’s jump right in!
Display Personal Decor
Nothing says, “This is my home!” more than adding pieces of decor with personal significance to your apartment. Empty walls can be unwelcoming, so putting up personal photos on the wall will make your new room more homey. Installing wall art could also help you not only personalize your place but also brighten it up. Using linen with your favorite prints or colors can also make your living space look nice and comfy.
Become a Plant Parent
You can also improve the ambiance of your apartment using indoor plants. A 2008 study found that indoor plants improve stress levels. Plants are natural mood-boosters. Thus, placing a few potted plants around the apartment will help you feel happier. They even work as air purifiers.
Due to COVID-19, most of us must work from home and stay indoors. We have no choice but to mix our workspace with our living space. This can be challenging, especially since we know that our home is our place to rest and relax. Luckily, indoor plants can help. The 2008 study also found that indoor plants can make people more productive by improving their attention span.
Add a Splash of Color
In some way, your first apartment is a blank canvas. Adding colors to its walls using paint or wallpaper can also help you make the space your own. The different colors in each part of your apartment will divide them into sections. The visual stimuli will help you easily identify and adjust to each zone of your space.
Adding colors to your apartment can also improve your mood. If you work from home, the colors of your workspace can make you more productive. If you like working in your living room, you can paint its walls with bright colors such as yellow and red to feel energized. You can use cooler colors such as blue and green for your bedroom walls to improve the quality of your sleep.
Add Storage to Key Areas
Another trick to transforming your new apartment is adding storage to its key areas. Not only will this make you really claim your new living space; you can also get to keep your things organized.
You could place a shoe cabinet by the entryway. This way, you can easily reach for your shoes when you go out and return them when you get back. You could also remodel the kitchen. You could add organizers to your kitchen cabinets to sort your kitchenware, condiments, and snacks. In the living room, you could add hanging shelves to display your favorite books or figurines.
Brighten up Your Apartment
Many apartments have tacky lighting, and a dim apartment can make you feel like a stranger in your own home. Brightening your apartment by adding and replacing lights will make your living space more cozy.
You could install a nice lighting fixture in your living room to add more character to it. You could also use a floor lamp anywhere in the apartment. In the bedroom, you could put lampshades on either or both sides of your bed to further illuminate the space.
Invest in Sweet Scents for Your Apartment
Sometimes, smell can make or break a place. We’re often drawn to places with pleasant smells. The soothing aroma of coffee make us want to drop by coffee shops often. The smell of freshly baked bread in bakeries is also very enticing.
The same goes with living spaces. After moving to your new apartment, the unfamiliar smell may put you off. Some unpleasant odors might also be present.
You can fix this problem by spicing up your place with your favorite scent. For example, you might consider putting a reed diffuser in several parts of your apartment, like in the living room and your bedroom.
Living in your own apartment for the first time is an amazing adventure. But you need to make sure that you’re well-equipped for it. You can fill your new space with personal decor, plants, more storage, lights, and fragrance. With these additions, you make the apartment your own.
