30 Apartment Decorating Ideas to Turn Your Rental Into a Home

Add a Colorful Rug

Most Lovely Things added warmth and color to a neutral-toned NYC apartment with an overdyed rug, midcentury modern-inspired wall art, and velvet throw pillows in sunset shades of pink, gold, and orange.

Install a Breakfast Bar

This small galley kitchen resides in a small, Georgian-style apartment in Bath, England from deVOL Kitchens. A two-seater, cafe-style breakfast bar is built right next to the window to provide a cozy place for a cup of coffee or a meal.

Use Multipurpose Furniture

In a small apartment, you can save space and reduce visual clutter by choosing multipurpose furniture. This can mean anything from a high-end Murphy bed that doubles as a sofa or something as simple as a small dining table that can be used as a sitting area, home office, or place to play games and work on craft projects, like this Scandinavian apartment from Fantastic Frank.

The bed is pushed into the corner and the windowsill does overtime as a bedside table for a lamp and reading material, and a gallery wall includes a space-saving wall-mounted magazine rack.

Embrace Dark Tones

While many people stick with light colors, darker tones can make an apartment bedroom feel more cozy. Desiree Burns Interiors painted the wall behind the bed in matte black that creates a grounded feeling in this apartment bedroom, while a large window provides plenty of natural light.

Accent with Soft Greens and Blues

If you want to add a bit of color to your tiny abode while maintaining a light and neutral feel, choose soft natural colors like the pale greens and blues of this 205-square-foot Parisian studio apartment from Neva Interior Design.

Add a Pair of Love Seats

In this apartment living room from Joshua Smith Inc., a pair of love seats subs in for a large sectional sofa, providing enough seating while working with the existing layout of the room.

Paint the Entryway

A defined entry makes this less than 400-square-foot Parisian apartment from Neva Interior Design feel larger than it is, painted in a warm mustard yellow that gives it a welcoming feel and creates a sense of dimension when viewed from the main room.

Add Rustic Touches

Rustic touches like a metal and wood sliding barn door and a chunky wood dining table add warmth to this Hoboken, N.J. apartment from AHG Interiors with its waterfront views of the Hudson River.

Camouflage the TV

In this sleek NYC apartment from Tina Ramchandani Creative, a dark wood accent wall with a seamlessly built-in niche for a large flat screen helps to camouflage the TV when it's not in use.

Add Wheels

If your apartment kitchen lacks counter space but has enough floor space, consider adding a small kitchen island, ideally on wheels, that is lightweight enough to be easy to move around. It can serve multiple functions in a small apartment kitchen, from adding extra prep space to providing a place to eat casual meals. This island in a Brooklyn loft kitchen from Becca Interiors is painted sage green for a soft, neutral dose of color.

Opt for a Wet Room

If you just bought your first studio apartment and are renovating a tiny bathroom, consider installing a space-saving, streamlined wet room, like this small Scandinavian apartment bathroom from Fantastic Frank.

Double Space with Mirrors

Decorating with mirrors is an easy way to make any space feel larger and more luminous. In this West Village, NYC apartment from Tina Ramchandani Creative, a pair of tall mirrors on either side of the bed reflect and bounce around available light and increase perspectives, doubling views and making the room feel larger than it is.

Suspend the WC

In a small bathroom, a simple choice like installing a modern suspended toilet with hidden plumbing inside the wall makes the space feel airier while making it easier to clean, like this bright and cheerful Paris apartment bathroom from Neva Interior Design.

Embrace Simplicity

This Scandinavian railroad-style apartment from Fantastic Frank is elegantly simple, with a black-and-white palette, clean lines, and industrial-style metal and glass partitions that visually define space without sacrificing light.

Hang Floor-to-Ceiling Drapes

Floor-to-ceiling drapes in this apartment make the ceilings feel taller and the space feel grander. Plus, drapes can be paired with solar shades or sheer curtains that will let light in while blocking an unsightly view or depriving nosy neighbors of spying on your every move.

Style Your Bar Cart

A well styled bar cart can serve as a festive focal point in a small apartment living room. In this boho style living room from K Shan Design, a vintage rattan bar cart is styled with retro drinkware, black-and-white photography, and plants, a ready made entertainment station that doubles as decor.

Add Statement Lighting

Swapping out a boring or dated overhead light is an easy way to elevate your apartment decor. In this galley-style NYC kitchen from Sissy + Marley Interior Design, a delicate pendant light anchors the dining table and floats in front of the window, making a statement without blocking natural light or views.

Add Multifunctional Storage

If you own your apartment, consider adding a multifunctional custom storage wall that can house all your clothes, shoes, accessories, clutter, and a disappearing wall desk, like this chic mini studio from Paris-based Caroline Andreoni Interior Design.

Skip the Sink Vanity

While a sink vanity can add storage and counter space that some people find indispensable in the bathroom, not everyone needs a ton of bathroom storage. In this small bathroom from Becca Interiors, a vintage-style wall-mounted sink adds character while a mirrored medicine cabinet houses essentials.

Add a Peel-and-Stick Tile Backsplash

Sometimes the most depressing thing about a rental apartment kitchen is having to stare at a dated backsplash that you didn't choose and don't like. If your budget or your lease prohibits you from making cosmetic changes like swapping out the backsplash tiles, consider giving your kitchen a mini refresh by using DIY removable peel-and-stick tile.

A new backsplash created with peel-and-stick tile can add color and pattern to your kitchen—and it can be easily removed before leaving so you don't risk your security deposit.

Create a Casual Bedroom

Fantastic Frank used an industrial-style glass and black metal partition to create a casual, open bedroom in this studio apartment that doesn't block light or views to preserve an open feel.

Brighten a Windowless Bathroom

Many apartment bathrooms lack natural light. To compensate, consider adding a backlit mirror over the sink that will add ambient light while producing a flattering reflection, like this NYC apartment bathroom from Tina Ramchandani Creative.

Create an Eat-In Kitchen

Add a small table and chairs to your apartment kitchen to create a cozy place for meals or meal prep, like this light-flooded space from Fantastic Frank.

Add Pops of Color

A bubblegum pink wall here and a giant neon yellow pencil light sculpture there gives this otherwise neutral-toned apartment from Fantastic Frank a dose of personality and spirit.

Optimize Bathroom Storage

If your apartment bathroom is short on storage, look for opportunities to add shelving, like the recessed window in this bright modern bathroom designed by Emily Bowser for Emily Henderson Design.

Add a Banquette

In an apartment with a larger open plan kitchen, adding a banquette along one wall can make the space feel more inviting, like this NYC apartment from Tina Ramchandani Creative.

Carry Metallic Accents Throughout

Metallic accents will add shine and light to a small space. This apartment kitchen from Desiree Burns Interiors is open to the living room, with metallic accents that are carried throughout the space for a cohesive look.

Accent with Bold Color

A bold blue painting adds a mesmerizing dose of color in this neutral-toned apartment living room from Joshua Smith Inc.

Hang Removable Wallpaper

Removable wallpaper is an easy and budget-friendly way to bring some attitude to a neutral kitchen, like this space from K Shan Design that is full of color, pattern, and a touch of bling.

Define Space with Furniture

A small sectional with arms defines the sitting area in this apartment living room from Joshua Smith Inc. to create a cozy feeling while preserving flow.