Easy Ways to Revamp the Apartment

1. Make a statement.
Painting an entire room can be daunting, but creating one statement wall will liven up your room—with less work. “Paint makes the biggest difference,” Michael says. “It’s easy, it’s quick, and it’s inexpensive.” Yellow is a great color to welcome your guests or opt for a red if you want to add some passion. Make the commitment, and if you don’t like it, Michael suggests just painting it back. “It only takes fifteen minutes!”

2. Create your own artwork.
Try this tip: Paint a plain canvas a deep hue, like a rich blue or burgundy and let dry. Then, rim the bottom of empty cans and bottles with vibrant hues, and firmly press them on the canvas, making your own unique pattern. Don’t worry if the paint splatters, it will add to the effect!

3. Put together an original flower arrangement.
Michael says flowers are one of the easiest ways to freshen up the place. Try this arrangement: Buy a large glass vase and pour a little bit of water at the bottom. Then, cut the stems off a generic bouquet of flowers (or faux flowers), and fill the vase with just the tops.

4. Turn new furniture into antiques.
Grab some sand paper and have at it. Round the corners and edges of your furniture with a higher grade sand paper, and then create signs of wear along the top with a lesser grade. To clean up, use a tack cloth to wipe off any dust.

5. Funk-up your lampshade.
Get crafty with your lampshades. Hot glue some feathers to the top and bottom rims, or if feathers aren’t your thing, buy a brightly patterned shade that ties in with the rest of your apartment. Michael recommends checking out Target or Home Goods to find good deals on fun lampshades.

6. Refurbish your frames.
Frames don’t have to be just for photos. Go to your local fabric store and buy an exciting print. Then, place your fabric into your frame of choice, (it can be big or small), just like you would with a picture. Hang it and voila, instant decoration.

7. Back your bookcase.
Add some style to a boring bookcase or cabinet by tacking fabric between shelves. Use small tacks or a staple gun and stick the tacks (or staples) right up in the corners. To make your bookcase even more original, raise or lower the shelves so that some shelves only have narrow spaces between them, and others have larger gaps. This allows you to put all different size objects in your bookcase, and creates a unique asymmetry.


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