The excitement of getting your first apartment is something else, often leading to sleepless nights, especially the closer it gets to your move-in date. Next on your checklist, decide how you’d like to decorate your house.
If you plan to give your apartment a homely vibe, why not make it feel cosy and elevated? You will enjoy your time at home because of how inviting it looks, and it makes the most of the available space, giving you the best of both worlds. We’ve come up with 10 different ways to make your first apartment look elevated and cosy.
1. Experiment With Lights
What you do with the apartment’s lighting can make a world of difference. First, let’s focus on natural lighting before moving on to artificial lighting. The rule of thumb for natural lighting is to allow as much of it as possible into your living space. Make sure you don’t accidentally block your windows with decor or furniture. When there’s plenty of natural light, it makes your apartment feel cosy and spacious.
With artificial lights, you have plenty of room to experiment. For instance, you can place lights on the ceiling and the walls to layer the lighting and add depth to your space. Floor lamps can make your apartment feel spacious, and combining them with a table lamp, especially by the bedside, will make that portion of the room look comfortable.
2. Get Creative With Mirrors
Mirrors are multifunctional accessories, especially when you’re going for a spacious look. Place a large mirror in a room with plenty of light, natural or artificial. This interior design trick makes the room look bigger due to light bouncing off the mirror.
You can go one step further with this mirror to make it aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Pair it with a frame that matches your apartment’s decor.
3. Paint The Walls or Ceilings
You may already know this – the colours you choose for the walls and ceilings influence your mood. But did you also know that they can change how you perceive a space?
Painting the ceiling a darker colour creates an illusion and brings the ceiling closer to the floor. You can do the same with the walls, making the space feel intimate. Combine this with lighter shades on the ceiling to raise its height, giving the room a comfy atmosphere.
4. Create Visual Differences With House Plants
House plants can change your perception of space. You can transform your apartment’s feel depending on the flora you choose and how you place them. When you see a tall tree outside, don’t your eyes automatically go toward the top? What do you do when you come across a hedge? Your eyes tend to go along its length.
Similarly, you can use house plants to do the same in your living space. Taller flora like Snake Plant and Monstera add height. Climbing plants like String of Hearts and Small-Leaf Spiderwort can be grown horizontally, increasing the room’s width. Avoid going overboard when keeping plants indoors, as it can make your space look chaotic and cramped.
5. Get Multipurpose Furniture
Maximising the available space is essential when living in an apartment. One of the best ways is to pick up multipurpose furniture, like a sofa with a pull-out bed. This can be a lifesaver if you have unexpected guests.
Similarly, a coffee table with hidden compartments is a great investment as you can also use it as storage. This helps reduce clutter, making your living room feel spacious. Ceiling shelves also work wonders in giving your apartment an elevated look.
6. Try Striped Rugs
Striped rugs are another great accessory you can get for your apartment. Give it an artistic touch by picking shades contrasting the room’s decor. Stripes are complementary as they are pleasing to the eye. Also, they make the rug look bigger.
Fashion designers also use this trick to make models look taller. Coming back to your apartment, make sure you place it as close as possible to the walls.
The recommendation is at least 4 – 6 inches (0.1 m – 0.15 m) of space between the run and the wall for small and medium-sized rooms. If you want one for your living room, 8 – 12 inches (0.2 m – 0.3 m) from the wall is an excellent starting point.
7. Use the Elements of Visual Balance
Visual balance plays a huge role in giving your apartment a spacious feel. What do we mean by visual balance? You may have seen images where everything is aligned, i.e., the furniture and decor are symmetrical or mirrored if you look at them from a central point. This type of visual balance is known as symmetrical visual balance.
Similarly, there is harmony between all the decor and furniture, even though they have different textures and shapes, are known as asymmetrical visual balance. Radial balance is the use of circles, like a curved staircase. Now, it’s not necessary to stick to only one type of visual balance. Mix and match and see how they transform your apartment.
8. Make Rooms Multifunctional
Get creative with how you use the available space in your apartment with multifunctional rooms. A kitchen island is a great addition as you can use it for dining. It can also be a workplace where you can have quick meetings.
Similarly, you can have a space for your hobbies on one side of your bedroom. This adds to the cosiness of the room.
9. Fewer but Larger Decor and Accessories
It may seem strange to use larger decor and accessories, especially when the vision is to make your apartment look elevated and cosy. The problem with smaller decor and accessories is that it makes the space feel cramped.
Fewer but larger pieces have the opposite effect, i.e., they add to the room’s dimensions. You can also use them as focal points and get creative with setting up your space.
10. Arrange for Conversations
When placing furniture in your apartment, make sure you also focus on creating a social setting. It should be a place where conversations with guests can flow easily. For example, you can have your sofas face each other. You can accentuate it with warm lighting, creating a cosy space for everyone.
Final Thoughts
With these ideas, you can give your first apartment an elevated and cosy ambience. Experiment with different concepts to see what you can come up with and personalise your living space.
If you’re looking for an apartment in The Gambia with a spectacular view, contact Swami India International. With over 19 years of real estate experience in the country, we can help you find a home you’ll love.