Despite the many constraints associated with apartment living, it is your space and should reflect who you are. Add your own personal style so you can be comfortable, entertain well and enjoy being at home.

Despite the many constraints associated with apartment living, it is your space and should reflect who you are. Add your own personal style to your apartment so you can be comfortable, entertain well and enjoy being at home.

Color

When selecting a color scheme, choose three or four colors that you like and that work well together. Use these colors throughout your apartment to give it a feeling of unity. When creating your pallet, keep in mind the colors that exist in the apartment that cannot be changed. Many newer apartment complexes have neutral colors throughout or allow you to choose from several existing color schemes. But, if your apartment has teal painted cabinets or pine green carpet, be sure these colors work with colors you select. Read Design and Color to learn more about selecting a color scheme.

When decorating with color, vary the amount of each color and allow one color to dominate in each room. Once you choose a predominate color for a room, use lesser proportions of each of the other colors, for example use half as much of the secondary color and a quarter of the third color and so on. Using equal amounts of each color or using too many different colors can make an apartment look disjointed. Change your proportions and dominate color in each room to add variety while maintaining harmony.

Accessories

Lighting is very important in apartments. Standard center-room ceiling lights can cast harsh shadows and leave key areas unlit. Use portable lights to reduce unwanted shadows, add functional lighting and serve as or enhance a rooms’ focal point. As a general rule, lampshades for table and floor lamps should be about 3.5 feet from the ground and torchieres should stand 5 to 6 feet above the ground.

Curtains are another essential apartment accessory. They provide privacy, add style, and give a room a finished look. Whether you are going for dramatic, natural or romantic, curtains let your personality shine through. Further customize window treatments with designer curtain rods and finials.

Furniture

When choosing furniture for an apartment, scale is very important. Apartments often have small rooms so it is important to purchase furniture that is sized according to the space available. If your apartment is small or if you plan to relocate to another apartment soon, avoid the impulse to purchase huge overstuffed sofa or a Paul Bunyan bedroom set. Instead, consider shopping in stores that specialize in scaled down furniture designed for apartments and small spaces.

Before shopping for furniture, take measurements. Measure your available space to determine optimal dimensions for furnishings. Next, measure your doorways and the building's elevator and entry way to make sure furniture purchased can be brought in. Many older buildings have smaller doorways than modern apartment buildings.

For more ideas, read our section on Decorating Small Spaces.