4 Ways To Make Your Dream Apartment A Reality

By Julia Dunn on April 27, 2018

This article is brought to you by CORT Furniture Rental. We take the hassle out of furnishing your new place so you can do more important things like read this article. Learn more about why furniture rental is the best way to get a great looking apartment.

It’s no small feat to find great housing in 2018–much less, your dream apartment. Between outrageous housing prices and high competition between renters to find the coolest housing setups, it’s a true struggle out there, especially if you’re a college student trying to focus on classes while worrying about where you’ll be living this summer (and whether you can afford it). So if you’ve somehow managed to find an apartment, congratulate yourself! This is a big deal, and it’s time to celebrate.

Now that you’ve found a place, you’ll probably want to begin thinking about decor–this is where the fun starts. Here are four ways to make your dream apartment a reality:

1. Set up your furniture for optimal functionality before decorating

For me, a dream apartment needs to be extremely functional in its setup. For instance, I need a laundry basket set up somewhere near my closet, otherwise, I’ll end up with a mound of clothes all over the floor. In the bedroom, I need to place my bed beside an electrical outlet so that I can easily charge my phone and laptop (then again, extension cords make this an easier problem to solve).

In the kitchen, I need my appliances (coffee pots, tea kettles) close to the sink so that I can easily fill them with water. To create a dream apartment, arrange your belongings in the most logical fashion before whipping out the decorations. You wouldn’t want to hang hundreds of photos on the wall only to realize that the wall ultimately needs to have a table and chairs right in front of it. It can help to physically map out your desired furniture setup on a piece of paper so that you can work out all the Tetris-like negotiations. After everything is laid out for maximum functionality, go nuts with the posters, photos and artwork!

Image via Pexels.com

2. Separate your personal space from your working space

Assuming you have the space in your apartment to do so, try to create a distinct workspace away from your bedroom. Some students love to do all things in their bedroom, from schoolwork to dinner to socializing with friends over board games, but it’s not always a good practice.

Productivity experts note that because our bedrooms are usually spaces of relaxation–they are, after all, where we sleep–our minds kick into that relaxation mode the moment we enter the room. This can keep us from focusing as well on our work, and even lead us to further distraction.

Even if you’re in a studio apartment, hanging up a curtain to divide your main room into two smaller rooms can help you keep your rejuvenating side of the room separate from your productive side.

3. Do some research on interior design

If you’re really committed to creating a stylish, put-together dream apartment, it can’t hurt to do some research online! Look at housing magazines, blogs, Pinterest and other resources for pictures of different room layouts, decor styles, and other design ideas that you could replicate in your apartment somehow. This can help you determine a design aesthetic that is consistent throughout your apartment. Even watching HGTV can be a fun way to entertain different looks, especially for common areas like the kitchen or living room. I love to watch Design on a Dime for inspiration; the show is all about recreating expensive looks and intricate furniture pieces on a low budget, so any college student could surely find some inspiration in watching a few episodes.

There are even smartphone apps that let you design room layouts! Amikasa, available on both iOS and Android, actually lets users play with room layouts using furniture and decor from real brands; you can then use the walk-through feature to tour the room, and share potential layouts with your social media friends for more feedback. Simply Google searching “apartment design tools” will yield several pages of design tools that can facilitate the outfitting process for your apartment!

Bonus Tip: If you’re especially into wall decor and enjoy hanging paintings, photos, collages and other media–but aren’t sure which pieces will look nice next to others–try arranging your items on the floor or on your bed before making any thumbtack holes in your wall.

living room

Image via Pexels.com

4. Consider your lifestyle

Your dream apartment–no matter your design preferences–should also complement your lifestyle. Make sure there’s enough seating for friends to visit, for study sessions and weekend get-togethers!

College students should have systems in place for regular cleaning of the apartment; after all, if you put all this work into decorating your place, you’ll want it to stay in top shape. Plus, it’s nicer for you to come home to a clean apartment anyway.

Stock your drawers with essential cooking tools to make your favorite meals easily, fill your bathroom cabinets with extra soaps and hair products, and check that you’ve got plenty of basics like paper towels and toilet paper. When we think “dream apartment,” we usually think of appearance, but a dream apartment to me is one well-stocked with everything I could possibly need to feel comfortable and happy.

Looking for an easy way to furnish your off-campus apartment? Renting furniture from CORT saves you time and money. See how easy it is to get great looking furniture without breaking the bank.

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