REDECORATING TIPS: Bring new life into your apartment

Toss the junk - most of us have no idea how much we accumulate all year until we start to de-clutter. Clearing out small bits and pieces you don’t need will help your home feel fresh. Donate or sell furniture that you’ve had for a long time that doesn't particularly work for your space anymore. It might be hard to part with pieces that hold sentimental value, but once you get rid of them you won’t look back.

Consider unconventional layouts to create more space - create clusters of seating rather than spacing furniture out against a wall. This will give you more room and opens up the space for entertaining while keeping your seating area intimate. Adding a console table behind a floating couch or moving a chair from the living room into your bedroom will make both spaces feel larger.

Move smaller pieces of art and furniture from room to room is a great way to refresh your space. Re-organizing art, mirrors, and small tables or lamps will give the room new life.

Reshuffle rugs - rugs can easily create the illusion of less or more space and light in a room. If you re-shuffle area rugs around your apartment you will see each rug in different lighting and colors will pop. Use a large rug in the living room to make the room feel larger (don’t worry about not fitting the back legs of your furniture on the rug). 

Fine-tune the lighting - lighting can easily make or break the feel of the apartment. Maximize the natural light by using sheer window treatments or shades. Fluorescent lighting can almost make a person feel uncomfortable. Use soft lighting and dimmers when possible to give the room a warm feeling. Lamps will also help create an inviting atmosphere.

Fresh coat of paint. Enough said.