Ideas Inspiration

No rental home is perfect. Perhaps your landlord prohibits you from putting holes in the walls or altering the space in any way, so you feel like all your #housegoals are impossible to achieve. At Apartment Therapy, nothing is impossible! We gathered the best posts of 2017 highlighting how simple changes here and there can really make your home shine, and perhaps make you fall in love again.

And it’s making me rethink pink!

Full disclosure: I’ve never been skiing, or snowboarding, or so much as stepped foot on a snow-covered mountain range. But I’ve seen “Force Majeure” and have taken a virtual tour of Aerin Lauder’s Aspen home, which basically qualifies me as a pseudo expert on the après-ski aesthetic. To get the look (without actually hitting the slopes), here are some cozy ways to work ski style into your apartment that won’t look totally out of place.

And it's a fall dream!

What you do to your walls can have a HUGE impact on the look, feel and mood of your home. So start with how you’d like the room to feel — what kind of vibe you’d like it to rock — and use this guide to give you ideas for the kind of treatment that would work for your walls. Go for polka dots! Paint the on or use vinyl wall decal stickers to get the look. Go for a medium-hue gray. Amherst Grey by Benjamin Moore really sets just the right tone in the room below.

For me, maybe?

Perhaps you’ve been playing it safe, decor-wise, your whole life, and are ready to do something wild. Or perhaps you have a room that you feel is finished, but you’re still just a little bit bored with it. Either way, here are five different pieces that will take your space to the next level, that will have your friends (and yourself) convinced that you are a person of taste, refinement and aesthetic derring-do.

I look at the many House Tours that are featured on this site as a treasure trove of inspiration, and the holidays are no exception. Oftentimes when we shoot around the holidays, the spaces are decked out in Christmas decor and the homeowners personal style always shine through. Here are a few of my favorite examples: 1. Unique ornaments and a quirky owl tree topper make this tree stand out. From Natalie & Seth’s Organic Modern Home. 2. Pine cones and branches bring in texture and warmth.

Light fixtures can be changed. Colors can be painted over. Ugly floors can be covered. They’re not all easy projects for renters who’ve found themselves in apartments cramping their style. But they’re all do-able, and importantly, reversible. Just like this solution for covering ugly appliances with removable peel-and-stick wallpaper.To be clear, Peaches of DIY and Lifestyle Blog Aunt Peaches didn’t have an ugly fridge.

As the season of inviting people to your home to gather during the holidays nears, now might be the right time to do a walk-through of your rooms with a more critical eye. Take your home from good to great by fixing these decor faux pas before the first holiday guest arrives! While knowing that your in-laws are going to be visiting your home this holiday season may have you wishing you could run out and buy new everything, don’t.

You can grab them on Amazon.

Starting at just $22!

Get inspired to start your own collection here!

And Athena Calderone, too.

The combinations might surprise you. Move aside, neutrals! 

These actual homes — from lofts, to studio apartments, to houses — will illustrate how big 500 square feet is and what it feels like to live in such a small space.

With stylish storage solutions!

In this 200-square-foot studio, a wood stain makes a big difference.

If you’re also someone who’s looking for a more low-key take on the season, at least inside your home, this may be the way to do it.

You've never seen a locker look quite like this!

Two important reminders herein: Art can be whatever you want it to be and * wherever * you want it to be!

I got it on Facebook Marketplace, and you can find something like it, too!

This is how you can give visitors their own dedicated space.

You probably haven't discovered them yet, so take a look!

It's “inspired by memories of carefree days."

It’s a design choice that’s worth a second look.

Estate sales are full of vintage gems. You just need to know what to look for to score big.

And I love it.

We can't wait to read it. You?

So, your rental apartment or newly-built home didn’t come with coffered ceilings or pressed tin tiles? Set your sights above that unsightly popcorn or drop ceilings you’ve been dealt. All eight of these ceiling hacks will lend architectural interest to a boring room—whether you channel intricate European plasterwork or rustic exposed wood beams is entirely up to you. Give the impression of dramatic crown molding with a painted ceiling that extends about a foot down the wall.

If you’re struggling to separate your open sunroom from the rest of the apartment or living room, here are some tips on how to carve it out.

So sue me!

Think pink — but nowhere near Barbiecore pepto pink!

We all want our living rooms to reflect the very best version of ourselves, but we also want them to be a haven to relax in at the end of the day. These rooms do just that.

No, vertical blinds are not your only option for sliding glass doors.

And it's a neutrals lover's dream!

If you love vinyl, then this is the best $19 you'll spend this week.

Who knew this piece could function so well in a bathroom?

If you're only using curtains to dress windows, you're missing out!

For less than $150, too!

And their latest James Hardie collaboration.

Plant stands are cool, but sometimes when it comes to plants, the higher up, the better.

To help inspire a few ideas, here are eight spaces that stylishly use the checkerboard pattern in their home decor, whether they be large-scale items or teeny tiny accessories.

And the whole brand's basically on sale!

Even though it was made for the bathroom, this IKEA find is key to keeping my kitchen clean.

This is an easy, stylish way to protect your coffee table.

It'll set the semester off on the right foot.

Homeowners are still embracing those cozy, floral vibes.