Moving into an apartment can be exciting, until you face the challenge of decorating. How do you customize a space without going over-budget on items that may not fit in wherever you live down the road?
Decorating the interior of your apartment could also feel limiting if the leasing company won’t allow you to paint the walls, hang pictures or add any permanent decorative touches to your new abode.
A great solution? Area rugs that bring color, texture and patterns to your apartment interiors. You will be surprised how geometric patterns, playful shag, or bright and colorful options can cost less than painting the walls. Take a look at these creative ways to bring color to your apartment while creating comfort underfoot.
Choosing an area rug that reflects your design style
When you move into an empty apartment, the space may feel like it lacks personality. Bring some pizazz to your interiors by choosing an area rug that fits the color and texture of your sofa and surrounding furniture. Neutral-colored sofas that are gray, brown or lighter colors look great against a bold printed rug like the one in this cozy room (see image).
If you have bold colored red, purple or blue upholstery that already creates a focal point to the eye, opt for a neutral toned area rug and skip the bold patterns. The rule of thumb in design is to create an equal balance of interest for the eye. Therefore, choose whether you want your area rug or your sofa to steal the show, but not both.
Look for comfort and sound reduction
If you’re fortunate enough to live in an apartment that is nice and quiet with considerate neighbors, good for you! But for the majority of apartment home dwellers, sound carrying through walls is a major factor, including heavy footsteps from your upstairs neighbors that you hear overhead. I recently helped a couple that moved into an apartment with two toddlers and they wanted to be respectful of the neighbors. We decided to choose large area rugs that stretched over their main living room spaces, hallways, and in the kids’ rooms. We chose rugs that had a deep pile in their individual rooms to reduce the sounds of toys crashing on the wood floors, but also were comfortable for bare feet to enjoy!
Changing out your rugs for your lifestyle
The beauty of area rugs is their versatility. You can remove and change them around depending on the seasons and your entertaining needs. Many apartment dwellers tend to have friends and family dropping over and food stains, foot traffic, and other entertaining mishaps can create wear and tear on your rugs. Try replacing or getting area rugs cleaned twice a year to keep them clean. If you love ever-changing decor in your apartment, try using colorful rugs, mixed with coordinating colors for holiday entertaining, football parties, or just to give your apartment a new look when the mood strikes. There are a wide variety of whimsical patterns, shapes, and even optical illusion area rugs that will become the focal point of your room.
Instead of feeling disheartened by the limited decorating options dictated by a new apartment’s rules, look to these creative ideas using area rugs. You will love how they create a sense of home instantly and warm the ambiance of your abode.
