Apartment Decoration on a Budget: 5 Tips and Tricks

Did you know the home decor industry will be worth $24 billion by 2024?

It’s no secret shopping for home goods can get expensive rather quickly. So trying to make your space look fabulous on a budget can feel overwhelming and frustrating when really decorating should be exciting and fun!

Thankfully, you can have the best of both worlds. Unique and beautiful home decor doesn’t always have to come with a high price tag. Keep reading to learn how you can focus on apartment decoration without going over budget.

1. Focus on the Entryway

One great way to handle decorating on a budget is to create a gorgeous entryway that easily sets the tone for the rest of your apartment.

If you go all out in this area, you can keep the rest of the apartment simple while still wowing guests the moment they walk through the door. 

There are tons of different ways you can do this, from quirky welcome mats to a mini seating area. You can take a look at more of these ideas here to find all the inspiration you need.

The entryway is an area many people neglect, so starting your decorating project here puts you one step ahead of everyone else! You’ll appreciate coming home and walking into this cozy area each day.

2. Utilize Wall Art

No matter what decoration styles you’re drawn to, there’s definitely wall art that will appeal to you. One great thing about wall art is how inexpensive it can be for what you get.

As long as you’re not purchasing original pieces from artists, you can load up your walls with art and not make too big of a dent in the overall budget.

If you’re not sure where to look for art, consider these options:

• Secondhand stores
• Big box stores like Target or Walmart
• Sites that sell prints (you buy the frame)
• Handcrafted goods sites like Etsy

Along with these choices, you might consider making the art yourself! If you have an artistic side, purchasing a few canvases and some supplies can give you original artwork to hang in your apartment that no one else in the world will have.

One last option is using wallpaper to cover an entire wall or room and create an impact without purchasing a lot of pieces. Wallpaper might give you the best value based on the wall coverage you’ll get, and it’s a design style that’s coming back!

Creating a feature wall with wallpaper can make a room appear larger too, so this is a good tip for small apartments.

3. Embrace Minimalism

If you like living a simple and clutter-free life, embracing minimalism can save you money.

While minimalism doesn’t mean you can get away without decorating at all, it does mean you can do less of it. And the decorating you do can feature simple pieces. The benefit of decorating this way is to spend your entire budget on a few high-quality items.

If you handpick pieces with a strong impact, clean lines, and impactful colors, your apartment will look striking without taking up too much space or going overboard with small decorative items.

Using this technique is especially helpful if your apartment is small and you want it to feel larger or if you want fewer things to worry about when it comes time to clean.

4. Use Essentials to Decorate

There are some items you’ll need for your apartment, whether decorating is important to you or not. So using these items wisely can help you grab things you absolutely need and create a well-decorated space in one fell swoop.

For example, pillows are often needed to make a couch comfortable. Instead of getting plain pillows, opt for a fun color, pattern, or texture.

Curtains are another requirement in most apartments. If you hang them higher on the wall and carefully pick the design, you’ll be adding another decor element while also giving yourself much-needed privacy.

Other items like rugs, pot holders, kitchen towels, soap dispensers, and small things like these are necessary and can act as tiny decor pieces if you choose them carefully. It can help to pick a few colors to feature around the apartment and choose accordingly.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Leave Space

While maximalism and packing a space full of things is a design choice, if that’s not what you’re aiming for, don’t be afraid to leave empty space.

A big part of decorating is knowing how much is too much. Understanding this is helpful when you’re on a budget because you can save yourself from purchasing items you don’t need.

Having some empty space throughout your apartment is ideal. You’ll appreciate this breathing room, especially when you’re entertaining. 

Plus, free space can always be filled up later. If your budget grows, you find the perfect piece at a thrift store, or you want to change your design style a bit, having room makes it easy. You might think you want things one way when you move in, but as you get to know yourself and the apartment better, things might change.

Don’t Overthink Apartment Decoration

The best way to decorate your apartment with ease, no matter your budget, is to avoid overthinking things.

Your apartment decoration style might change over time, so focus on incorporating pieces that can grow and change as you do. Stick to your budget for now, and you can add more things later!

Try following the tips found here to slowly decorate the apartment of your dreams.

If this article was helpful and you want more design tips, please take a look around the rest of our site for more!