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How do you make your apartment/house look good?
- Thread starter Afrocious
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Aquavelvaman
Banned
Curtains make a big difference. We got some custom curtains and blinds made for all the windows and it really elevated the space. Don't settle for shitty cheap blinds.
Put stuff on the walls! Bare walls make rooms look smaller and cheaper imo. Even go to a store like home goods and just get some random wall canvases or something to start out. Then go for family pictures or more meaningful things like artwork you like and stuff.
YES. I spent like 900 dollars on curtains one month last year and I don't regret it at all. Get blackout curtains for your bedroom if it has a window!
YES. I spent like 900 dollars on curtains one month last year and I don't regret it at all. Get blackout curtains for your bedroom if it has a window!
Strangelove77
Member
Ikea furniture, a bookcase full of books and frame all your shit. No tacks.
If you're gonna have a couch give it some pillows. Checking out magazines/online for inspiration is a good idea too.
edit: Also, don't be too concerned with organising stuff as perfectly as possible at the start. A few weeks or months down the line you'll know your ideal setup after having actually lived in the apartment for a bit.
edit: Also, don't be too concerned with organising stuff as perfectly as possible at the start. A few weeks or months down the line you'll know your ideal setup after having actually lived in the apartment for a bit.
Admiral Woofington
Member
You get a ghost to squirt ketchup on your walls, then film an entire night of the house and make gaf look through all of the hours of content to find absolutely nothing.
Really brings out the room.
Really brings out the room.
As a big advocate for minimalist interior design, I disagree. A tasteful, inconspicuous painting or picture can look great, but filling up the walls looks good at first, but starts to be grating imo
BKatastrophe
Member
I'm stealing this
Jaguar Victory
Member
You can get ideas online if you Google. Also you can ask for help in the city. Good conversation starter.
Get rid of absolutely everything. Nothing on counters, no frivolous extras or trinkets. If you need to have a TV or speakers or consoles and shit, put them inside something. TV is maybe ok mounted on a wall, everything else should be out of sight. Maybe some art on the wall is also ok but it's gotta be minimalistic and have a nice frame.
Get a housekeeper.
Get a housekeeper.
This is...a good idea for both furnishings and meeting new people!
I'm going to give simpler advice and just recommend that you do a small amount of cleaning, each day. Personally, I'm a huge fan of Clorox Wipes for the kitchen and bathrooms. I know you were probably asking for design advice, but cleaning is important too. It's so much simpler if you don't let dirt pile up.
George Oscar Bluth II
Banned
- If you want to put art or something on the wall, frame it and keep it limited. You don't want too much.
- A mirror on the wall can compliment the living room.
- IKEA have good simple furniture so you can't go wrong there.
- Go for a more minimalist look with touches of personality. Easy to maintain and doesn't feel soulless.
- If you have a lot of stuff, keep it stored neatly.
- A mirror on the wall can compliment the living room.
- IKEA have good simple furniture so you can't go wrong there.
- Go for a more minimalist look with touches of personality. Easy to maintain and doesn't feel soulless.
- If you have a lot of stuff, keep it stored neatly.
Electric Eye
Banned
Just do what you want. Most people have no taste and try to overthink things, they have this vision of a Better Homes and Gardens look when they are actually pleb as fuck and everything just ends up looking like Donald Trumps cocaine 80's gold plated nightmare penthouses.
GoldenDarkness
Banned
Replace carpet with nice hardwood floors, dust daily and DO NOT BUY FROM IKEA. Ikea stuff stands out and makes you look like a wannabe hipster from an Apple store. Buy some grown up furniture.
This is fine advice and thank you. I have an issue with keeping an apartment clean, but I somehow fixed this bad habit with the inside of my car. The inside of my car is clean and I never eat in it.
it really depends on what you want from your place.
i mean for some
might be a good looking small apartment space.
for me... something like
is way better looking.
the top one is boring, and while it doesn't look bad at first glace it's not very interesting at all.
meanwhile the bottom one obviously has a lot more going on and can be a bit less inviting, but once you are in and take it in feels way more awesome and homey, and is a place I would much rather be.
I would assume more people like the top one though and is likely what you are asking about, but in either case ikea is a good start.
if money is an issue check out the local thrift stores as you can sometimes find really nice furniture in them that could save you lots of money.
Electric Eye
Banned
TV's mounted on walls is the dumbest thing. Stop making holes on your damn walls people especially over a fireplace.
I like the second one more, but I'd like a mix of the two. I would like an entertainment/console game setup with a couch there for chilling. I probably wouldn't have the video game throws though.
Bottom one would make me go insane. Way too busy and cramped feeling. Different strokes.
Fatalah
Member
Lmao I remember that thread lol
M.W.
Member
This. A TV would look better sitting on an ottoman.
triplestation
Member
you just need to get a really good rug man
dc3k
Member
IKEA stuff stands out as furniture that people who can't afford ~*gRoWn Up FuRnItUrE*~ buy. It's completely fine for what it is.
You're thinking of Pottery Barn and their "reclaimed wood" tree stumps that cost $300.
GoldenDarkness
Banned
No, no I'm not. If you want to Ikea ruin your house go ahead but you can do better for less if you actually look around and try to make your house a nice looking place. I'm sorry you shopped at Ikea.
dc3k
Member
^^^ I'm sorry you're such a drama queen that buying cheap furniture ruins your house. You sound like a level headed normal person.
Until someone invents drywall mud and paint, you should definitely take this very good and excellent advice.
Until someone invents drywall mud and paint, you should definitely take this very good and excellent advice.
God Dayumm
Banned
Bottom one is too much, but it is organized and space is used efficiently. The top one is a waste of space, but at least it is easy to clean. I probably would go for the bottom pic but with the floor of the first pic and get rid of a few trinkets.
Hmm. I think i meet you in the middle. I hate clutter on table tops and surfaces, but naked walls just make rooms look really small to me.
For decorating and setup ideas look through catalogs/websites for IKEA, CB2, and West Elm or sites like this http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ but make it your own. Then create a schedule for cleaning, like I vacuum every 2 weeks, and try not to live like a pig the rest of the time.
Doomshroom
Member
Less is more and easier to clean. Also dont listen to this dude.
Accentuate your hallways with something that reflects your interests, such as a nice wall scroll:
.
CaviarMeths
Member
Outside of keeping it tidy and clutter-free, it's little things that improve the look of a room.
- If you have posters, frame them. Even a simple, cheap frame will do. Tacks or tape holding a piece of laminated paper to the wall looks like shit.
- Have a nice wall clock. Even if you have a phone or watch and never really use it, they look nice in a room.
- Proper lighting goes a long way. Usually warm colours work better unless it's a kitchen or workshop.
- IMO, elegance comes from simplicity. Avoid tackiness or over-designed things. It also makes it easier to add personal touches to a room if you don't have your collectables or whatever clashing with the other decor.
- Have a good sense of space and geometry. This one is hard to explain, but you can more just feel it too. Gotta have that Feng Shui.
For personal touches, you really just have to feel it out and do what works best for you. Don't overdo things though. You don't want a room that's busy as hell and assaults the senses when you walk into it.
Edit: like this
Also, it shouldn't need to be said, but cable management. I walk into too many rooms where all manner of cables, electrical cords, and wires are visible everywhere.
- If you have posters, frame them. Even a simple, cheap frame will do. Tacks or tape holding a piece of laminated paper to the wall looks like shit.
- Have a nice wall clock. Even if you have a phone or watch and never really use it, they look nice in a room.
- Proper lighting goes a long way. Usually warm colours work better unless it's a kitchen or workshop.
- IMO, elegance comes from simplicity. Avoid tackiness or over-designed things. It also makes it easier to add personal touches to a room if you don't have your collectables or whatever clashing with the other decor.
- Have a good sense of space and geometry. This one is hard to explain, but you can more just feel it too. Gotta have that Feng Shui.
For personal touches, you really just have to feel it out and do what works best for you. Don't overdo things though. You don't want a room that's busy as hell and assaults the senses when you walk into it.
Edit: like this
Also, it shouldn't need to be said, but cable management. I walk into too many rooms where all manner of cables, electrical cords, and wires are visible everywhere.
ZackieChan
Member
If you enjoy having sexual relations with women, you may want to avoid that Nintendo-themed decor
Tried to show this chick I wanted to sleep with Nintendogs way back in college. There wasn't another date. My apartment was nice too for a college dude.
Check out apartment therapy for ideas. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com
ImpracticalPassword
Member
Stay on top of cleaning and tidying up clutter. Use ties to reduce the amount of cord clutter. Put things away after you're done with them and keep stuff off of floors. Take 10-20 minutes at the end of every day to straighten stuff up and wipe down a couple of surfaces and vacuum once a week. Then you'll only have to do a bathroom/kitchen scrub once every couple of weeks.
Also, I find these things help: wash and shine mirrors to be streak free, buy nice quality sheets and make your bed daily. A nicely made bed honestly does make a bedroom look very comfortable.
And yes, put up framed personal pics or art that you like. It immediately makes a home yours.
Also, I find these things help: wash and shine mirrors to be streak free, buy nice quality sheets and make your bed daily. A nicely made bed honestly does make a bedroom look very comfortable.
And yes, put up framed personal pics or art that you like. It immediately makes a home yours.
parrotbeak
Member
Just keep the lights off. Save electricity and decor.
enoki
Member
Before you move, throw away or donate everything you don't need. If you're keeping boxes of things solely for the sentimental value, take a photo of it and keep walking unless you have an appropriate, nice space for it. Go through your clothes, books, etc... And minimize it.
Clean EVERYTHING before you pack it. Do every piece of your laundry, wipe everything down, dust, and then pack it up by room.
When you move in, unpack a box and put everything in its place. Keep going until you've finished every box. Don't fall into the loop of "I'll save this one for later". Do it as quickly as you reasonably can, and try to make it fun. Think about how nice it will look when you're done!
I took this approach when I moved into a new house, and the satisfaction is other worldly. I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up before I started packing and it really pushed me to only bring what I love and need. After I was done, packing and moving was a breeze. It really helped that I had organized most of my things in the process.
The best part was keeping things clean. It was a newly cleaned rental house, and I barely had to spend 10 minutes each night sweeping and wiping counters. Chores that were overwhelming before were cut down to no time at all.
Decorating is the easy part, look for photos of rooms you like and take inspiration from it. Getting rid of clutter will naturally make everything look nicer.
EDIT: I've moved into a tiny apartment in another state since then, with my boyfriend and his brother. Our room is 9x9; I've given up on trying to get things clean. Their things are everywhere, covering every room of the house, and it's impossible (and overwhelming) to clean meticulously for three alone while working and studying. There are three broken coffee makers under the table that "can't" be thrown away, boxes of things like fly swatters, Tupperware lids... The hallway has two 5 foot shelves full of odds and ends. Send help.
Clean EVERYTHING before you pack it. Do every piece of your laundry, wipe everything down, dust, and then pack it up by room.
When you move in, unpack a box and put everything in its place. Keep going until you've finished every box. Don't fall into the loop of "I'll save this one for later". Do it as quickly as you reasonably can, and try to make it fun. Think about how nice it will look when you're done!
I took this approach when I moved into a new house, and the satisfaction is other worldly. I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up before I started packing and it really pushed me to only bring what I love and need. After I was done, packing and moving was a breeze. It really helped that I had organized most of my things in the process.
The best part was keeping things clean. It was a newly cleaned rental house, and I barely had to spend 10 minutes each night sweeping and wiping counters. Chores that were overwhelming before were cut down to no time at all.
Decorating is the easy part, look for photos of rooms you like and take inspiration from it. Getting rid of clutter will naturally make everything look nicer.
EDIT: I've moved into a tiny apartment in another state since then, with my boyfriend and his brother. Our room is 9x9; I've given up on trying to get things clean. Their things are everywhere, covering every room of the house, and it's impossible (and overwhelming) to clean meticulously for three alone while working and studying. There are three broken coffee makers under the table that "can't" be thrown away, boxes of things like fly swatters, Tupperware lids... The hallway has two 5 foot shelves full of odds and ends. Send help.
How does Ikea stuff stand out? and lol at wannabe hipster.
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