5 Apartment Makeover Tips

By Danielle Chapman

Your apartment has a case of the "blahs" and its time to freshen the place up! With a little time, a little effort and (best of all) with very little money you can give your apartment a nice little makeover that has a great big effect.

1. Clutter be gone: It's time to find a place for those things you said you'd find a place for last year. A space with no clutter has a chance to show off its lines. The general rule is: if you haven't touched it in three months (or forgot you even had it) throw it out! Remove or downsize the number of knickknacks, paintings or pictures, put them in a box and rotate them every other month! Less is definitely more!
2. Give furniture a new look: Grandma's slipcovers are a thing of the past. Now there are stylish slipcovers for living room furniture as well as for kitchen chairs that will give your dining area an elegant, sophisticated look. Check out slipcovers in a variety of colors and patterns that will add just the panache you're looking for!
3. Get creative with walls: Living in an apartment may mean that you've signed a lease that doesn't allow you to paint the walls. Not a problem! Buy a length of tasteful yet inexpensive cloth from a sewing store and drape it from chic and classy hooks. Add pictures or paintings to finish the look.
4. Grab a screwdriver: Nothing changes the look and theme of an apartment better than changing the knobs on cabinets or dresser drawers, light switch plates and curtain rods. (And when the time comes for you to move out, you can take it all with you!)
5. Lay it on: The easiest change to make in an apartment is also the quickest! A lovely area rug will pull a room together - and adding color coordinated rugs throughout the apartment will provide a lovely continuity throughout the entire living space, giving the final touch to your makeover.

Congratulations! You just transformed your apartment from "blah" to "Hoorah!" in five easy steps! Happy living!

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