Refreshing and Eclectic Design Ideas for Your Apartment

The following is a guest post from Sam Peters. Sam Peters is an avid blogger and a fitness whiz. Originally from Mid-West, Sam now resides in sunny San Diego, California. If she is not writing, you can usually find her relaxing with a good book and her wheaten terrier, Kona.

The limited amount of space in an apartment can make it difficult to decorate. If you’re stuck for ideas, we’ve can inspire you. These small spaces are colorful, creative and take advantage of the small space with minimalist decorating.

Combining Two Different Types of Decoration

This living room has tribal touches combined with modern furniture. The track lighting draws attention to the key pieces in the room: the paintings and masks. It is strategically placed to make these decorations stand out.

The chairs have metal sides which reflect the colors of the rug nicely. Notice how the carpet and the walls all have similar colors in them. The greyish-blue hues are almost neutral, allowing the orange, pinks and yellows to stand out even more.

The dresser that the television is sitting on bridges the gap between ancient and modern. The vase and coffee table book adds a touch of life to the room. The library makes the room more comfortable. It lets guests know the room is meant to be relaxing.

You can achieve this look by choosing colors in the grey-blue spectrum. Your decorations should be both tribal and modern. Notice how the masks, drum and statue are tribal, yet the paintings, lighting and furniture are modern.

You don’t necessarily have to copy these ideas to get this look. Try it with different themes, like rustic and modern, or Victorian and minimalist. Instead of paintings you can try wall art. Instead of masks, try clocks or family photos. Successfully combining two different looks isn’t necessarily difficult; it just takes some creativity.

Maintaining Minimalist

In a small kitchen space, it’s hard to decorate without making things seem entirely cluttered. This space is minimalist yet bright, making the kitchen warm and cheerful.

The rustic, hardwood floors are uncluttered by rugs or any other type of decoration. Each wall has a different look to it. Between the cabinets there is wallpaper. There is a large painting on one wall and wooden blinds covering the window on the other one.

Notice how effortless but refreshing the room looks. The table and chairs are small, yet they match the fridge, cabinet and radiator. The painting is the centerpiece, and both the wood of the blinds and the wallpaper make it look as if it belongs. The color on the wall just makes everything stand out more, instead of clashing with it.

You can get this look by letting your kitchen speak for itself. Don’t try to change how it is designed. Instead work with the design. Find a nice painting, clock or other piece of wall art that will be the centerpiece of your kitchen. Then choose a wallpaper that has similar colors in it for the area between your cabinets. Finally, paint your walls a color that contrasts but doesn’t clash. A small dining room set will complete the look.

Playing With Patterns

The two things that stand out the most in these pictures are the wallpaper and the Tetris-inspired background behind the couch. This is the perfect example of marrying two patterns without having them clash.

This room has the perfect eclectic look. All of the furniture and decorations either blend in or stand out. It looks as if this room is part hobbyist part living space. The art, electronics, collection of magazines, plants and katanas say that this room is owned by someone with many interests. Yet the patterns are the star of this room.

To successfully merge two patterns, find one for your wall and one in another decoration. It can be a rug, a painting, a piece of furniture or even a lamp. Everything else in the room should be one or two colors. There should be one neutral colored piece in the room.

Let’s say you wanted to try this with a red wallpaper and a floral patterned couch. The other pieces of furniture can be one or two solid colors found in the floral pattern. You may have an orange chair to make it stand out more. You can find a wooden clock or something else that’s neutral for the wall, or your coffee table can be wooden. There is plenty that you can do with patterns. The key is not to overdo it.

A word of advice: if you’re going to display your hobbies in a decorative way, like this room, you’ll want to have renters insurance. This will ensure that all of your valuables and belongings are protected in case something happens to them.

Expressive Children’s Rooms

Living in an apartment is no excuse for a child to have a dull, dreary room. Children love bright colors and patterns, and they are often willing to choose pieces that have every color of the rainbow in it. Let them pick what they want, and you pull everything together with the furniture.

This furniture here is perfect for the wallpaper. It doesn’t make the room seem too busy. Rather it’s cheerful and fun. There is space to store books, toys and clothes, yet there is very little to maintain.

The key here is bright but minimalist. You want your child to love his room, but you also want him to be able to clean up after himself without much of a hassle.

Try to find colored furniture. If you only have wooden furniture, you can add color in other ways. Try a bright comforter set, or a colorful toybox. You can frame some of your child’s drawings and put them on the wall in different patterns. Or you can find a play area rug that is both decorative and interactive for your child.

Allowing your child to express himself through decoration encourages creativity and happiness. You may even get some ideas for the rest of your house by decorating your child’s room first.