5 Reasons Why Decorating a Small Apartment is Worth It
Living Pretty Ep40 // Decorating a Small Apartment: Why Even Bother Decorating a Rental Space?
Decorating a small apartment has its ups and downs, and it can sometimes make you wonder - why even bother decorating a rental space? It costs money, takes time, and definitely takes a lot of energy. So why decorate an apartment you’re bound to move out of eventually?
In this video, I’m sharing 5 reasons why small apartment decorating is totally worth it! I know from my experience with my studio apartment decor that it’s such a rewarding process. So if you’re wondering whether or not you want to get started on figuring out how to decorate a small apartment, allow me to put things into perspective for you!
Video Transcript ↓
I’ve made some slight edits in the transcript below so that everything makes more sense in text form. But overall, this is almost a word-for-word dictation of what I say in the video. I’m a much better writer than this, I swear, haha.
So… why even bother decorating an apartment?
You’re gonna move out in a year? Two years? Maybe three? Apartment life is inherently temporary… so why would you spend the time, money, and energy decorating one?
In this video, I’m going to tell you why! Why it’s worthwhile to take that creative energy that’s boiling within you and put it to good use in the look and feel of your apartment. And why it’s not a waste.
If you’re new to my channel, my name is Steffi and I’m the creator of the interior style blog Moda Misfit. And you’re watching Living Pretty, the place for apartment styling tips and small space decor inspiration.
So if you want regular doses of of inspo, then subscribe to my channel and hit the bell next to it to be notified when a new episode goes up every week!
Also, if you live in a studio apartment and you want a free resource that will help you jumpstart your styling, I highly recommend you download my free Studio Styling 101 workbook!
So, let me preface this by saying that decorating your apartment is not a requirement.
If you’re not into it and it doesn’t really matter that much to you, and you certainly don’t want to spend the money on it, then great. There are a ton of other ways to find creative fulfillment and improve your life that have nothing to do with interior decor!
But if you clicked this post, I imagine you’re interested in decorating your apartment. And maybe you just don’t know how to get started, or maybe you’re not even sure if it’s worth it.
So here are 5 reasons why I think it’s totally worth it and why you should pursue decorating your apartment if you feel called to do so!
1. It’s very creatively fulfilling.
It’s so rewarding to create a space that simply makes you happy and comfortable every day. And there’s real value in that!
Like painting, playing an instrument, taking a dance class... decorating a space is an outlet. It’s a way to express yourself creatively.
And what’s awesome about this particular creative expression is it sticks with you after you create it. You get to live in your work of art!
But like any creative pursuit, it does cost money. And that tends to be the biggest objection people have when it comes to styling their apartment.
Just like a guitarist needs to buy a guitar, an amp, maybe some guitar lessons, or a painter needs to buy materials to create their art and maybe go to school for it, or how a ballerina needs to buy dance shoes and pay for dance classes to in order to enjoy their art.
All of these creatives have something in common: the joy of pursuing something creative, and the willingness to invest in it.
So if you think decorating your apartment will give you that kind of creative fulfillment, I think it’s worth it if you can swing it financially.
2. It’s for your daily sanity and happiness
Decorating your apartment is such a benefit to your daily sanity and happiness, especially in Covid times, where we’re spending a ton of time at home.
Just because you live in a rental apartment that you may move out of in a year when your lease is up, doesn’t mean you’re not deserving of a space that nurtures your mental health and boosts your daily mood.
Because that’s exactly what decorating does! It’s like a daily mood-boost.
You know how in the military, they have to get up in the morning and make their bed in a very specific way?
My dad was in the Navy in the 70’s, and he’s told me about the effect that daily habit has on your day and your sense of self.
He says there’s a base thing in our soul as humans, where we get a sense of accomplishment from engaging in rituals like that. Rituals where you’re actively improving your environment and accomplishing something, no matter how small.
The ritual of making your apartment look and feel its best every day has a similar effect to this bed-making ritual in the military.
It’s easy to be like “why are you bothering doing that, don’t you have more important things to do?” But there’s a philosophy behind it.
As my dad says, “Even if my whole life goes to shit, at least my bed is made.”
3. It’s not as temporary as you might think
Reason number three for why decorating your apartment is totally worth it - and forgive if I’m stating the obvious here, but you can bring your decor with you from apartment to apartment!
The time, money, and energy you spend on decor for your current apartment can translate to your next apartment and the apartment after that.
Sure, you might want to get some new decor for the next apartment, but you’re allowed to repeat the same decor from space to space. You’re not just throwing money out the window.
I’ve some of my decorative pillows since my NYU Freshman dorm room in 2006. A lot of the stuff I have has been carried over from apartment to apartment over the years!
So don’t think of styling your apartment as a temporary thing. Think of it as planting the seeds for future spaces, while refining your tastes and honing in on what your personal style is.
4. You learn a lot about yourself!
Tapping into your personal style is to tap into yourself as a person.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Style is not inherently superficial and materialistic. It’s only superficial and materialistic if it’s approached in a superficial and materialistic way by the person.
So if you think of interior styling as a way to gather more material things and just impress other people, then yes, it’s going to be quite unfulfilling.
But if you look at interior styling for what it really is - a creative expression that taps into the deeper parts of you - then it becomes very fulfilling.
You can learn a lot about your personality, your preferences, what’s important to you, what you want, what you don’t want… all from the act of decorating.
It can kind of feel like its own form of therapy. You uncover things about yourself, you get to know yourself in a different way, and that builds confidence!
There was a thread about this in my Living Pretty Facebook group, and it was fascinating to read these members’ thoughts on how much self-discovery they experienced when decorating their spaces. It was really cool!
If you want to join a bunch of your fellow interior decor lovers in the Living Pretty Facebook group and have really inspiring conversations like this, click here!
5. There’s a lot to be said for simply feeling happy and comfortable in a pretty space surrounded by pretty things that you hand selected.
Doesn’t it sound lovely to just cozy up on your couch in the morning with a cup of coffee, surrounded by things you love?
To look around and feel that happy feeling in your belly because you created a space that gives you a sense of belonging?
Just because you’re not settled down in a house does not mean you don’t belong somewhere. Just because you rent your space does not mean you can’t own your style.
So if you’re feeling that desire to make your apartment into your home, and you have the energy and money to spare for it, let me tell you: it’s worth it. And you’re worth it.
And I have a little spoiler alert for you…
I’m going to be launching my online course, Small Apartment Styling School, in the next couple months!
It’ll walk students through my step by step process for styling an apartment- finding your styling confidence, discovering your personal interior style, shopping for decor, and accessorizing and arranging your apartment.
So if you’re interested in learning more about Small Apartment Styling School and you want to join the waitlist so you'll be one of the first to hear when it launches, click here!
I would love to help you transform your apartment into your dream apartment.
For daily glimpses into my studio apartment life, you can follow me on Instagram @moda.misfit.
And for regular doses of small apartment styling tips and small space decor inspiration, subscribe to this channel and hit the bell to be notified when a new episode goes up every week!