How to Make Your Rental Feel Like Home
Living Pretty Ep14 | Apartment Decorating Tips: How to Make Your Rental Feel Like Home
Need some apartment decorating tips so you can make your rental feel like home? I strongly believe that just because you rent your space, doesn’t mean you can’t own your style. So let’s take ownership of our tiny apartment lifestyle and talk about how your small apartment decor can make you excited to come home!
In this video, I answer your questions about all things interior styling, small space living, and the city apartment lifestyle. If you saw my studio apartment tour video and enjoyed the studio apartment inspiration in it, you’ll want to tune in to this video to get my specific small apartment tips based on your questions!
Watch the video now!
↓ Wanna read the episode? ↓
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 episode. I’m a much better writer than this, I swear, haha.
My name is Steffi, I'm a millennial, and I'm probably going to be living in apartments for the rest of my life. And that's probably the case for a lot of us.
But you know what? It's like I always say: just because you rent your space, doesn't mean you can't own your style.
Which is why I've made it my mission to use YouTube, Instagram, and my blog as my digital soapboxes to preach to the Millennial masses that just because there isn't any room for us in the housing market, doesn't mean we can't create beautiful homes for ourselves.
And it's not even just millennials. I've gotten some really interesting insight in the comments on my videos from people born well before the Millennial age range who are also apartment dwellers. So the apartment lifestyle is very much a reality for people all across the age spectrum.
I just happen to be a Millennial. You know, that means I'm hell-bent on destroying industries like napkins and Applebee's and diamonds and homeownership, while I cry into my avocado toast and use my NYU degree to soak up the tears. Because I don't buy napkins.
So on Instagram, I invited you guys to ask me any questions you might have about interior styling, apartment living, general lifestyle stuff. And I'm going to answer them!
By the way, if you're feeling the FOMO right now, don't you fret! Just follow me on Instagram @moda.misfit and you can catch the next time I do an “ask me anything” over there.
So let's go ahead and tackle these questions, and feel free to comment below if any questions come up for you!
Q: “Any styling advice for when you can't change the furniture? For example, student rental.” - Claudia
Yes, Claudia! Whether you live in an apartment or a dorm room or any sort of situation that is temporary, the key is in the accessorizing.
So you may not be able to get new furniture - and trust me I remember my college days… I remember vividly just how unattractive the furniture was in that situation.
And the way I made my dorm into a home is I got my ass to Pier 1.
I got throw pillows, I got a blanket for the end of my bed, I just infused basically every corner I could with interior decor. And that's what I do here in my studio apartment too. The key to making my apartment into a space that feels like my home, rather than a rental, is in those little touches.
And the key with those little touches - those little accessories that you place around the space - is having them represent a piece of you. Whether it's just aesthetically something you're drawn to, or if it has a special meaning, or it has a special memory attached to it, or if it represents passion, a hobby, an interest of yours.
For example, in this apartment of mine, I have music references everywhere because I'm obsessed with music. I have Legend of Zelda accents here and there. And these are things that I'm obsessed with that give me little visual reminders of who I am and why this space is mine, even though I don't technically own it.
Q: “How do you keep your place clean at all times? 😩” - @alltheansas
Very, very good question. It's a mixture of a few things.
So one of them is keeping my whole storage system for this apartment pretty on point, and you can watch that in this video. I go through my favorite storage solutions that I've used ever since my New York days of living in tiny dorms and small apartments, so if you want a full, fleshed out video of how I store things, you'll want to check that out.
Something else you should keep in mind though is there's a lot that you don't see on Instagram. For example, you don't see how horribly dusty this place gets.
I have a kitty - most of you know Helo - I have cat hair all over the place, I have my hair all over the place. Helo and I shed like crazy.
And I also had the bright idea to use a lot of black surfaces. I have a black table over here, I have my black keyboard, my black desk, my black console table. I love black, and so the unfortunate thing of having the dark soul that I have is that you lean towards furniture choices that show dirt like crazy.
So when you look at my Instagram feed, it looks nice and stylish, but you don't see the little details in which… dust runs rampant in this place.
It's basically like the apartment version of Pigpen in the Peanuts Gang. You know, the little little kid who's always surrounded by a cloud of dust? That's my apartment. His name is Pigpen right?
So, @alltheansas, I can tell from your misery-faced emoji that you are not happy with your cleaning situation in your apartment. Go easy on yourself, girl. None of our apartments are perfect. And mine may look really nice in terms of not being super cluttered, and it may look stylish, but it has its flaws.
And man, they're really dusty flaws.
Q: “How long after trying minimalism did you put everything back? Or have you not?” - Alysha Nichole Hart
So, Alysha is referring to my last video, in which I tried minimalism. So I basically stripped down my apartment to nothing but my bed and my couch. Basically, I just stripped away all of my accessorizing, and then I restyled it with more of a minimalist aesthetic.
I put everything back a couple days later, but I did make some changes. And that is one thing that made that experiment valuable, and what I would recommend to anyone if you feel like you're in a little bit of a rut when it comes to your interior style; you could try stripping everything away - as in all of the accessories - and rebuild your styling from there.
Seeing my apartment without all of the accessories everywhere just got me to think a little bit more fresh about what I could do with the space. So when I put everything back, I made some little changes here and there, and it was quite refreshing.
So anyway, long story short, Alysha, I did move everything back but I made some styling tweaks just to refresh the space.
Q: “Where is the litter box?” - Nicki
Helo’s litter box is in my walk-in closet. Yeah, that's really one of the nice things about having a walk-in closet. It would be much tougher having a cat without that situation. You can see what it looks like in my studio apartment tour video!
Q: “Love your style. Any advice for maximizing the seating for guests without compromising on style?” - @greenladykiller
Yes, yes I do! And for me it means having a little bit of an untraditional seating situation when I have people over.
I will give you this one caveat thought: I don't really have people over very much. I'm kind of a hermit in terms of, like, this is sort of my sanctuary space, and anytime I'm with friends we’re usually out.
But the times that I have had friends over here I've actually been surprisingly successful in terms of comfort. So in my studio, it means having some people on the couch, pulling up some chairs - I have some chairs over in my entryway - pulling up those chairs, allowing people to sit on my bed.
You know, it's basically accepting that there will be sort of pockets of people throughout the space depending on how many people are here, and just accepting that there's nothing wrong with that.
I have to say, there was one time where I had a bunch of girlfriends over here and we were so happy to just sit around my couch that we ended up not even going out, which was the plan. We were supposed to go to a bar after sort of pre-gaming here, but we ended up just staying here because we were perfectly content and comfy being here.
So it is possible to have a successful social gathering in a tiny space. It's just a matter of creating a nice, welcoming ambiance.
Q: “How do you make it so harmonic?” - @banny128
Oh, love that question, and I love the word harmonic because this is a music themed space.
In terms of making an apartment feel harmonic - harmonious, if you will - it really comes down to sticking with things that truly resonate with you and feel like they are a reflection of you. That's the first place to start, even before considering any sort of aesthetic.
Think about what makes you happy, think about the things that you gravitate toward in real life. What movies do you love? What TV shows do you watch? What kind of art do you gravitate towards? What kind of music do you listen to? These are things that are so much deeper than the just superficial look of something.
So I highly recommend assessing what's important to you, getting to the root of that. I have a free resource - my Interior Style Therapy workbook. Interior Style Therapy will help you go through the personal journey that you need to go on to really tap into what your style is. It's kind of a touchy-feely kind of thing to do but I think so many people skip over the personal assessment that you need to go through in order to uncover your cohesive style.
So start with that, and just this simple act will set you up better for a harmonious space. And then from there, you can get into the fun aesthetics.
Q: “Living in a studio with a cat? Litter box? Moving with a cat? I'm moving to Seattle for school.” - @kmdd
Oh welcome to Seattle, @kmdd! It's a wonderful place, it's my favorite place in the world. So welcome, future Seattleite.
So, living in a studio with a cat is great. I was very hesitant to get a cat for the longest time because I was convinced that a studio apartment is not conducive to a happy cat life. But I was very wrong about that, at least in Helo’s case. Helo loves having this little domain of hers.
In fact, when I take her to my parents’ house out in Snoqualmie, Washington - they live in a big 4,000 square foot house - and she hates it there. She ends up just going to my bedroom and not leaving. I can tell she feels more at ease in a space that is a bit more compact.
And I will say, my studio is about 500 square feet, so it's not the tiniest space. I’ve definitely lived in way tinier places in New York. And I can tell her entire vibe changes when she's back in this studio. She's much less anxious.
So if you live in a studio and you want to get a cat, I highly recommend it. And I also think that you should just be super in touch with your cat's energy and make sure they seem happy and not anxious.
As far as the litter box goes, like I said, it's in my walk-in closet, and that's extremely helpful.
And then as far as moving with a cat, I've actually never done that. I got Helo when I was already living here, so I've never moved with a cat. I do think that would be an interesting experience though, because Helo hates being in the car. So I can only imagine that it would be quite the journey.
Q: “Where do you start with colors? Accessories last?” - @dreamypuppyposh
In terms of color, I have a very specific way that I go about doing it, and yes, it does involve doing accessories last. But I do have accessories in mind as I'm getting started. And the main reason for that is I've actually carried a lot of my accessories from apartment to apartment. For example, some of my pillows started with me in my dorm room - my freshman dorm room at NYU back in 2006. So I've had some of these for an extremely long time and I've just been carrying them from apartment to apartment.
But my sort of rule of thumb when it comes to color is to start with a neutral color on all of the big items. So every big piece of furniture in my studio is gray. My armchair is gray, my bedspread is gray, my couch is gray. And then from there, I build upon color with accessories.
So the only time I show any sort of color is through accessories. Whether it's through a pop of green in a pillow, a pop of green in some florals... those are basically the only spots that I allow color into.
And I think that's very helpful for a studio apartment, or any sort of small living situation, because it's a really easy way to make a space instantly cohesive.
Q: “Is your daytime job interior design? Have you studied interior design? Love your YouTube channel.” - @lemonpathtravel
Thank you! Um, no and no, haha. I've had my interior style blog, Moda Misfit, for a year and a half now, I've helped a few individuals here in Seattle with their interior styling, and I'm in the process of building out my virtual interior styling service - stay tuned for that!
I've never studied interior design; I studied in the school of growing up watching HGTV. Like, every day. That's actually a good way to absorb a lot of the basic design principles and get a sense of what works and what doesn't. I'm not saying it's a replacement for a formal training - of course not - but it did sort of mold my brain into being very interior design oriented.
And no, my day job is not as an interior designer. I am an office manager at a digital design and marketing company. So I come home and work on Moda Misfit stuff after work, and I also do it during my lunch breaks on work days as well. So yeah, I'm very busy!
Q: “How in the world do you think about trinkets to get that somehow end up matching? I feel like I find things that I think will work with my decor but they always end up looking wrong.” - Anna Chazelle
Very, very good question, and frankly, I have the same problem as well! A lot of it is just trial and error, experimenting and messing up - and expecting to mess up, and embracing the messing up - and not beating yourself up in the process. Truly, you see the final product on someone's Instagram page and you have to realize that did not happen overnight.
If you buy a new piece of decor and then you put it in your space and you immediately think it looks wrong, before you give up, experiment. Try placing it somewhere else. Try adding something like a candle or a lamp or something next to the new piece of decor, and create sort of a grouping. The grouping of items is key to making something go from looking wrong in a space to looking cohesive and awesome.
For example, take my nightstand decor in the photo below. Imagine if the faux floral arrangement weren't there. This lamp would still look cool, but it would look like an incomplete picture.
So you have to keep in mind that if something looks wrong, when group it with something else it can suddenly look right. So don't give up on decor pieces too quickly. Experiment. Treat your apartment like a piece of clay that you're molding into different shapes, and you mold it and mold it and mold it until it turns into the unicorn figurine that you've been trying to make.
Q: “How to deal with your other half’s dubious taste in decor, lol.” - @annes_cosy_little_flat
That, I completely understand. I don't have first-hand experience with this because my boyfriend and I do not live together here in this studio. He lives in a studio about a mile away, which is super convenient. We are planning on moving in together in the future, and that is something I definitely keep in mind... the idea of having to relinquish some control and compromise on my styling... which would be a brand new experience for me. Um, it's not gonna be easy,
The idea of compromising when I have very strong opinions on my interior style is going to be a challenge for sure, and I think that in your case, Anne, when it comes to your significant other and sharing a space with them, it all comes down to communication. And that can be said for anything having to do with relationships. With any relationship, it all comes down to communication.
So if I were you... I mean, it depends on how your relationship is with your significant other, but if I were you, I would sit down and have like a “relationship meeting” with with them and voice your needs. Voice the things that you like, allow them to tell you what they like as well, and maybe make it a fun couples project... or try to look at it that way!
Maybe make a Pinterest board together, maybe watch an episode of HGTV together. You know, make it into sort of a bonding experience where you learn about each other and learn about your your preferences and the styles that you lean towards. And you might learn something interesting about each other in the process!
I think it all really comes down to communicating and really voicing your needs. Make sure you make yourself heard, and then listen to them right back.
Alright, we are down to the very last question, and this one is actually a series of questions coming from @paranormalkativity. So I'm going to take them one at a time, as rapid-fire style as I can!
Q: “Where did you get that gorgeous nightstand?”
My nightstand is from World Market!
Q: “Do you think you will ever want to live in a more divided space?”
I wouldn't mind having like a separate bedroom. I do love an open floor plan, which is why I don't even bother dividing my studio with a divider (which so many people think that I need to, judging from the comments on my videos).
So I'm a fan of open concept, but when I'm living with someone else, it might be nice to have that separation when we're working on our own sort of separate things.
Q: “Any tips on mixing your interests into one cohesive style vibe? Love your game and music influences.”
Yes! Make a list of the things that you love in life that have nothing to do with decor. Movies you watch, TV shows you watch, video games you play, music you listen to. Sit down and actually get organized about it.
Make a list and then start online shopping. If you have nerdy interests, for example, Redbubble is awesome for people with any sort of nerdy interests. My One Piece pillow on my couch is from Redbubble and my Fiona Apple canvas print in my entryway is from Redbubble. So that's a really good place to start in terms of an actual online store.
Q: “What would we hear if we walked into your apartment? TV? Audio? Music? Podcast? Audiobook? etc.”
That's a great question, as someone who's obsessed with music. You would hear... I mean, I take in all of that kind of entertainment. In terms of music, you would likely hear Agnes Obel. I highly recommend you check her out. Her music is so beautiful and melodic and haunting, and it really goes with my decor. Like, if you want to hear the music version of my dark, moody decor, listen to Agnes Obel.
Q: “Is your bathroom styled as completely? I don't remember if you have shown it in a video, and if not, would you ever do a bathroom styling video?”
I do have my bathroom featured in my studio apartment tour video, so you can check it out there.
I would like to do a bathroom styling video! The challenge with that, and you'll see this if you watch my studio apartment tour, is there's not much going on there because it's so tiny. It is a styled bathroom, but there's just only so much room for styling. So there's not really a ton that I have to say, but I would like to find a creative way to do a small bathroom styling tutorial video or something like that. But for now, watch my studio apartment tour and you’ll see what my bathroom looks like.
Well, that's it for this round of “Ask Me Anything”! If you have any questions that have come to you while watching this video, please feel free to ask them in the comments below.
Everything you guys give me is just fuel for what I'm trying to do here, which is to champion the apartment lifestyle and get everyone to realize that just because you rent your space, doesn't mean you can't own your style. And you are fully capable of making your apartment into your dream home.
So follow me on instagram @moda.misfit, and of course, subscribe to my channel if you're into apartment lifestyle and interior styling stuff, and hit the bell to be notified when a new episode goes up every week.