How to Decorate an Apartment
Decorate an apartment in seven steps, in this order: measure, plan the layout, buy the big pieces, layer the light, add textiles, dress the walls and finish with details. The order matters because each step fixes the size, color or position of the next one. Every step below works in a rental.
Step 1: Measure every room
Measure every wall, window, door and doorway before you buy anything. Size mistakes are the hardest to undo: a sofa that blocks a door, a rug that floats, a bed that eats the walkway.
- Walls: the length of each wall, and the ceiling height.
- Openings: each window's width and height, and the swing of every door.
- Fixed points: outlets, radiators, vents and light switches, marked on a sketch.
- The way in: the front door, hallway and elevator, so a new sofa makes it inside.
Draw each room on paper with these numbers. That sketch decides every purchase in the steps that follow.
Step 2: Plan the layout
Plan the layout around the walkways first, then point the furniture at the room's focal point. The focal point is the window, the TV wall or the bed wall, and the walkway runs from the door to every seat and to the window.
- Keep a clear path from the door through the room, with no furniture corner in it.
- Group seating close enough for conversation, facing the focal point.
- In a studio, use a rug, a bookcase or the back of the sofa to split sleeping from living.
Try arrangements in the free 3D styler: drag the sofa, bed, rug and dining set around a styled living room or bedroom. Its rooms are preset, so use it to compare arrangements and keep your tape measure for exact fit.
Open the 3D stylerRoom-by-room layouts are in our guides to apartment living room layout and studio apartment ideas, and the 3D room planner page explains the styler in full.
Step 3: Buy the big pieces first
Buy the sofa, bed, main rug and dining table before any decor, because they set the room's color and scale. A throw pillow chosen first narrows every choice after it; a sofa chosen first gives every smaller piece a color to work with.
- Check each big piece against your sketch, including the walkway it leaves.
- Choose big pieces in neutral or quiet colors, so they survive a change of style.
- Size the rug to the furniture: in a living room the front legs of the seating sit on it.
- Pick furniture with storage in small rooms: a bed with drawers, an ottoman with a lid.
Anchor tall furniture. The CPSC's Anchor It campaign advises anchoring all furniture with drawers, doors and shelves to the wall to prevent tip-overs. Anchors need small holes, so in a rental ask the landlord first. Bedroom furniture choices are on our small apartment bedroom ideas page.
Step 4: Layer the light
Light each room from more than one height: a floor lamp, a table lamp and one accent light. A single ceiling fixture lights a room flat, and lamps at different heights give it depth in the evening.
Lamps by every seat
No traceA table or floor lamp beside each place you sit or read.
Warm-white bulbs
No traceSwap cool bulbs for warm ones and store the originals for move-out.
Corded sconces or LED strips
Comes off with careAdd light at wall height without touching the wiring.
More rental-safe light, window and floor ideas are on our renter-friendly decor ideas hub.
Step 5: Add textiles in one color story
Add curtains, pillows, throws and bedding in two or three colors pulled from the big pieces. Textiles are where color comes into a rental, because they change without the landlord's approval.
- Curtains: floor-length panels on the existing rod make a window look taller.
- Pillows: repeat one color from the rug in at least two pillows.
- Throws and bedding: add texture, such as knit, linen or velvet, more than new color.
Step 6: Dress the walls
Dress the walls once the furniture is in its final place, so art lines up with the piece below it. Hanging art first means re-hanging it when the sofa moves.
- Start with the wall you see from the front door, then the walls behind the sofa and the bed.
- Group small frames into one shape that spans most of the furniture beneath.
- In a rental, lean art or use adhesive strips under their weight rating before you reach for a nail.
The step-by-step method is in our renter-friendly wall decor guide. For color on the walls themselves, start with our small bedroom paint colors, and get written permission before you paint a rental.
Step 7: Finish with plants, books and personal pieces
Finish with plants, books and objects that mean something to you, grouped in threes. These details make the apartment yours, and they are the cheapest step to change later.
- Plants: one large plant fills a corner; small ones group on a sill or shelf.
- Books and objects: stack books horizontally as a base for a small object.
- Personal pieces: travel finds, family photos and handmade things, a few at a time.
Once the room is finished, a small seasonal layer keeps it fresh through the year. See seasonal apartment decor.
Common apartment decorating mistakes
Each common decorating mistake comes from skipping or rushing one of the seven steps. The table pairs each mistake with the step that prevents it.
| Mistake | What it causes | The step that fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Buying before measuring | Furniture that blocks doors or will not fit through them | Step 1: Measure |
| Pushing every piece against the walls | A gap in the middle and seats too far apart to talk | Step 2: Plan the layout |
| A rug that is too small | Furniture that floats and a room that looks smaller | Step 3: Big pieces |
| One ceiling light only | Flat light and dark corners at night | Step 4: Layer the light |
| Too many colors | A room that looks busy rather than planned | Step 5: Textiles |
| Small art on a big wall | Frames that look lost | Step 6: Walls |
Questions people ask
What should I buy first when decorating an apartment?
Buy the bed and the sofa first, then the main rug and a dining table if you have room for one. Everything smaller takes its color and scale from those pieces.
How do I decorate an apartment on a budget?
Decorate on a budget by spending on the pieces you use every day, such as the bed and the sofa, and saving on decor. Pillow covers, secondhand frames and plants change a room for little money.
How do I make a rental feel like home without painting?
Make a rental feel like home with textiles, lamps, a large rug and art, all of which leave with you. Together they change a room more than one painted wall does.
Can I plan my apartment layout online for free?
You can test furniture arrangements for free in our 3D styler, which runs in the browser with no sign-up. Its living, bedroom and kitchen rooms are preset, so measure your own rooms separately for exact fit.
Keep reading
Apartment Living Room Ideas
Where to start, focal points, light and textiles for an apartment living room.
Small Apartment Bedroom Ideas
Bed placement, storage, light and color ideas for a small apartment bedroom.
Studio Apartment Ideas: Zone, Plan and Decorate One Room
Zone one room for sleeping, cooking and living, then plan and decorate it in the right order.
Renter-Friendly Decor Ideas
Decor for walls, light, windows and floors, sorted by how easily it comes off.