After living in tiny apartments for over a decade, I know all too well what a pain apartment decorating can be – especially as a renter. What I loved about apartments is that they were small enough to make changes quickly and easily. What I loved less was ironically the lack of space, along with being limited by my rental contract. Now, I live in a small cottage that is not too much bigger than my last apartment. Decorating began to get a lot more fun when I relaxed a bit and begun to use what I had available.

In my time as an apartment-dweller, I certainly made a few mistakes. A big part of the process was learning to find my own style. It also came down to avoiding some of the bigger mistakes that make apartment decorating a pain.

Apartment Decorating Mistakes to Avoid

Decorating small spaces can be a bit of a challenge, especially for those who don’t have much space. Whether you are renting or owning, here are a few apartment decorating mistakes to avoid.

Clutter and clashes.

Quirky mismatched decor is always great. Colours and patterns can easily be mixed and matched. The thing about being too busy in a small space is that the space can seem a lot smaller when there are many different colours, patterns, textures, and things all in one single small apartment. Rather than trying to look like a second hand furniture store display, aim to limit your mix and matching to a few signature pieces that you want to highlight. You could layer rugs or get playful with fun cushions or add a single shelf of vintage crockery. Doing all of these things together looks cluttered rather than cool, and makes your space feel more claustrophobic in the process.

Permanent changes.

As much as you may long to change your walls, be careful with any permanent change. Even if you own your apartment, bold walls can be great for a while, only to get too much after a year or less. Likewise, wallpaper that cannot be easily removed may also end up becoming overpowering in time. You can change up your walls without doing an entire renovation. Look for temporary wallpaper, large-scale artwork from junk shops or markets, interesting wall hangings, gallery walls, wall decals, and other similar features that do not require paint or heavy treatments to add or remove.

Style vs practicality.

That does not mean that you have to sacrifice style completely. Rather, it means not focusing so much on style that your apartment ends up looking like a concept art exhibit rather than a home. Apartments are still homes, even if they are small and not free-standing. Following trends blindly without taking things like comfort, use, cleaning, and practicality into mind will end up making your space feel nothing like home. Consider styles but most of all, remember that you need to live in this apartment.

Looking for more ideas on how to create an inviting home? Follow Floss & Fable on Pinterest to see what home and apartment decorating ideas I’ve been pinning lately.