Do you find yourself scrolling through Pinterest and fantasizing about your dream apartment, because I sure do. Deriving inspiration from the most exceptionally glamorous and over-the-top apartments NYC and LA have to offer can cause budding decorators to feel discouraged and...poor. There's no secret sauce when it comes to curating a Pinterest-worthy apartment, but here are 7 tested and proven renter-friendly tricks that will make your space come to life!

Consider Feng Shui When Creating Your Apartment Layout

www.greystar.com

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese philosophy that considers balance and harmony in the way that interact with our environment - it supposes that our space is a reflection of our mind. The four most important tenants of Feng Shui to consider are: to reduce clutter, have a clear path in high traffic areas, place chairs, sofas, and beds in a commanding position - that is facing toward a door, and to carefully consider the use of color. Feng Shui ensures your apartment will feel harmonious and balanced and creates a relaxing environment to call home.

Create an Accent Wall with Peel and Stick Wallpaper to Make Your Room Pop

www.wallmur.com

Peel and stick wallpaper is a renter's dream! It's cheap, easy to install and remove, and allows you to anchor a room while bringing personality and color to your home. Both Walls Need Love and Target are great places to find the perfect wallpaper to bring your space to life! Consider cute food-related prints for the kitchen, fun patterned prints for the living room, and calming natural prints for the bedroom.

Incorporate Multi-Use Furniture to Avoid Clutter

www.westelm.com

Consider multi-use furniture like an ottoman with storage, a lift-top coffee table, or a pull-out couch to save space and money. Having extra storage to minimize clutter not only ensures that your home is harmonious and functional but also makes it easy to keep-clean.

Try Layering Rugs

www.domino.com

Layering rugs on top of wood, LVT, or carpet (that should have been replaced years ago -ah, the glamorous life of a renter) is a great way to anchor a space, create dimension, and mix texture in creative and innovative ways. Layering rugs also makes thrifting easier - stained rug? No problem! Layer it with a faux cow hide or small woven rug to hide the stain and make it look intentional. World Market is a great place to find accent rugs that are perfect for layering.

Give Your Home Character with Removable Tile in The Kitchen and Bathroom

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Peel and stick tiles are a really easy and renter-friendly way to update your kitchen backsplash or bathroom floor. FloorPops on Amazon has pattern tiles, subway tiles, and faux marble tiles that are perfect for kitchens and bathrooms. Installation is simple, requires few tools, and very little effort but makes a BIG impact!

Get that "Wow" Factor with Eye-Catching Statement Light Fixtures

www.mooielight.com

Statement light fixture add character to a room while drawing the eye up and making the room appear larger. You may need help with installation if the light you choose requires any re-wiring but installation is often as simple as unscrewing the bulb and changing out the pendant. Target, World Market, and IKEA have some great pendant lights for $100 or less.

Accent Your Space with Lots of Green...Without Spending Lots of Green

www.younghouselove.com

Adding greenery brings your space to life! Faux plants are a great way to incorporate life-like greenery into your apartment without the up-keep, bug-potential, pet hazard, and shedding of a real plant. Or, if you are committed to authenticity, low maintenance indoor plants like Snake Plant and Pothos are perfect for apartment living. World Market has an excellent faux plant selection, while IKEA and The Sill offer real plants for under $40.

I hope that my list of top 7 renter-friendly ways to make your apartment Pinterest-worthy on a budget inspires you to get creative, think outside the box, not shy away from colors and patterns, thrift your heart out, and bring your apartment to life. I derive a lot of DIY inspiration from watching Lone Fox and Mr. Kate on Youtube - Check it out and get inspired!