5 Easy And Inexpensive Ways To Make Your Apartment Feel Like Home

Moving into a new place is exciting, hectic, and daunting all at once. With the endless possibilities we’re faced with when we relocate, it’s normal to get overwhelmed. And before we know it, three months will pass, and we’ll still be coming home to a mattress on the floor and bare walls.

Giving ourselves a home where we can flourish, dwell, and recharge is crucial for our mental and emotional health. At the same time, we’re all well-aware that moving into a new apartment costs a pretty penny. So what’s a girl to do?

Giving ourselves a home where we can flourish, dwell, and recharge is crucial for our health.

Thankfully, creating a homey little corner of the world for ourselves doesn’t have to break the bank, and it’s most definitely something worth investing in. Here are five easy, inexpensive, and delightful ways you can make your apartment into a home:

1. Buy a Rug

Nothing ties a room together like a rug. Rugs immediately add a sense of warmth, comfort, and personal touch, with minimal effort. Countless styles of rugs to choose from means there’s something out there for everyone. This simple addition to your living space will help spark joy every morning when you wake up and get ready to conquer the world, and every night when you come home in need of restful downtime.

2. Dress Up Your Walls

Have your walls reflect the things you love most—whether that be travel, literature, or modern art. Hanging up posters, tapestries (my personal favorite), and picture frames add texture and appeal, and they help define your color palette, giving your apartment a more cohesive feel.

Being surrounded by images of your favorite people, places, and things will bring you peace and inspiration.

Also, being surrounded by images of your favorite people, places, and things will bring peace and inspiration to your hectic and routine-filled life. So shop around for an intricate world map, framed whimsical literary quotes, or a canvas print of a happy memory.

3. Bring Some Life into It

This can mean anything from a puppy to a cactus, depending on your preference, schedule, and track record for keeping things alive. Being the only living thing in your apartment can feel lonely, so it’s essential that we surround ourselves with life, beauty, and energy in order to be healthy individuals. Get some flowers (if you have a green thumb, that is), a little zen fountain, or a furry (or fin-clad) friend to bring life into your home.

4. Get in the Habit of Lighting Candles

Reading by candlelight (honestly, doing anything by candlelight) is one of my favorite pastimes. Their dim, golden glow instantly puts me at ease—and as it turns out, it has been scientifically proven that lighting a candle has health benefits, such as reducing stress and anxiety, and promoting better sleep.

It has been scientifically proven that lighting a candle can reduce stress and anxiety.

Also, there’s nothing more romantic (who says you can’t be romantic just for you?) than the warm blaze of a burning candle. So hunt for your favorite scent, light up, and sit back.

5. Make Good Memories

Ever hear someone say, “Money can’t buy happiness”? Well, it’s true. Everything else on this list can be bought, and though they’ll all provide us happiness in some form, the key to feeling at home in your apartment is to make wonderful memories there.

The key to feeling at home in your apartment is to make wonderful memories there.

So invite your friends over for a movie marathon, share a lovely night in with your significant other and a home-cooked meal, or have your sister come crash on your couch for a fun week of adventure together.

Closing Thoughts

Making our apartment, dorm, or house a place where we can daydream, ponder, and rest well is a necessary part of fulfilling our inherent need for a place to call home. Creating that kind of space is worth doing, and it doesn’t have to cost much. I hope you enjoyed this list—and enjoy your new home!