Adding Color to White-Walled Rooms

       
                               

 There have been a couple of times during apartment living in which I've painted the walls (with permission from the complex). In college, I shared an apartment with two other girls and it was so fun painting the rooms colors we agreed upon for the main rooms and then our personal preferences for our bedrooms. At that time, I did a stripe pattern in my bedroom. I had light blue on the top, white in the middle and then brown at the bottom of the wall. My bedding was brown and the entire scheme livened up my small space. Later, I had an apartment of my own. Having the rooms painted helped the space to be comfortable and warm while it was just I that I lived there. Of course, in both situations the fun came to an end when faced with repainting. We did have a good time with friends who joined in the repainting effort though! I enjoyed the colored walls at the time, but I probably wouldn't do it again. Painting walls can be expensive and requires a lot of work! Instead, I've opted for adding color to my space through textiles.

  

     

                                                               

       Textiles such as pillows, curtains, tablecloths and/or napkins, and bedding all serve an important role in setting the tone of a room. One simple change in the material used in any of these decorations instantly transforms a room. They add personality and character to your space that brings you comfort and gives your guests a better idea of who you are. As previously mentioned, one goal in decorating an apartment space is to diminish the innate temporary feeling of the unit to create a more permanent feel. Utilizing fabrics convey the idea that you've embraced the apartment space as your own. It's your home and you've worked to create it to be just that in environment.

       Including these elements in your décor does not have to be overly expensive. In fact, if you're starting out in marriage and establishing your home environment then the décor budget may be tight. You may even need to work around pieces that were given to you. It isn't entirely necessary to purchase every item at one time. There are a couple of considerations when it comes to adding décor elements to an apartment. Unless you're planning on staying in one unit for years it's wise to take under consideration the flexibility of your selected pieces. For example, It would be quite the disappointment to invest heavily for curtains and rods, and then the next place have a different number of windows. Or, even worse is that the curtains and rods you previously invested in are no longer available to purchase, resulting in unmatched sets in the same room. One solution is to take a do-it-yourself approach. If you are unable to create the item yourself, then there are many sellers on sites like Etsy that can do it. Since they're making it they will likely be able to recreate it later if you need additional pieces. 

A few ideas:

Visit House of Hepworths for this tutorial

Visit Under the Table and Dreaming by Stephanie Lynn for this tutorial.  

    

    

               These pillow covers are available in the Reviving Homemaking Etsy shop

For many more ideas for decorating and organizing your small space, browse my Home Sweet Apartment Board on Pinterest. 

Read Other Posts in the Home Sweet Apartment Series:
*Homemaking While Apartment Living: Part 1, Part 2
*Concepts For Small Space Living
*Floral Wreath Tutorial

*Managing a Small Kitchen


Linked up at: Time-Warp Wife, Growing Home, Thankful Homemaker, Cornerstone Confession, A Mama's Story, The Alabaster Jar, Homestead Revival, The Better Mom, What Joy is Mine, The Modest Mom, Covered in Grace, Raising Arrows, Like A Mustard Seed
 

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