When my partner and I decided to buy our first home, we weren’t exactly sure what we wanted. An apartment in the city was out of our price range, so we ended up buying a condo in a not-so-great neighborhood. It was nothing like the beautiful homes on HGTV that my partner came home and insisted on watching every single night. But what it lacked in charm, it made up for by being cheap. And just like all those shows claim, with a little know-how and elbow grease, we were able to Turned A Condo Into A Home that felt warm and welcoming. Here are some of the things I learned about turning an unloved space into something you’ll want to spend time in:
Embrace the condo lifestyle.
Condos are a great way to live in a city—they give you access to urban amenities, like public transportation, without all the noise and chaos of apartment living. They can also help you save money on housing costs. You should know that condo living isn’t for everyone: if you’re someone who needs more space than an average apartment offers or who likes having your own yard, then condos probably aren’t right for you (although maybe an attached townhome might do). But if you’re looking for an affordable place with easy access to public transportation and plenty of things going on around it at all hours of the day, then condos may be exactly what you need!
Treat your space like it’s a luxury hotel.
When you’re away from home, it’s easy to feel like everything is taken care of for you. You don’t have to cook or clean, and the bedding is always nice and fresh. So why not get into this mindset in your own space? Using luxury linens, pillows and blankets will make any room feel more like a hotel suite. A hotel room service tray (or even just a tablecloth) will give your bedside table an elegant touch that makes it seem like you’re living out of a 5-star suite. A lamp with a curved neck mimics those found in many hotels—and can be styled however you want! If you want to go all out with this idea, order some hotel room service menus from Amazon and use them as wall decor or place cards on your dining table! Don’t forget about amenities! Bath bombs, bubble baths or candles are great ways to make sure every inch of your home feels clean and comfortable just like staying at an actual hotel would be.
Prioritize and Accept Dumb Rules.
This is not to say that you should just accept all the rules and give up on your vision. There are some that can be negotiated, and others that might just require a little creativity in order to get around them.
One of our first challenges was finding a way to display all of the art we wanted while respecting condo regulations. Some pieces were too big for the wall space, so we decided on using floor-to-ceiling shelves along one wall. This means that every piece of art needs to be framed very tightly—you don’t want anything falling off! But it also means there’s plenty of room for everything else: decorative objects, bookshelves full of novels and magazines…even more art!
Go dark and cozy with your walls.
One of the first things we did was to put our walls in a dark color palette. We used a deep brown as the main wall color, with a lighter tone for other accents. This gave our condo a “homey” feel, which was exactly what we were going for!
The next step is choosing furniture that will work well in this space. If you’re going to have an accent wall, it’s best to stick with darker colors and keep them neutral so they don’t compete with your darker walls.
Make the Most of Your Space.
We’re going, to be honest with you: One of the biggest challenges we faced was making a small space feel like a home. We had plenty of options, including knocking down walls and replacing windows. But because our condo was so small (only 900 square feet), we knew that if we made too many changes, it would end up feeling even smaller than it already was. That’s when we decided to focus on maximizing every inch of our space and making the most out of what we had.
We used mirrors everywhere—on the walls and above doors—to make the room look bigger than it was; used lighting strategically to create shadows in empty areas; placed furniture against corners for extra visual interest (this also helped fill up dead zones); added some artful elements such as plants or decorative pieces (see below); chose lighter fabrics for curtains and furniture covers so they didn’t overpower their surroundings; kept floors clear so there wasn’t anything blocking sight lines; painted walls neutral colors such as white or grey instead of bold colors that might draw attention away from other elements in the room; dressed windows with plantation shutters instead of curtains or blinds because they were more interesting than traditional window treatments while still allowing light into rooms during daytime hours – these were just a few ways we were able to maximize every inch
Use Soft Scale Furnishings.
When you’re decorating a small space, it’s important to choose pieces that are in scale with the room. This will help keep your space feeling spacious while also creating an overall cohesive look. If you use large-scale furniture and accessories (think sofas, tables, and chairs), your small space will feel even smaller than it actually is. Conversely, if you opt for smaller items such as lamps and vases, they can throw off the balance of an otherwise well-designed room by making it seem too empty. The solution? Find middle ground with soft scale furnishings like sofas that are just big enough to be comfortable yet small enough not to overpower their surroundings.
Bring Your Style Together with a Rug or Area Rug.
A rug or area rug can help you to bring your style together. It will provide a sense of coziness and warmth, as well as bring color into the space. They also serve as a great way to define a space and give it an overall feeling of comfort.
They’re also a great way to add some personality through pattern and design, which makes them a popular choice among homeowners who want to make their home feel like theirs!
Here are some different ways that rugs will add character:
Make your condo feel like home
To make your home feel like a home, find ways to incorporate the things that make you happiest. Find art that reminds you of your favorite memories and hang it on the walls or display it in a way that makes it feel like part of the room. Add plants, throw pillows, rugs and other elements that will add comfort to your living space.
The key is to bring in elements from other spaces in your life—the colors and textures from your favorite restaurant or park could be incorporated into a painting or rug, for instance. A piece of furniture from one apartment can be reworked into another one (I’ve done this with an old dresser by changing its finish). You get the idea—find what works best for you!
Conclusion
With the right approach, you can make your condo feel just as cozy and inviting as any other home. Our small space is warm and welcoming, thanks to the decorating tricks we’ve described above. If you’re looking for more ideas on how to make your condo into a welcoming home, check out our recent blog post on how to design condos that are great for hosting guests!
