Want to spice up your apartment on a budget? We’ve put together a few tips on decorating and elevating your space while sticking to your budget!

Invest in Neutrals
When it comes to furniture, if you do need to purchase large pieces, it’s best to invest in neutral coloured furniture like a couch and bed frame made of solid materials, so it will be a lot easier to update the look and feel of your space by simply swapping out the smaller items.
 

Photo of Lincoln Park Tower Apartments

 

Shop Your Own Home
Sometimes a piece that no longer works in your living room will look much better in your bedroom! When redecorating, make the most of the items that you already own. Try swapping your art pieces or photos from room to room, and relocate other items like throw pillows and lamps, to switch up your space without spending a dime.
 

Photo of The Richlin Apartments

 

Create an Atmosphere
In the home, atmosphere is everything. Candles are an affordable way to add a warm and fuzzy feeling to your space, providing a source of dreamy light and coziness. Another way to make any apartment feel more welcoming is to introduce greenery. Whether it’s a bouquet of fresh flowers or a houseplant, this is a budget-friendly way to create a relaxing and warm atmosphere.
 

Photo of Brittany Drive Apartments

 

Re-Organize Your Space
It may sound obvious, but re-organizing is a fantastic way to make your apartment feel fresh and new – and makes you feel good, too! Begin by focusing on one space at a time and removing all the clutter. Additionally, if you have a bookshelf or two in your space, these are always fun to re-organize since the opportunities to change the placement of small décor items are endless. It’s easy (and free) to switch up the aesthetic aspect of your shelves by colour coordination. Garage sales are also a great budget friendly way to swap out your small décor pieces for new ones.
 

Photo of Eastwood Park Apartments

 

Create a Gallery Wall
Creating a gallery wall is perfect for adding a focal point to your home. Support smaller artists and opt for creative photography or fun graphics from websites like Society6 and Etsy for price points as low as $12, or DIY with your own creative talents and print your own photos. Gallery frames can be found in budget-friendly packages that provide multiple layout options, making the styling potential truly limitless, and poster frames can also be sourced from craft stores as low as $10. Using double-sided wall stickers is a great solution for hanging your art and being able to remove to re-style easily, while avoiding any long-term wall damage.
 

Photo from Unsplash

 

Switch Up Soft Furnishings
Whether in the bedroom, living space, or any other cozy nook, switching up the softer furnishings is another budget friendly way that has the power to transform an entire space. The more neutral your larger furniture pieces are, the more options you have for decorating with small items. A few brightly-coloured cushions or an updated duvet cover can refresh an entire room.
 

Photo of Riverton Park Apartments

 

All it takes is a little vision, and some creativity to create an atmosphere you’ll never want to leave. We hope this blog has left you feeling inspired to switch up your apartment décor and spice up your space this spring!

Spring cleaning on your mind? Our previous blog article includes some pro tips for cleaning and organization. Take a look here!

The post How to Spice Up Your Apartment on a Budget appeared first on Osgoode Properties Blog.

The Entryway

Returning home to a clean and organized entryway is always satisfying for you, but it also leaves your guests with a great first impression of your space.

First things first – remember to clean the doormat! We suggest investing in two doormats, one on the inside of your home and one on the outside to maximize the amount of trapped dirt. To refresh, start with vacuuming mats on both sides, give them a good soak in your bathtub and air-dry. For lighter indoor mats, after a good vacuum and pretreating any stains, you can use the washer and then air-dry.

Not everyone has the advantage of a full mudroom. Shoes collecting at the door, especially while living in a smaller space, can be both a hazard and a pain! It’s always worth DIYing or purchasing a good quality shoe rack to ensure that your entryway stays as clear as possible through the year.
 

Image of Lincoln Park Tower Apartments
 

The Living Room

Otherwise known as the hub of the home, the living room is a space that is certainly well-used. As the place where you relax after a long day, your living room should prioritize comfort, which is why ensuring that it gets a deep clean for the new season is so necessary.

It’s no secret that cleaning your living room seating is essential when it comes to spring cleaning. This includes couch cushions, chairs, ottomans, and anything else that gets sat on. Vacuuming your furniture is always a satisfying task, especially if you’re a pet owner! Just make sure to pull your furniture away from any walls before getting started, to ensure you are trapping as much dirt and dust as you possibly can.
 

Image of Brittany Drive Apartments
 

The Bathroom

The bathroom is usually the most dreaded area of the home to clean, however its importance is undeniable. Just like how you tackle your overall spring-cleaning process one room at a time, in the bathroom it’s a good idea to take it one section at a time.

Drawers can be pain to keep organized and clean if you are someone who owns a lot of products! Because these hidden spaces are rarely seen by anyone, it’s easy to see why they don’t get refreshed as often. We encourage you to get started by tossing everything that is empty, expired or no longer needed, before going to a dollar store or hitting Amazon to invest in plastic drawer organizers. These can be a real-life saver to staying organized and keeping drawers clean going forward.

Keeping your drains in the bathroom smelling and looking fresh is a small task that will make a big difference. Help keep them free flowing by mixing a ½ cup of baking soda with a ¼ cup of table salt and pouring that mixture down each drain, followed by 1 cup of heated vinegar! Let this stand for 15-20 minutes, and then run the water for a few seconds. This tip is especially useful if you have a second bathroom that doesn’t get used as often!
 

Image of Eastwood Park Apartments
 

The Bedroom

Your bedroom should be a place of serenity and relaxation – and it deserves to be freshened up as often as possible!

It’s time to wash those comforters, mattress protector and clean those pillows – a task that realistically should be done around 2-3 times a year. If you make sure to check the manufacturer’s label before tossing into the washing machine, this should be an easy task.

While you’re washing those items, this is a great time to clean your mattress. Kill dust mites in your mattress by pressing firmly using the upholstery tool on your vacuum and cleaning the top and sides. After vacuuming, a pro tip is to sanitize the mattress with a disinfectant spray or to use an iron to kill dust mites closer to the surface.
 

Image of Le Faubourg De L’île Apartments
 

The Kitchen

A lot happens in your kitchen every day, month, and year! Junk drawers are formed, the oven is frequently used, and kitchen cabinets get painted with fingerprints. As the last space we’re including in this post, it’s another one that is certainly worth dedicating a day to organizing.

Cleaning your oven is an essential to a good kitchen deep clean. If your appliance doesn’t feature a self-cleaning option, place a hot, wet cloth on top of any burned spots to help soften any gunk. Afterwards, scrub with a mixture of baking powder and a heavy-duty cleaning pad before rinsing and wiping dry to make your oven look as good as new!

In addition to wiping down your fridge’s interior shelving on a regular basis, remember to also give the removable bins and shelves some love. Wash as you would your dishes with warm, soapy water to remove any food bacteria and spillage. Toss any expired food items is also a must!

Image of Riverton Park Apartments
 

Lesser practiced (and just as needed) is to wipe down all the walls and doors in your home! These areas are rarely cleaned and tend to collect greasy fingerprints, dust, and stains throughout the year. It’s as easy as using a damp microfiber cloth and working your way down from the top to bottom – your walls and doors are sure to look as good as new! For bonus points, use a bacterial-killing spray on all your doorknobs.

After reading this article, we hope we reminded you of some of the essentials for your seasonal cleaning list. We wish you all the best in your spring cleaning ventures, and hope you have a very productive and satisfying deep clean!

For tips on keeping your space decluttered through the entire year, we recommend looking at our ‘New Year, New Space! Refresh Your Home With Our Decluttering Tips’ blog post here.

The post Spring Cleaning With Tips From the Osgoode Pros appeared first on Osgoode Properties Blog.