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New Wall Decorating Ideas for Apartment Dwellers Ideas

Wall decorating ideas can seem a bit slim for those who can’t put paint on the walls or hang heavy art pieces. Renters are constantly confronted with a number restrictions when it comes to wall decorating ideas, to save landlords from additional upkeep and liability. Most apartments allow for small nail and screw holes, so long as they’re patched up before move out. But no paint, no gaping holes, and certainly no wallpaper.
What can you do to transform a space when you move in that doesn’t require major transformation once you move out?

Image: Cloud Studios

Removable wallpaper

When most people think of wallpaper, the first word that may come to mind is “permanence”. Not a great move if you’re renting. Removable wallpaper, however, swoops in to save the day for renters, and maybe homeowners with commitment issues. Gone is the terror of peeling off tiny bits of thin, dried paper. This modern decor tool goes easy-on, easy-off in countless modern prints and patterns. Your landlord will be none the wiser.

Image: Nanette Wong

Hang a tapestry

Tapestries aren’t just for bohemian interiors anymore. While there are plenty to be found with intricate medallion designs, there are also countless choices to fit any decor style. Geometric patterns or abstract prints compliment contemporary style, while printed outdoor images, quotes, and minimalist designs bode well with more modern settings.

Image: hooray blog

String a curtain

If a tapestry just doesn’t fit your style, a curtain might do the trick. A simple, solid drapery softens the room without adding too much fuss. The mounts won’t do much damage and, in a pinch, tensions rods would do the trick. We personally love this look behind a bed.

Create a (shelved) gallery wall

Want the trendy gallery wall look, without the mess of drilling a dozen holes in the wall? Consider using floating shelves instead. Sure, you’re still putting a few holes in the wall to install the shelves, but you’re also able to change up your selection at any time without new holes. Look for floating shelves with a small outer lip to stop slippage. Otherwise, use some wall putty to hold the frames in place.

Image: nynne rosenvinge

Frame a statement piece

A large piece of art doesn’t have to weigh you, or your walls, down. Hanging a poster or large photo has to do entirely with what it’s framed in. Find a lightweight poster frame, or alternative method — like these wooden bars, which leave the poster intact and give any artwork a clean, crisp look.

Image: bloglovin’

Add a mirror

You’ll need a mirror anyway, right? Go big with a framed floor mirror, which can be found relatively inexpensively. Not only will it take up a considerable amount of your wall space with zero holes, but it will also help reflect and create light throughout your apartment. Again, wall putty is your friend here.

DIY copper shelves wall decorating ideas

Image: homeedit

Go green

A little green can go a long way. Dress up your walls with some of your favorite houseplants, whether by hanging a pot from a ceiling hook or placing a plant stand in front of your bare walls. The open shelving from your gallery wall also gets a lively upgrade with a plant, as shown above.

Image: change and co.

Stick on a decal

Wall decal stickers are widely available online and offer something for everyone. Whether it’s adding a shape like stripes, stars or polka dots, channeling nature with trees and leaves, or writing out your favorite quote, there are an endless number of styles and designs. Think about size and placement. Decals come in sticker or wall-cling materials, both which are a breeze to remove when the time comes.

Image: Z GALLERIE

Flash some Neon

An eye-catching statement piece doesn’t have to be enormous — it just has to be eye-catching. Neon signs are just that. Grab a vintage one of your favorite brand, or find a new one with a fun saying or image that will have everyone talking.

Image: The New Design Project

Be crafty with washi

Heard of washi tape yet? It’s the Japanese version of masking tape. Made from rice paper, it doesn’t leave the residue of the stuff we have stateside. Even more appealing, it comes in a massive variety of colors and patterns. Hanging your pictures, prints and other paper goods with a piece of washi tape for an easy gallery wall, or create your own geometric mural with it.

metal wall organizer wall decorating ideas

Image: Urban Outfitters

Get organized

Use your spare wall space to get organized. From cork boards to calendars, get your style on while staying on schedule.

Image: Lake Jane

Map it out

Maps aren’t going out of style anytime soon, and we say the bigger the better. A vintage style adds class to your space, while more classic styles can accommodate any decor style. Hang it like you would large art, and you’ll be seeing the world from the comfort of your couch. Bonus points if you flag the places you’ve traveled.

Image: Tessa Neustadt

Carnet Casa’s rustic home design in Crema, Italy has elegant touches from floor to ceiling, including a series of beautifully textured walls with a nod to old world charm. The rough walls in the living and kitchen spaces have the same warm, slightly romantic look as the exposed wood in the ceiling.
These artfully unfinished elements of the main space are balanced out by high-quality flooring and furniture pieces with a much more polished look. Parquet floors and a leather tufted couch add a posh feel to the space. Similarly, dark green tiles meeting the base of the home’s stairwell and running into one of its bathrooms create a refined and color-rich space.

Each of the three bathrooms pictured has been done in stunning wallpaper that resembles faded antique linens up close. Refined fixtures continue to balance the rustic style of the wallpaper, including a mix of stones used to make individually styled modern sinks. [Photography by Michele Notarangelo and Andrea Rinaldi and information courtesy of Carnet Casa]

Black Dramatic Home Exteriors Proving Ideas

A black exterior is a striking choice for any home style. It’s authoritative, bold, and a bit haunting. It’s impossible not to make a statement with a black exterior. It amplifies modern architecture, making hard lines and angles even sharper. It also breathes new life to aged and dated homes, removing bland and murky hues for a timeless color choice.

Undeniably stylish and a bit sinister, here are a few things to remember when considering a dark facade:

A black exterior accentuates

We generally think that multiple colors and hues detail exteriors best. However, intricate details in Victorian and Craftsman homes actually get accentuated with a coat of black. This is a result of sunlight hitting different parts of the grooves and carvings on the home and highlighting the intricate details.

But, accentuates everything

The artisan details of your home’s exterior become more apparent with black paint, but so do its flaws. Cracks, chips, blemishes all become a bit more apparent when dressed in dark, so don’t expect it to smooth out imperfections the way a LBD does.

It stays hot

Not just in style, but in temperature. Like it does with clothing and cars, dark exteriors draw in and trap the heat. Great if you live in a colder region of the world, but worth considering a bit more if you live in the middle of the desert. But if heat is a concern for you, don’t forget another important aspect – your roofing material.

Let your worries fade

A major concern of those decking out their homes in dark is the fear of severe fading and required maintenance to keep black looking its blackest. However, fading paint colors falls more on the type of paint you choose more than the color, according to Protect Painters. In fact, colors that are most subject to fading from sun and weather exposure are vibrant reds and yellows.

Pick the right finish

Matte black and high gloss black will give you two very different looks once donned on an entire home. Flat, matte black looks great on older homes, cabins, and detailed architecture. High gloss, on the other hand, suits modern styles and shakes up the look of classic siding.
Below are 20 of our favorite homes that make us feel like the dark side isn’t so bad:

The black finish on this classic Scandinavian home, owned and renovated by photographer Jean Longpre, is actually pine paneling coated in a very dark stain.

GS Architects brought black to this contemporary home in Portland by painting the cedar with a satin finish that accentuates the details of this architectural wonder.

Another shot of this home by GS Architects, showing how the black exterior perfectly pairs with the wood decking and contemporary railings.

This London home got a modern upgrade when it replaced it’s classic brick color palette for a dramatic black exterior. New window casings further the new-meets-old design by shh architecture.

Whiting Architects used black to merge old and new as well, detailing the character of an old barn while providing modern lines and color with black vinyl siding.

Another shot of this renovated Melbourne barn shows how the two styles compliment each other.

R. H. Carter Architects brought down the intensity of black with a washed out gray/blue tone for this classic Scandinavian home. They kept the dull color from looking dated with true black trim and modern globe sconces.

Similarly, Steven Turvil Architects brought black to the sunny southwest with a lighter-pigmented shade wood stain for this minimalist home.

Moderne Builders, on the other hand, did not shy away from the hot sun. They went all black everything on this modern home right outside of LA. And when we say everything, we mean inside too.

This Frank Lloyd Wright home in Chicago looks historic, festive, and dynamic with a dark walnut stain. The accents of green (in both the trim and garland) add to the character of the home, photographed by Cynthia Lynn.

A shiny metal roof bodes well with the matte finish on this angled transitional home in Charlottesville, designed by Carlton Architecture.

With a home that is primarily made up of windows, black trim adds a defining edge to the non-glass spaces and highlights the silhouette of this edgy home in Sydney by Christopher Polly Architects.

Black exterior has been trending in Japan for years, and this home by Sticks + Stones in the mountains has us ready to head for the ski slopes. Not only does it compliment the shape of the asymmetrical home, it also draws the eye to the stunning wood on the inside.

One more of this stunning home by GS Architects, and further proof that black looks incredibly natural in a forest setting.

Black goes to the beach in this Michigan home. Traditional coastal architecture never looked so good, and the balance of white paint and natural landscaping keeps the darkness in check.

A renovated LA cottage looks all grown up with black exterior, balanced by white trim that keeps the focus on the unique windows in this one-story home. Photographed by Stephanie Wiley.

Peter A. Seller created this home in Canada that puts a modern spin on the classic lake home. We love how the stone chimney compliments the matte black exterior.

So modern, so right! This German house by architect Scheumar Baumanufaktur is an outside-the-box modern design that focuses on its surrounds.

Writers Studio by Studio Joseph brings minimalism to the forest. The home’s exterior is made up of cedar with a matte black stain finish.

This Scandinavian home breathes new life with a fresh coat of black, photographed by Charlotte Schmidt Olsen. The white accents make it pop, especially on the porch ceiling.

EM Architecture recently completed the renovation and design of Maison Mentana. The building was constructed in the 1900’s as a four-plex, then later converted into a duplex before becoming a single-family home last year. The extent of the renovations to this structure has left it unrecognizable from its original state. All of the interior walls were removed, including a back wall that leads to a large patio space in the backyard.

Inside, the absence of walls creates an open floor plan that amplifies the stark beauty of this minimalist space. The light flows freely in from the oversized windows and doors on either end of the home. However, the largest source of light comes from a massive skylight that casts sunlight into the lower level. It spans the width of the home at 45 feet and is six feet long. The two-story gap also serves as a division between upstairs bedrooms, accessible via catwalk.

The free-flowing atmosphere of Maison Mentana can be attributed to the soft wood paneling that lines the floor and a section of the ceiling which travels up through the skylight. Wood is then accented in smaller doses elsewhere in the home, complementing a bright white color scheme.

What do you think of this minimalist makeover? Let us know in the comment section below or on social media! [Photography and information courtesy of Adrien Williams and Architizer]