If you are living in a rental apartment, sometimes you need a change. There are a few tips and tricks to transform your apartment. In the following article, we will give a few ideas to help you transform your apartment into the dream cozy spot that you always wanted.

First up we will be going over a few tips on how to make the most of your space.

 1. Make space feel bigger with a mirror

You might have heard from your mom, or maybe even a good friend, that using a mirror is a great way to increase space. When you are setting up your mirror, make sure that it reflects the most light and it will add dimension to the room. Mirrors can be a bit expensive, so make sure you check second-hand shops before you go to buy one from a retail store.

2. Room Dividers

If you are living in a studio type apartment, and you want to create a separate space for whatever you want. A room divider is a great idea. It can make it seem as if the two spaces are completely different, without the need to knock down a wall and build another one. Which is frowned upon by most landlords. There are a few cheap ways to make it yourself. You can hang a curtain down or use recycled materials.

Next up on our list of tips on how to transform your apartment is to maximize storage.

If you have lived in Japan for a while, you most likely would have noticed that if you are renting a small apartment, or even a bigger apartment, that having space to stow your goods and items can be a bit of a challenge. The best way to deal with this problem is to get the most out of the space that you already have.

3. Get the Most Out of Space Under the Sink

One of the biggest problems that people have faced is with bathroom storage, and even sometimes kitchen storage. It’s not really the lack of space, but more often the wide space that is underneath the sink. It’s great if you want to store stuff, but organization of those spaces can be a bit tricky.

A good way to overcome this issue is to create your own drawers or buy some from a retail shop. Stackable plastic drawers allow for the most customization of the space. If you do go this route, you get to choose how many you want, and how many will fit.  

4. Use a Trunk or a Storage Ottoman as a Table

If you are really short on space, finding the best ways to utilize the space that you have is key. A good idea is to use furniture as a two in one. A great example of this is to use a trunk or a storage ottoman as a coffee table. Same thing with using boxes of things perhaps for a TV stand or incorporating storage containers as parts of the decor.

5. Using Magnets

If you are living in an apartment in Japan, you most likely have a metal door and even metal walls in the shower and bath space. You most certainly have a fridge, so with the use of magnets you can utilize a lot of space. For example, if you have a metal door, you can stick your bills and other things on the door. For the shower, you can get magnetic holders to place your toothbrush and other hygiene products.

For the fridge, you can use it to store pretty much anything, you can put spices in magnetic jars. Or if you can’t find anything like that you can also make your own containers by using baskets that you got from the 100 yen shops, by gluing magnets on them you can create little magnetic holders. Another idea, is that you can use hooks to hang potholders and oven mitts, and other kitchen utensils.

6. Floating Shelves

If your landlord will allow you to hang things on your walls, wall shelves can be a great help for fixing storage problems. You can also make them part of decor by using them to show off photos or art of a certain style that you are going for.  

Speaking of style and decor, the next group on our list of ways to transform your apartment is always a fun one, accessorize.

If you are renting a location, the best thing to focus on is decor that can move with you. You don’t want to invest in a bunch of things that need to stay with the apartment after you move.

7. Frame Your Bathroom Mirror

Most of the time, rental bathrooms come with an unframed mirror. You can spice up your bathroom by adding a frame to it. If money isn’t a problem you can buy custom mirror frames that you can remove online.

If you are hoping to save some money, the best way to do it yourself is finding some molding at a hardware store, measure your mirror then cut the molding for it. You can paint this frame any color you want and attach it with Velcro strips. If you want to make sure you can remove it when you move out, instead of using glue you can use something called command strips.

8. Use Nature

If you want to feel more at home in your rental location, using a few plants will always do the trick. You can add all sorts of plants to change the feeling of a room. You can add a potted tree or a small pot of flowers on the window still. The best thing to do is to go out and find some plants that you like, bring them home and set them up how you like. Just don’t forget to water them! 

9. Pillows

Pillows are one of the best ways to make your place look great. They can take any room and make it seem more alive, and add more style through color, design and choice of fabric. You can also change them with the season if you so wish.

You can find them for cheap online, or if you want to see what they look like in person you can always go to a store and check them out. Although, they may cost a bit more from the store and be around ¥2000 – ¥5000. If you, or anyone you know can sew, you can always go that route as well.

10. Blankets

Whether you are using a throw blanket or one in your bedroom, blankets are a great item to add to any room. They are great as decorations, give the room a homey feeling and they can help protect, or even hide, furniture that has seen better days. If you are going to be using it for the bedroom, they can make the room feel as if you are royalty, if that’s what you are aiming for. 

Next up on our list, is to hide the ugly stuff.

No one likes eyesores, but if you follow these tips, you can transform the eyesores into hidden gems.

11. Use Printable Wallpaper

If your landlord doesn’t want you to paint the walls, no need to worry. There is a way to fix this problem, you can use printable wallpaper. It is a peel and stick paper, that you can paint, and when it’s time to move, rest easy, it can be removed without leaving any paint.

You can also use it to hide an ugly fridge, if you happen to have an older fridge in your apartment and do not like the looks of it, you can use the printable wallpaper to add some color to it. You can also use color duct tape if you are creatively inclined.

And that is it for our list of ways to transform your rental apartment, as you can see there are many tricks you can use. If you are feeling as if you need some extra help on what to do, you can always look at youtube for guides on how to do some of the more complicated things listed in this article. We hope that you have fun and enjoy the transformation of your apartment. Have a great day, and feel free to check back if you get lost!