1. The wonderful world of stickers (and vinyl cling wallpaper!)

Trendy wall decals are all the rage for decorating, from small flowers, stars, and artfully stenciled words to full-wall images of Starry, Starry Night. With minimal prep (clean, flat walls are the best for these kind of stickers) you can dramatically change the look and feel of a room without any special skills, other than the patience to hang strips of sticky paper straight. Do a quick internet search on wall decals and lose yourself in the idea of sleeping next to a serene tropical beach or beneath a tree swaying in the breeze or beside a spray of positive messages!

2. Make a splash with colorful furniture

If you can’t do anything about the walls, what about your furniture? With some brightly colored throw pillows, blankets, and furniture coverings for your couches and chairs, you can make your furniture do the heavy color lifting in the room, serving as a bright distraction from the cool stillness of the walls behind them. Area rugs with bold color and funky patterns can also give some much-needed dimension to a neutral space.

3. Hang a collage of fun and funky art

Pick a theme—any theme—and start hunting for great art to transform one (or more!) of your walls into a celebration of what matters most to you. Whether you find your artistic treasures at thrift stores, flea markets or garage sales, you won’t have to spend an arm and a leg to make a fantastic statement. Most art can be hung with your basic hammer and nails, but if you purchase a particularly heavy item, you may want to invest in a stud finder as well to ensure that your art stays on the wall.

4. Light it up!

Whether your idea of a star-filled night is a curtain of falling strands of fairy lights or a delicate twine of lights strung along the ceiling, there are dozens of artful light options from classic white to multicolor to LED. Just make sure to have sufficient outlets (and extension cords) that make sense for your space, plus an easy one-click option for turning your lights off and on, and you’ll be ready to light up the night.

5. Drape your walls in color

For an easy solution that requires nothing more than a few yards of fabric (or colorful bedding) and tacks or wall staples, consider draping your walls in fabrics. From pretty silks to airy gauze to bright cotton, there are literally thousands of patterns, colors, and textures to choose from. Cloth is an easy-up, easy-down decorating option that can help your rooms stay fresh and fun all year round. Be careful to keep cloth away from any sources of heat, and if you have pets (or small children) this may not be your best decorating option. If it suits you, however, decorating with fabric can be an inexpensive, artful feast for the eyes.

Bottom line, let your imagination flow and cover that creamy canvas in whatever bold color you wish—without cracking open a single can of paint!

The post Decorating ideas for walls you can’t paint appeared first on BRG Apartments Blog.

1. Take advantage of the holidays!

First comes Halloween, then comes Thanksgiving, and both of these holidays mean that stores will be filled with seasonal decorating ideas. From spray-painted pumpkins to glittery witch brooms, look for décor that can make the transition from Halloween to Thanksgiving with just a few changes, so you can get more bang for your decorating dollar. Even a strand of orange fairy lights to decorate a wreath of autumn leaves can be switched out for a strand of white lights to take you easily from October to November!

2. When in doubt, bring the outdoors in

There’s something about fall that makes you really appreciate being outdoors—the crisp scent of pine cones, the sound of crackling leaves underfoot, and the brisk breeze rustling through the trees. Capture that feeling with little signs of nature throughout your home. Whether you get your pinecones, tree branches and fall leaves at the market or in the park, make sure they’re clean and free of any debris or bugs, then bring them inside to create your autumn oasis!

3. Candles, candles, everywhere (but be safe!)

Nothing says fall as much as the bright, cheery light of a candle, and today’s “flame-free” battery-operated candles mean you can light up the night while being safe as well. Consider flickering flame votives that are scented with cinnamon, spice and pumpkin to add more power to your candle punch. Even if you don’t want to light scented natural candles, many of them can add fragrance to a room without being lit, or you can use scented diffuser sticks dipped in oil to set the mood.

4. Throws and pillows and blankets and more pillows…

Autumn is the quintessential time of cuddling up, so it’s the perfect opportunity to drape comfy blankets on your couches, chairs and at the edge of your bed. Mix and match colors to create a bohemian vibe, or stick to variations on a simple palette for cool, classy comfort. Your choices are endless!

5. Pumpkins and fall flowers

Whether you prefer your gourds large or small, spray painted with bright colors, bedazzled, or soft and monochromatic, pumpkins are the official decorating mascot of fall. Pair small pumpkins with a spray of fall flowers for a fantastic centerpiece, trail them whimsically along a shelf or across a kitchen counter, or set them up in small collections in each of your rooms to keep the spirit of fall alive throughout the next few months.

6. Make a wreath!

Don’t wait for Christmas to put a wreath on your door! Fall wreaths can make you smile every time you return home. Whether you use natural ingredients or great finds from the craft store, create a fall masterpiece with berries, leaves, woven grape vines, mini pumpkins and more. Here’s to a happy fall for you and your apartment!

The post Decorating your apartment for fall appeared first on BRG Apartments Blog.

For many parts of the country, it’s taken a little longer for spring to decide it’s here to stay. Now that flowers and trees are finally blooming, the days are staying warmer longer, and everything is fresh and new outside…it’s time for you to bring some of that great energy into your apartment. And not just to pay your respects to the season, either. Studies have shown that the drab, dark colors of winter can dramatically affect your mood once the chilly months have passed, and that adding some pops of color to your environment can truly help energize you.

Stumped on how to begin your spring apartment makeover? Start with these easy ideas!

1. Add some flower power

Whether you have a green thumb or the closest you like to get to nature are wooden tulip cutouts, nothing says spring like brightly blooming flowers. If you’re feeling ambitious, invest in a few live flowering plants to add to your kitchen counter, dining room table or window sills. Otherwise, consider posting pictures of flowers, picking up some inexpensive wall or table décor at a thrift market, or even spray painting gardening equipment like trowels and watering cans with bright colors to create a spring focal point for your living room. Everything counts!

2. Get colorful

Speaking of color, look for ways to easily add fun, fresh, spring-like color to your space without breaking the bank. Get a couple of new, bright throw pillows, switch out that heavy wool blanket over the couch with a light, open-weave afghan, or even paint an accent wall a cheerful bright color if your apartment community allows. Another option is to buy inexpensive plastic picnic-ware in fun colors to add some zip to your daily meals. Let your imagination wander to see how you can brighten every room in your home!

3. Lighten Up

Pull back those shades during the days and let the sun shine in! In most areas of the country, temperatures don’t get too hot during the months of spring, so enjoy the season to the fullest—and if you have a balcony or outdoor seating area, spring is the perfect time to take advantage of the longer, sunny evenings or the cool morning sunshine. Brightening up your interior spaces with natural sunlight might also encourage you to do some spring cleaning, so give into that urge to tidy up, and donate or discard those items you don’t truly love.

4. Brighten your balcony

Speaking of balconies, decorating your outdoor space is a great way to encourage yourself to get out and enjoy the mild weather more frequently. Adding a chair with inviting cushions and throw pillows as well as a small bistro table can be just the ticket to creating an outdoor oasis. Once again, get creative, and decorate with items that fit your lifestyle…don’t choose fussy furniture that can’t stand up to rain or too much sun unless you have covers at the ready to protect it during inclement weather.

5. Say goodbye to winter

If your apartment has extra storage space—say, beneath your bed or in the back of your closet—consider storing away all your heavy blankets, winter jackets and thick wool sweaters and jeans, so that every time you look inside your closets and drawers, all you see are the light, bright clothes suitable for the season. Pro Tip: If you find a sweater or jacket you haven’t worn all winter long…consider giving it away. You’ll be glad you did!

Here’s wishing you an absolutely beautiful spring, and a colorful, bright apartment space to go with it!

The post Decorating your apartment for spring! appeared first on BRG Apartments Blog.

Ready to get started? Here’s our top three low-cost decorating ideas for fall:

1. Light up the night 

Candles aren’t always a good idea in an apartment but battery operated “flickering” candles solve this problem masterfully. Many of these candles have timers so once you set them up, they switch on every evening to set a cheerful mood! Pick up a set or two of cream colored battery-operated pillar candles or tea-lights, and you’re halfway there. Then it’s time to get creative! To tailor your candles for fall, you can:

• Purchase a small packet of cinnamon sticks and secure them to your candles with twine
• Get a small fall-themed wreath and place a large pillar candle (or 2! Or 3!) inside it
• Fill a shallow glass bowl with fake cranberries then nestle your pillar candle in the center
• Set up several tea lights on a long dish and surround them with candy corn…then try not to eat your own decorations!
• Make a mini arrangement with dried leaves, small gourds, and fake berries and position your candles in the center

2. Got Gourd?

Speaking of gourds, there simply is no other design element that so immediately conjures up thoughts of fall, than the humble pumpkin. Setting aside its association with Halloween – no jack-o-lantern carving necessary! – gourds of all sorts are fair game for fall: mini pumpkins, squash and more. You can get the real deal from farmers’ markets or health food stores or even many grocery stores, or you can find faux gourds in a variety of sizes and colors at craft and hobby retailers. Once you have an armful, get creative! Decorate the gourds with paint pens, sticker, stencils, chalk paint or glitter spray, then position them on your window sills, on your balcony or peeking out from your shelves. Whether your designs are whimsical or classic, gourds are your go-to!

3. Get hung up on fall’s magic

There’s something about hanging strands of lights and garlands of decorations that really spruces up your space, but you don’t have to wait for Christmas to light up the night! You can find low-cost strands of illuminated fall leaves or pumpkins at the hobby shop, or go no-electricity and craft your own strands of pine cones and artificial leaves and berries strung with twine. Extra points for spraying gold paint on your pine cones (or miniature pumpkins) to give them an extra pizzazz! Another great choice is to cut out squares of burlap, add stencils of letters and leaves (perhaps spelling out FALL or AUTUMN or HARVEST) and then string the burlap squares on a length of thick twine. Even coiling a strand of plain white miniature Christmas lights through a basket of pine cones can make a beautiful fall welcome next to your fireplace or front door.

With the start of fall, now’s the perfect time to add all the welcoming touches of the season to your home. Here’s to a fun—and creative—autumn!

The post The Frugal Decorator’s Guide to a festive fall! appeared first on BRG Apartments Blog.