5 ways to make your apartment feel like a home

It can be difficult to make an apartment feel like home if your landlord has veto power over your decorating goals. These easy ideas add personal touches to any space.

• Make a gallery display of photos, original artwork or meaningful personal items and display it on open shelving to add colour and personal style to walls you can't paint.
• You can also add colour to a room by painting your furniture.
• Area rugs add colour and texture, and they dress up carpeting or floors that you may not like.
• Decorative pillows strewn on chairs, couches, windowsills, beds and the floor add colour, softness and graphic design elements.

You're not stuck with the vertical or mini blinds included with many apartments.

• Curtains not only create privacy, but they also infuse a living area with pattern, colour and warmth.
• If you can't find curtains in the colour or size of your preference, it's easy to make custom curtains that match your decor, and there are lots of no-sew options.
• Hang curtains in strategic ways to cover open storage or divide your living space into separate areas.
• Create the illusion of larger windows and add colour to bland walls by hanging curtains across a whole wall instead of just the window.

Although you may not like the colour of the tile, work with it by adding towels and accessories in complementary colours.

• Use hook and loop tape to hang a curtain around an open sink to cover exposed plumbing. Keep baskets underneath for added storage.
• Bring furniture into the bathroom to add function and style. Use a slender table as a storage area, and use a chair for stacking towels.

Bookcases are easily customized and they can serve many functions in an apartment.

• Add a makeshift coat closet in your entryway or foyer by taking out the top few shelves of a bookcase and installing hooks for coats, purses and hats.
• Add baskets to lower shelves for storing items such as mittens and sunglasses.
• Create the look of built-ins by putting bookcases on either side of a doorway and installing moldings around the tops.

• Hang mirrors to reflect light, which will make your space seem brighter and more inviting.
• The best place to hang mirrors is on a wall opposite a window. Doing this not only reflects the sunlight and outdoor greenery, but it also provides the illusion of a second window.
• Also, use stylish lamps to add a decorative flair, brighten dark corners and soften harsh overhead light with ambient light.

Whether your apartment is a temporary stop on the road, or a place where you plan to set up shop for a while, these design ideas can help make it a warm, cosy place to call home.