This 10-Second Hack Took My Credenza From Sad to Styled

I must admit, the most difficult thing about my apartment upgrade series, Rental Sweet Rental, is the styling aspect of it. I can decorate a cake or a sheet of brownies without blinking an eye, but when it comes to laying out a room… well, let’s just say I hope you’re here for entertainment and DIY inspiration rather than professional advice. That said, there’s plenty you can learn from watching me figure it all out.

The space I’ve always had the hardest time designing is the living and dining rooms. Unless you have a gorgeous apartment decked out in crown molding, you don’t have much of a choice than to fill your walls with art and furniture to make it feel less bleak. My issue is that not only do I not have an ounce of crown molding, I also have an enormous amount of ~stuff~, with little space to put it. What does this mean? That I have no other option than to play Tetris with my furniture, constantly moving things around to find the best home for it. If you live in an apartment, I’m sure you can relate!

So I’m Going With Small But Mighty Changes

With that said, my goals for today’s upgrade are:

1. Finally part ways with our Christmas tree. As much as I’d love to keep it around another month, it is taking up valuable space and I’m starting to rely on it too much as a decorative piece.
2. Test out different angles/locations for the dining table because I’d rather face the window when I drink my morning coffee than a wall-mounted air conditioner.
3. Spruce up and organize the credenza, which acts mostly as storage for 90 percent of the random things we own but can’t part ways with.
4. Finally hang up the wall art and picture frames that have been leaning against the wall since we moved in.

After more time than I’d like to admit, I completed the three goals, all which helped to make it feel a bit bigger and more livable. I moved the dining table to a sunnier spot, and found a hack for styling my credenza: a few faux floral stems that look beautiful and never have to be watered—an important detail for someone as busy as me, and added my new favorite light.

Now I just have to find a cozy corner chair to put where the tree was, but that’s for a whole other day. If you have any suggestions for what you think might look good, please let me know! (My only note: it must be big enough for me to curl up on and read on–for the few minutes a week I get to actually read.)

---

If you live in a small apartment, what’s your best tip for upgrading a small space?