Ways to Decorate Your Apartment (Because Minimalism Sucks)

Are you sick of minimalistic modern apartments, with their hospital-chic white walls and empty shelves? Do you want your living space to look like your grandma’s kitschy summer cottage, but you haven’t quite got the funds for a Royal Doulton figurine? Or maybe you just want your home to feel a little more ‘you’. Either way, this is the article for you. Here are five tips for jazzing up your space on a budget. 

Decorate With Mini Canvases.

These mini canvases (available at Walmart or Michaels) are cheaper and cuter than a standard-sized canvas. Decorate your canvases to reflect your personality: draw a tiny pencil portrait, paint a landscape, or just splatter paint for an abstract work. No artistic talent is required. Then hang the canvases on your wall or buy these adorable little easels. For the most budget-friendly option, skip the easels and use whatever paints, pencils, or pens you already have at home. (Fair warning: don’t display your tiny painting under your light switch. You’ll knock the painting off the easel twelve times a day.) 

Display Interesting Rocks.

Rocks come in many shapes and sizes to display around your home. Whether it’s a regular rock you find  outside, a polished rose quartz, or an edgy black onyx, rocks can fit right in with your personal aesthetic. To find a polished rock or gem, head to a store like the Rockhound Shop in Victoria. For more standard rocks, scour any beach or park. You can find interesting rocks anywhere, like the unpolished rose quartz I found on vacation. (Sorry to whoever dropped their rose quartz in a hotel parking lot in Edmonton. It’s mine now.)

Add Excitement with Hand-Painted Pottery

Businesses like Fired Up! allow customers to pick from a wide range of premade pottery and paint them in the studio. The only cost is the price of the pottery piece, which can range from under ten dollars to more than one hundred dollars, depending on size. Use your Grandma’s Christmas cheque to buy and paint a few pieces to display around your house, or pool funds with your friends to purchase a larger piece and spend an afternoon painting it together. Do this multiple times to give each friend some home decor, or split custody of your piece like a group of divorced parents.

Print and Display Your Favorite Photos

I’m sure we all remember that trend from a few years ago of hanging up photos from an Instax camera on a string around your room. That is only one of many decorative techniques to be done by printing photos. Buy a cheap disposable camera, take photos off your phone, or even find some copyright-free images online. Pick something that excites you. Then print your photos somewhere like the Photolab at London Drugs, where photo prints start at less than a dollar. You can hang multiple small photos on your wall in a display, print a large photo as a poster, or even print photos onto objects like wooden boards and blankets. The possibilities are endless.

Paint Your Least Favorite Furniture Piece

Maybe you have a cheap particle-board end table or a plastic picture frame that makes you want to pluck your eyes out. Try giving it a makeover with a fresh coat of paint. This is the most expensive item on the list since you’ll have to buy primer, paint, brushes, and sandpaper depending on your project. (The furniture cost can be low or zero if you use something you already have or get something used for free). This tip is also the most time-consuming, since you’ll have to paint the item yourself. Still, I think it is worth it. After a few weeks of painting (during Covid, when I was just sitting around anyway), I ended up with a blue bookshelf which makes me very happy. One short DIY project later and you too can have a piece of fancy, colourful furniture.

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