Happy Monday friends!

Some exciting news: WE'RE MOVING!!! and since you guys loved the cleaning hacks post so much, I've teamed up with my friends at LIK Squared to share some more fun home hacks with you! Today we are talking about 3 easy ways to make your apartment (or living space) feel more like a home!

Backstory: E and I have lived in 100% furnished apartments for the last five years! We literally do not own sheets, a plate, or even a fork! Living in other people's home's with other people's things around us for so many years has left us feeling like guests in someone else's home, and craving a homey space of our own. A few years back I got fed up and decided we needed to get creative on how to make our apartment feel like home (on a budget no less, without damaging/getting rid of our landlord's stuff).

I know we can't be the only ones struggling with this because right now we are actually moving into our first UNfurnished place and $$$ is tiiiight so we aren't getting things that exactly match our taste or feel super homey to us if you know what I mean…

So how do you make your living space actually feel like a home, without breaking the bank?

 

Here are three easy ways:

1. Get Clear On The Mood You Are Trying To Create.

While replacing furniture to get that “rustic” or “coastal” vibe just right may not be in the cards, you can still create a feeling by investing in a few quality pieces. In our case, we love a cozy laid back vibe, #saltlife, which is why ditching the dorm room posters and hanging a gorgeous acrylic print by photographer Peter Lik was exactly what we needed (excuse the glare of my window on the picture, like I said I am working in a small space dreaming of overhead light some day ?).

Peter Lik is a world-renowned, award-winning photographer (seriously he's sold multiple photos for over $1 million, and holds four spots in the twenty most expensive photographs ever sold) – and in July 2016 he launched Liksquared.com – Where you can purchase high quality, lightweight, ready to hang, acrylic prints of his work.

 

2. Bring in nature. 

A simple and easy way to breathe fresh air into a space is by bringing in greenery and flora. Something as simple as keeping fresh flowers around can make a big change. They warm up the space, and allow you to play with the colors and style to fit the mood you are trying to create.

 

 

3. Switch out knick knacks. 

We have spent the last five years in one bedroom apartments which consisted of a bedroom, and living room. No formal dining room, no den, usually just one wall dividing the two rooms. Which means our living room is a major focal point. By switching out the accessories in a room you can easily add a personal touch.

 

 

In this case, we stored our landlord's couch cushions in a closet and spruced up the area with throw pillows and blankets that matched our style. We also added picture frames of personal moments. Find the knick knacks you can switch out easily to pull in elements of the mood you are trying to create (read: #1).

 

How have you made your living space a home? Let me know in the comments!

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Looking to find some money in your budget to spruce up your home? Grab TCM's Checklist of Money Saving Tips!

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Thank you so much to Lik Squared for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own.