10 Cheap Apartment Decorating Ideas For Men

By: Lee Grayson

Break Studios Contributing Writer

10 cheap apartment decorating ideas for men include suggestions low on cost but high on individual effort. You don't need a lot of bucks to have an apartment that is sharp and a place you don't mind inviting friends over. High decor means organized flair rather than buying expensive furnishings. You can be loaded and still have an apartment that looks like a mess because you haven't come up with an overall theme and carried the idea throughout the apartment.

  1. Paint. Painting a man's apartment is the cheapest way to make a major change. It's also easy to do. Look at your apartment. Color adds drama and this doesn't mean to make a dramatic change to all the walls. A strong paint choice for only one wall may be just what an apartment means to set off furniture. Select other paint to compliment your boldly-painted accent wall. 
  2. Blinds. Window coverings are also a cheap way to decorate for a man. Look at your furniture choices and decide on your favorite decorating style. Casual style means rattan blinds, while a more formal style might use wooden Venetian blinds. Tiny mini-blinds match ultra-modern decor, while larger slats are favored for more classic decoration. 
  3. Draperies. Draperies also add eye candy to cheap apartment decorating ideas for men. Look for sale fabric and hire a local tailor to whip up draperies that match your decor.
  4. Rugs. Another cheap apartment decorating ideas for men includes the use of rugs. Select a large rug for the main room and smaller rugs with coordinating colors for adjacent rooms. 
  5. Featured furniture. Furniture is a key decorating feature for apartments. No need to buy new furniture, shop in second-hand stores and yard sales for bargain furniture that you can have recovered or stained with a new finish. 
  6. Wall design. A wall mural is a cheap and easy way to make your apartment decorating unique. Check with your local art school to find an up-and-coming artist who may need a portfolio assignment. Work out an overall plan, however, so your mural will fit with the overall apartment design. 
  7. Theme. An important cheap decorating idea is to pick a theme and unify your furnishings, accessories and window coverings to match the theme. An apartment beach theme, for instance, might pick beach lounges for furniture, bamboo window shades and woven reed floor mats for window coverings. Add some accessories of bright, striped beach canvas pillows and you've organized a cheap apartment decoration. 
  8. Color. Another cheap apartment decorating idea for men is to organize everything in the main rooms of the apartment around a central color theme. Select a main color, such as green, blue or moderate shades of red or yellow. Decorate the rooms in complimentary shades of your color choice. This will make the apartment look like a professional had a hand in the decoration. 
  9. Accessorize. Accessories are one cheap way to decorate a man's apartment. The key is to limit the accessories or your apartment may end up looking like a junkyard. Select only one or two main accessory pieces that you want to feature in the apartment. One large piece looks nice. Use this accessory as a base for the other accessories. For instance, a large vase might work well with three or four cluster vases on a window ledge. Use a trial and error approach to work out a look that meets your personal taste. 
  10. Art. Popular art and framed posters are a cheap apartment decorating idea for men. Coordinate the art with your decoration theme. Look online for posters and original art. You may end up with a piece that is already framed and matches your overall apartment design. 
Posted on: Nov. 16, 2010