Walls – Structural support or a window to your potential?
The greige (grey-beige) walls of your rental apartment might seem a bit bland and in need of some serious personalization! Bring your walls to life with vision boards, chalkboard walls and organizational spaces, that will allow you to express your creativity and organize your life in a visually appealing way. While you might be renting, there are ways to enhance your space without damaging the structural integrity of the building. You need not lose your security deposit in the name of creativity!
Chalkboard wall
Go bold with a chalkboard accent wall. Chalkboard paint gives you a writable and erasable surface that will let your imagination soar. Keep track of your weekly schedule by writing down appointments, dates and other events on your wall. You can also scribble your shopping list on the wall so you won’t forget anything. Get creative and add to your décor with diagrams, inspirational quotes and playful drawings all done in chalk.
Don’t have access to a whole wall? You can hang an oversized chalkboard instead for a less invasive feel. You can hang it on a big wall, or add one to a partial divider wall that you’re unsure of what to do with.
Chalkboard walls are also fun for kids’ rooms — where writing is actually allowed on the walls!
Vision boards
Did you know you can buy cork by the roll? If you apply it with rubber cement, it shouldn’t damage the wall. Cut it to size and then carefully roll it onto the wall, smoothing as you go, as if you’re applying wallpaper. By covering your wall in cork sheeting, you’re essentially turning it into one huge corkboard. This makes creating a vision board easy, as you can literally pin things up that inspire you.
A vision board is a place where you can post up a visual representation of your goals. Whether it’s about your career or personal life, it can be inspirational. Many people put vision boards near their desks or workspaces. In your apartment, this could be a little nook in your living room, or in a spare bedroom.
People pin all sorts of stuff to their vision boards, from pages from magazines to sticky notes to photographs to printouts from the internet. Some have solid themes — such as fitness goals — while others are more free-form — such as “things that make me happy.”
Organization walls
Who says being organized can’t be creative and fun? You can take the concept of a vision board and make it more structured to help plan and organize your life. Include large wall calendars, message boards and wall-mounted file organizers, and you will have yourself a central place to keep track of important events, documents and appointments.
Some people create these near their kitchens so that they can keep track of grocery shopping, family finances and appointments. Organization walls aren’t just for families; singles and couples can benefit as well — as everyone has a lot going on in their lives, it’s nice to have a centralized place to keep track of it all.
Many people set these up behind their desks if they have a home office or computer area in their apartments. You can really get creative with decor as well, by adding a trendy wall clock and some chic artwork among the practical items on the wall.
Organizational walls serve another important purpose in your rental apartment — they get items up and off the floor! When living in a rental, square footage can be hard to come by. Wall-mounted filing systems and shelves can be real space-savers — allowing you to use a smaller desk or table and reduce your clutter.
Say goodbye to greige nothingness and hello to fun by creatively using your apartment’s walls with minimal damage to your rented property. Now it’s time to create a vision board for how you want to design your vision board.…