I’m an interior designer – 4 renter-friendly tips for decorating ‘ugly apartments’ and my DIY cabinet hack
AN interior designer has shared his top TK tips for decorating the look of an ugly apartment.
The expert explained how a renter-friendly DIY cabinet hack can instantly elevate your home.
In his video, TikTok user Tommy Landen Huerter (@tommyhuerter) responded to a follower’s request for help decorating an “ugly apartment” with “oak cabinets, white appliances, and beige carpet.”
He explained: “I get it, not all apartments are cute but there are always things you can do to improve.”
For his first tip, Tommy recommended making small changes to your kitchen layout.
He told viewers: “Now if your kitchen has oak cabinets, vinyl, the white refrigerator, all the things that completely date it down, there are many things you can do that are renter-friendly.
“The biggest tip for a kitchen like this is layering, layer in lots of décor, all of the beautiful things you love to make this more of a canvas rather than an unfortunate situation.”
He gave the example of adding plants, a rug, or artwork on your backsplash.
Tommy also showed his followers how to elevate their kitchen cabinets without making any permanent changes.
He recommended unscrewing some of the cabinet doors to create open shelving in your kitchen.
“You probably want some of them closed but you could do that with a couple and have a little open shelving moment for more décor and to spice it up a bit,” he said.
Tommy also advised his audience to use peel-and-stick tile to level up their backsplash.
“If it is a small and relatively contained backsplash area it can make a big difference and look very convincing,” he explained.
Next, he suggested layering a rug over your “unfortunate beige carpets.”
Tommy told viewers: “A lot of people think because there’s carpet they shouldn’t be putting a rug down but it can make a big difference especially if the carpet is bad.
“It can just overall add a lot more dimension to the space, I definitely would recommend getting a rug that is a different texture than the carpet underneath.”
Finally, he recommended temporarily replacing flush mound dome lights.
“Switching out lighting is not as difficult as you may think, I’ve done it multiple times before and you can also either hire a Task Rabbit or find a handy friend to help you out,” Tommy suggested.
He also advised his followers to invest in small lamps to place throughout their space.
TikTok users took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the tips.
“Now this is the content I needed! Because I have a white refrigerator, peeling wallpaper, painted over tile home,” wrote one viewer.
Another impressed follower said: “Genuinely so helpful! This shows the true talent of a designer, working within your constraints.”
“I will scream about peel-and-stick backsplash forever! It transformed my kitchen!” commented a third person.