how to decorate your boring gray apartment

taking my decorating skills to the next level for this one. this is how i would decorate your veryyyyy standard, boring, grey apartment, WITH VISUALS! let there be life.
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[@wasselpa]

all furniture selections are from First Dibs! giving you a general idea of what could be done, perspective might be slightly off because of this as well xx

[@northwoodfalls1403]

Yes. This was fantastic. You worked with what was there and didn’t go crazy. Sometimes people are like, “add moulding, paint, put down a fake floor, wrap the kitchen, change all the knobs …..” and it’s like ….. dude. That’s intense. You showed the power of accessories, furniture, and fabric to change the feel of a space.

[@dsa2591]

"and it's like .... dude. That's intense." I feel the same way watching some of these rental makeovers. Do they even realize how damned expensive removable wallpaper and tiles are? I don't think so.

[@Southern007Belle]

@@dsa2591yu😊😊u😊

[@TheGreengarden96]

I lived in one of these and adding warm toned wood and textures really made a difference. The owner was shocked when they saw how good it looked.

[@TheDriftwoodlover]

You could share with Paige so she can show it if you’re up for it

[@IceeaTeea]

yes to more videos like this - would also love to see how you would decorate a tiny house or really small apartment!

[@wasselpa]

oooo! maybe I will do a small apartment next! love that idea

[@whithehearthro]

Yes! I’d also like to see her take on doing a large open floor plan space.

[@FloatinBliss]

I just started renting a very small apartment in cologne, Germany and desperately need help! I’ll send you a horizontal video ☺️ The space is still completely empty

[@sharithompson8422]

Lolol....Let's see ya do a trashed trailer home !! 🤣.,. But seriously, I bought one for 500$... It's BAD

[@RadCenter]

Since there's no entry closet, I would turn that little nook off the dining area into one. Add a hanging rod, high enough above the existing shelf to leave room for a drop zone for purses, keys, etc.; then add cube storage below the shelf with bins for shoes, hats, gloves, umbrellas, reusable grocery bags, and the like. It could be concealed by a curtain or even a roman shade. In the kitchen, instead of adding a counter stool on the end of the peninsula, I would add a garbage and recycling bin. That way you don't have to waste cabinet space for them. Why do kitchen designers never account for the trash?

[@loug8186]

Excellent suggestions!

[@hereforit2347]

I like the kitchen trash bin to be as inconspicuous as possible. They’re almost never attractive. 🗑

[@hereforit2347]

Good ideas. 💡

[@SugarcubeTube]

Yes! I particularly thought that nook could have used a nice brass framed mirror and some “landing pad” items like a dish for keys and shoe/hat/glove storage.

[@faketwig]

Paige!! I would really love if you made a video on a curated selection of home basics like laundry hampers, trash cans, small appliances, etc. Stuff we all have that’s usually pretty unattractive unless you search really hard.

[@rowceo]

Yes!

[@amandapilegaardlarsen870]

she has already made a video about this if you scroll a while back! :)

[@jbteal]

I've lived in apartments like this most of my adult life so far and there is so little content like this for ways to decorate that aren't ultra modern, diy, or like a dorm room. I think a lot of people live in a place like this where they can't make big changes or don't want to paint or are trying to incorporate vintage into a modern aesthetic and videos like this are awesome. Great content!

[@mc6141]

I’d want to utilize the space in the nook of the entryway for something useful. Coffee station, bar, keep books, drop zone for keys and mail, create storage underneath for shoes, just anything to not let the space go wasted

[@jenkenj]

I was thinking the exact same thing

[@derekbritton4644]

I would use that as a reading nook or office space. Gives another option besides the bedroom.

[@oh2sail]

When did architects decide that everyone wants to sit in their living room and stare at their refrigerator? Give me small, separate rooms.

[@_wesleyhome_]

I think it went out of fashion during the pandemic when everyone actually needed their own space for zooms etc. I’ve always been pro actual rooms.

[@maudelemelin9026]

Bring back the rooms!!!

[@hereforit2347]

Hello! So glad I live in an old house. I can completely close off the kitchen (from the hallway, dining room, and service porch/laundry room).

[@TomRipley7350]

Yeah, I hate watching TV with someone’s air fryer blowing in the background while they chop onions. Bring back walls made of brick that you can actually hang things on.

[@amyjasmer7943]

I hate my open floor plan!

[@tcoonn]

I haven’t even watched yet but I just moved to a new house that has awful ugly grey floors and there aren’t enough area rugs in existence to erase the drab. So excited to watch

[@jenkenj]

In-laws just bought a condo in FL and my husband and I have our own room there for when we visit that I get to decorate. Well, first thing my mother in law did was put down this exact gray flooring throughout (and painted the walls gray blue, fortunately she agreed to keep our's white) soooo first thing I did was go out and buy the biggest warm toned rug I could find ha. Our bedroom set is also mcm teak looking tone so that helps

[@ccap3211]

I think this is the most helpful video you’ve ever done. We need more of this! I would love you to do a video like this where you furnish a place with affordable furniture (preferably not thrifted so we can buy it). Like if you were on a really low budget and had to furnish a place and couldn’t thrift anything what would you do?

[@welpppppppppppppp]

love that you worked with a renderer! just a really good idea too- there are so many sad grey apartments that need rescuing

[@karenryder6317]

So is Paige saying to add a lot of brown tones? I can appreciate the desire to warm up the cool palate, however the browns just seem rather muddy to me. The navy is too cool in temperature I know, but it (plus perhaps some true blue) seems to make a nicer combination with the floors and walls. I'd warm up the blue/grey with a lot of natural wood, warm tone lamp shades and texture.

[@rosesofamerica]

Also sad grey houses, like mine haha

[@lifestylebyleens]

Do you know how she got the decor images in the apartment space? Did she use a program?

[@TracyMcDowell]

​@@lifestylebyleenskeep me posted if you find out

[@cmreker]

I would love to see another in this series for sort of bad home styles we sometimes have to work with. For example, my 1990s midwestern house with lots of oak wood and traditional touches.

[@erinsslowsongs]

Yes! My kitchen cabinets are honey oak!

[@derekbritton4644]

Exactly! Would be challenging but applicable for those of us that don't have a "contemporaryish" nice blank slate to work with.

[@goodandgreen]

My all mushroom beige sterile apartment has harsh restrictions and two or three inspections a year (with 24 hr notice) to check compliance. I can’t paint, change lighting, hang curtains, put up privacy film, change hardware/any fixtures. I can put up shelves and art though! And I still was inspired by how you made this similar place feel like a home ❤

[@rmonson5002]

My hell. That's awful. Are you incarcerated?

[@nadjak3410]

Like a hotel room that you have to clean yourself? Wtf

[@mapleleaf0]

Are they going for a uniform look among all the windows in the building? You mentioned no curtains or privacy film. Do they provide you with blinds or shades?

[@alexaharris3247]

Yes make this a series! The rendering really helps translate to real life. My parents bought a mobile home and renovated it like these gray apartments 2 years ago 🙃 wish I had this video to influence them back then

[@tammyjackson2728]

I’m not a fan of gray. It feels too cold. I’m so glad you provided tips on how to make the apartment feel warm.

[@cvonsutphen]

*Adding Tuscan to the Gray Prison Box* . Yes, I did enjoy this video, now the long comment. A male family member recently moved into a "gray box" townhouse flip. Built in 1979, vaulted ceiling, cat walk with two bedrooms and bath upstairs. Vaulted wall in pine tongue and paneling in the living room. I think the landlord literally just had every room sprayed with white primer and left it. The flooring is cheap gray laminate, every fixture is brushed nickel. Family member purchased a vintage 1990's huge red leather sectional which I re-configured into a U-shape facing the man TV over a console. I leaned into the red with chocolate brown, olive and black, a few Tuscan style decor elements, art and backlit ficus trees on the paneled wall behind the sofa. I'm on the hunt for an eight foot round rug for the kitchen to hide the hideous tile. Bringing in color made a *HUGE* difference! I thrifted window treatments as well (yet to be installed). It may not be the style "du jour" but dang, it no longer feels like a prison cell. Thanks for your great design inspo Paige.... 😘

[@bethbrock7715]

I loved this so much - the place felt completely different. So much warmth in it after those changes!

[@Cherrydriver1]

It’s almost like you read my mind. This video is so spot on. I went to school for interior design and my apartment is unfortunately one of these horrible sterile apartments and I’ve been struggling SO much trying to decorate and this coming from someone in design. It just sucks the creativity out of you!

[@kthxbi]

i am constantly thankful that my flat has massive original wibbly wobby beams all throughout. they're left over from when it used to be a barn, and the landlord has them painted black. it might not be a look for everyone, but it saves me from being in a dreaded grey box

[@_wesleyhome_]

My best friend has a condo almost exactly like this. There are a couple of additions I would make to your suggestions. In the living room, there really need to be end tables with lamps. I think too often, people end up with the can lights or flat ceiling fixture and those are never flattering. In the bedroom, it would probably be easy to get a vintage desk that wouldn't fit exactly, but would allow the space to run the various cords for a lamp, chargers etc. No one wants these desks anymore since they don't handle modern office things (if you even have a printer) and it's always a shame to cut a hole in the back of something to run wires. I'd do a combination of a sheer roman blind and heavier curtains, but I'm thinking for a different reason: the bathroom seems very dark (and even more so if someone were to use the dark paint you suggested), so I would consider making that desk into a makeup table at least part of the time. It would make use of the drawers and with the sheer blinds, you'd have natural light to do your makeup. The dark green paint in the bathroom would really distort the color of the light, so it would be less than ideal for makeup anyway.

[@rmonson5002]

Yeah, I'm thinking a green cast is not really a color you want reflected around your face when you are doing make up if you only have one bathroom or one area where you get ready.

[@mapleleaf0]

Also, be careful with matchstick blinds. They provide basically no privacy looking in even though they seem to when looking out.

[@jessicat9198]

Love your videos but can we just agree that "comfortability" is not a word... Comfort. It's just comfort.

[@rachelutzig1959]

a tip for your renders - trace the straight edges of the room and other hard edges in the base photo and extend those lines until several intersect like a star burst. this point is the vanishing point, and you can use it to align your edited objects to make them look in perspective and parallel with the room's angles. you may need to distort your added images to align them if they were photographed at a wildly different angle than the BG, but it makes a big difference for things like rugs like at 7:01

[@tavepalmer8061]

This was great timing. Just bought a badly renovated 70s townhouse and don’t have the budget to restore just yet. You have given me some great ideas for covering grey carpet and grey walls.

[@blancaaaestela]

Thank you! 🙏 this is so helpful. I’m on my third rental that suffers from this white walled stainless steel minimalist gray hell and I’m at my wits end trying to make the place look unique and interesting

[@helloheathers]

Since the office is in the bedroom, I imagine a bar area in the nook! Otherwise can be a gallery area or crafts table (with track lighting under the shelves). Something you don’t use everyday, and I would move one of the kitchen chairs over when needed to reduce floor clutter!

[@rowceo]

Great ideas!!!

[@SamarkandChan]

Love all the suggestions, I would make the nook in the living room a closet for storage of vacuum and extra shoes and coats. But that depends on if you rent or not of course

[@darcybaker7545]

I love to add a small bookshelf in the kitchen under the counter. It’s a great place for pretty glasses and dishes with cookbooks.

[@Qtopian]

Also if you dont want to/cant paint in your apartment there is peel and stick wallpaper which can easily make a space look great and add in your own personal style

[@_wesleyhome_]

I was thinking about that too!

[@nikkhalia]

I would do an ottoman/stool in the entry way. 5 chairs looks chaotic and no one will actually sit there. Also could add vintage baskets down there as a place to toss shoes and things you want hidden.

[@meshaylacox3499]

I love this as a series! Showing how to decorate different types of rentals. Allllssoooo love the idea of taking in submissions for peoples homes or rentals!

[@KDdevidasi]

I liked the art, furniture and rugs filling up the room, with your design ideas. I would have loved to see one more large art piece above the headboard, in the bedroom. Definitely fun!

[@gabriellenichole3445]

It’s so wonderful that I don’t have the same style and aesthetic taste as you but I get so many great ideas. Also I ❤ the green paint in your home! Thank you for helping us stay to out of a gray hole in our decorating!

[@danaliesen]

This video is so good! We're facing this exact issue in the flat we're renting. Our landlord apparently likes grey. Grey tiles in the hallway, guest bath and full bath. Grey carpet in living room, office and bedroom. Light grey speckled linoleum floor in the kitchen. I basically hate all the floors but changing them would be our costs and it's just not feasible. We've been able to make this grey flat feel cozy over the past two years by working with big area rugs, walls painted in warm and more moody colours, mix of oak and walnut woods as well as lots of texture in textiles used around our home.

[@armandoperez4535]

They are súper popular rn in mexico, I just moved to a house like this for college. The first thing i did was hang a blue painting my mom gifted me because the all white was driving me crazy

[@veroave57]

That couch is awful- wood sides, the drapes? Paige I never would think you would have decorated this living

[@TheGinalalala]

Yes, more of these, pleeeeeease! So satisfying to watch it all come together in your professional perspective!

[@hereforit2347]

I love your choice of window treatment for the living room. The bookshelves are nice too.

[@kate-studio-huske]

Such a good topic - you're killing it with your content 👏👏👏

[@wasselpa]

thank you!!

[@einfachweilicheskann]

When I moved into my boring grey apartment, i literally just painted at least on wall in every room. Best idea i ever had. This brings so much warmth into the rooms and it feels more homey. I also got more wooden kind of furniture. I know in the states a lot of landlords don't allow painting the walls, but in Germany we just paint everything white again if we decide to move out. I really liked the suggestions you gave❤

[@donnajarvis9542]

Yes, yes this is my situation and your ideas helped a lot. Thank you.

[@bunkween]

What a wonderful series!! Love how you styled it so much - was fun to see how you set everything up and what pieces you chose to put inside each space. Definitely would love to see more of these

[@londonhasfallen7786]

Conquering ugly ass grey floors one rendering at a time. Seriously loved this!! My best friend now watches your videos and is now moving homes because the once beautiful grey floors are now her LITERAL nightmare.

[@dieeleganzderquallen2675]

I would love to see more videos like this! I feel like this kind of contend is really missing on most interior design pages/magazines. They mostly feature this giant luxurious houses or apartments with crazy architecture and while fun to look at it is just not applicable to the reality of how I live (or probably ever will live). I love that this are hand on tips you can actually implicated.

[@sohatanwirkhan583]

Paige, this was an excellent video! Truly helpful: really illustrates how much role texture plays in creating aesthetic. Texture through fabric, through furniture and shelving. Amazing, thank you!

[@SeamlesslyAwkwerd]

I loved this video!!!! The visualization really brings the whole picture into life

[@meegsm]

Thank you for this!! As someone who lives in one of these and has been struggling to decorate - it was soooo appreciated!!!!!

[@julialouise.k]

I loved this! I live in a small house built 74’ in the Swedish country-side . It still has some charming details (wooden trims and windows) but some thing are kind of bland. For example the bathroom. Me and my bf will do a bigger renovation at some point but we need to save up first. That’s why I really like this kind of video because I feel like there’s a lot we can do without making bigger changes. Like painting the bathroom and things like that 🌻

[@samslaughter90]

YES. House shopping, and the "newly updated!" gray everything is awful. As a renter, I'm always looking for inspo bc I can't do a whole remodel of the place and also don't want to dump a bunch of money into a place I don't own. The outdated builder-grade bathroom with no natural lighting is the hardest to decorate imo. 🥴

[@daeanabarkubein7995]

Yesss! 😩😩 perfect timing, Paige! I happen to be apartment hunting and all the apartments (save for a blessed few) look lile this and it Kills Me. Gray is such a difficult color to match with other colors, especially if you prefer warmer tones (which I do), so I've been stressing about how I'm going to decorate without breaking the bank.

[@mapleleaf0]

I enjoyed this very much. I like grey and yellow together, so I think your mustard and gold tones are a smart way to warm up the spaces. The bathroom paint color is also fantastic.

[@marijab96able]

This was FANTASTIC. I just moved into a gray box and now I have so much inspo!!!!

[@starburstVOLTAIRE]

Front entry nook is a good opportunity for a little bar / dishes / grandma knickknack-y hutch. Pop your coupes up there and a plant and some novelty cocktail plates done.

[@theXgreatXperhaps]

I love this concept. My area only has super recent builds like this, unless you’re buying and have a $750k budget. So this is so helpful. ❤️

[@ng073625]

I love this series! I hope you keep doing it!

[@movetolondon]

This was the coolest video I’ve ever seen. You helped a ton. Thanks!!

[@hannahippo]

Loved the video! My last apartment was a big white box like this (thankfully my landlord chose warmer oak looking flooring). Rugs, teak furniture, and Ikea Ritva curtains that I hemmed with nonsew hemming tape did wonders. I also had a nice black leather corbusier style loveseat and the chrome detail fit into the white box vibe while keeping things interesting.

[@nickmontalbano2699]

Moving this week and this video was legitimately exactly what I needed. Wow and thank you.

[@chandlerwilson3349]

Perfect timing! Just moved into a brand new townhome that is not my style/sterile gray. Ready to get to work 🤩

[@MikeyGuerrero]

i love it!!! the renders made it 1000 times better❤

[@margauxdoutrelant5017]

I loved this video ! Well done Paige, it is realistic and reasonable, I had a blast watching it. Xx

[@piluix]

One of your best videos in my opinion!

[@maricakez]

OMG love this video and all the suggestions. I have a small grey bathroom that was renovated before and I haaaate it. It’s lifeless and very gray. These tips have come in super handy 😊

[@sillythu1]

thank you for the consistent Sunday treat

[@C0wboy_]

This made the apartment feel a lot warmer actually which I enjoy so you did great

[@rmonson5002]

That was fun! The only thing I would do a little differently is a low bench instead of a chair in that funky built in desk entry area. That way you could tuck it away easily. I love to pretend design, do more, do more!

[@salenasiragusa6259]

this is insanely helpful! I've been binging all of your videos trying to cozy up my new grey box. TY!

[@michellemanzato9185]

I loved this. Please do more! You inspire me to be creative

[@LesleyLizbeth]

This is fantastic!! I want all of these videos 🥰

[@eileencarroll6418]

Fun video. Always enjoyable. The desk nook would make a nice bar area or place for music components. Might be able to slide some pantry storage under the "desk." White walls bother me so much, I might wash the walls with colored light, at least temperature adjustable LEDs. Thanks for the Etsy rug tip. I love good quality rag rugs that I can wash. Great ideas in bedroom. I would add open storage shelves above the desk and extend the ceiling-drapery-track all across the room so I could instantly hide a busy desk and straighten the closet wall into a flat drapery wall. Fabric choice so important. In bathroom, I would have painted the white wall space next to the mirror. Then I would look for, or make art large enough to cover the left edge of the mirror.

[@lindawales2394]

I bought a similar type condo, been slowly trying to add interest. Very helpful ideas, would definitely like to see more of this type of content.

[@missannetteslittlefarminth9069]

You are so fun to watch, I wanna be you when I grow up ❤ You are so intentional and thoughtful, more designers should follow suit.

[@Theater00jock]

Love this! I am looking at apartments now and so many are like this.

[@haphazardgardener8651]

Yeah I like the additions and I agree that different fabrics and textures make the space..I personally changed the paint color to my space ..mostly because I work in a grey cubicle and it was starting to make me depressed having a grey interior but I did love my Greige like paint color before this.

[@daynamailach6987]

Paige, this is so good and so helpful!!

[@evemarietou]

5 minutes in, and I subscribed. Great video. You give practical and realistic advice, especially for renters, and I love that you’re showing us the creation process instead of just a before and after.

[@kelsiejene74]

You have no idea how long I’ve wanted you to do a video like this 🥲🥲🥲 Would love more of this series!

[@angelasagenda]

3000 views in an hour! Paige you are soaring! 🎉happy for you because I enjoy your channel so very much!

[@misty1tl]

This is helpful. I want to buy a place but lots of homes have the grey floors. It would cost a lot remove and replace. You’ve made a lot of suggestions that draw the eye away from the cooler tones. 👏🏼👏🏼

[@swangxswang]

Omg you did SO GOOD. Please do more of these!!

[@robyncason623]

Loved this new series. Haha!! Yes, we want this to be a series.

[@_miss.gomez_]

Loved what you did!! This video is super useful. Right now I’m decorating my apartment. I’d love to show it to you when I'm done!!🙏🏻

[@anticorpsmembranaire8452]

loveee it, this format is so cool !

[@sophieburgess6330]

This has been an unbelievably useful one for me! Would love to see an alternative to this with the magnolia and beige apartments too!

[@mariafordon121]

Love this video!! I live in a gray box(thankfully white walls though) and although I would love something with history and character I cannot afford to live in the part of my city where those exist. So gray box is really a huge step up from 80s brown box with tiny windows.

[@chrissstttiiine]

this is so helpful! Thank you for making this

[@JennaMeowLifestyle]

Yes please do more of these!

[@kaitk.603]

I loved this video format!!! Very helpful

[@gia.rodrgzz]

Absolutely I love this video! Please make a series! It's so satisfying, & it's so cool to see that it is POSSIBLE to decorate uniquely in a bland ass space like this!

[@fbdidhwbahsuxhsb]

Absolutely loved this video! When I rented it was all sad gray apartments. Now, I own and I’m having the complete opposite problem! I have those weird orange-wood cabinets and floors and I’m trying to figure out how to work around that until I can afford to replace them.

[@denellebalach1200]

I've been watching your videos here and there but this one made me subscribe! I really enjoyed the rendering, plus you had some amazing tips. thank you for this.

[@pangstr]

Definitely liked seeing this! Watching how a few pieces changes the whole feeling of the place makes it seem way less intimidating than seeing example photos of places that already look amazing (:

[@islagoo]

Yes! It was so fun!

[@jackieclark817]

Paige, as always I luv everything you have done here. One exception, no work space in a bedroom. EVER. It interrupts sleep. Can't wait for your next vid. 😘

[@elianalanda7159]

Thank you for this video!! My partner and I moved into this brand new apartment and it's literally exactly the same as your example 😂 EVERYTHING is grey (not my style) but it was such a good deal and great location. I was scared that my decor and furniture wouldn't go but I made it work.

[@tigrissapphire915]

I lived in this kind of apartment. My solution was get colorful things and warm tones and rugs which changed it a lot. That worked really well.

[@jacqueline2297]

More of this please!! That was fun to watch.

[@chillywonka]

Loved finally seeing those renders from you!

[@puncherry]

After the chicago hunt all those textures brick stone wood mixed made me appreciate my white canvas home

[@hannajane]

I did love this video! I like it more than the zillow shopping.. I agree that I think cutting those videos down and then decorating your first choice would be more interesting. (or decorate a room in each of the top 5 to help decide)

[@beccarose2887]

this is such a great video concept and so well executed!