I always think that September is the beginning of the year-the real "New Year". To this day (for many years after dropping out of school), after I returned to the classroom, I still have a feeling of a new beginning of all possible possibilities. In September of this year, I shared my excitement about the new start with my daughter. After living in the dormitory for many years, she moved into an unfurnished rental apartment with her three friends.

Although this is a somewhat shabby and dirty apartment, the girls are very excited; they share a living/dining/kitchen area, but everyone has their own bedroom. Their excitement about buying and renovating apartments is only diminished by the overwhelming idea of ​​having to start from scratch. My daughter asked me for some decoration suggestions. This is what I told her:

Try to buy large items (sofas, dining tables, coffee tables) from previous tenants to save money and trouble. My daughter and her roommate bought an IKEA modular tenant from a previous tenant; all they had to do was buy a new sofa cover. (Note: The girls didn’t realize that they needed IKEA’s special tools to take apart the sofa. This is a necessary condition to cover the new sofa, so if you buy anything from IKEA, make sure to pick up the tools you need at the time of purchase. In the shop.) The girls also bought a simple dining table and a coffee table from other friends. One thing I don't recommend buying second-hand is mattresses. It's best to start again.

Although most rental houses do not allow you to paint, if you spray a new layer of white paint on the walls, the landlord is unlikely to object. Usually, I use Benjamin Moore's Decorator's White, but for my daughter, who has never painted the room before, I recommend her to use Valspar's Perfect White (sold at Lowe's), which is a paint and primer. It is easy to roll, and after applying only one layer, the wall looks significantly better.

Nothing makes a room feel more perfect than curtains (and less like a rental). Rental houses usually already have some kind of blinds, but the installation of transparent curtains will soften the room, and because transparent curtains are very light, they do not require heavy rods and hardware. If the landlord does not allow you to install curtain hardware, please use tie rods to secure the curtains or use large sticky hooks to secure the thin rods in place. PBteen has ready-made transparent curtains in a variety of styles and sizes to choose from. My daughter finally ordered Emily & Meritt fringed tulle for her bedroom windows; the black fringed trim adds visual interest to the otherwise unfurnished windows, and they are versatile enough to be used with any color palette.

The most important thing on my daughter’s apartment wish list is a queen-size mattress (she is happy to say goodbye to the long twin dorm life!). If you cannot afford a free-standing bed frame or upholstered headboard, hang a tapestry on the wall behind the mattress. Usually some small nails or very small nails can solve the problem, and they hardly damage the wall. The tapestry fixes the mattress and makes the ceiling look higher because it moves your eyes upward. In my daughter’s room, we first hung a navy and white Matisse tailored tapestry from Urban Outfitters to visually lay the bed on the ground. Later, we placed a small blue and white headboard from World Market in front of the headboard. The World Market headboard has a variety of patterns and shapes, and it is easy to install on a standard metal bed frame, but be careful: the upholstered part of the headboard will not fall to the floor like more expensive designs, so you will definitely A mattress and box spring are needed for the top of the frame.

Most of the overhead lights in rental houses are terrible, so you'd better not use them and buy some floor lamps and desk lamps. For my daughter's bedroom, we bought two Crosby Schoolhouse floor lamps from Target. Floor lamps not only free up the space on her bedside table, but their shape and symmetrical position also add visual interest and balance to the room. My daughter bought another table lamp at HomeGoods and put it on her table; three points of light are usually enough to light up any room.

I often order some very reliable items for my clients. My favorite desk is the white painted West Elm Parsons desk. I ended up buying one for my daughter’s room, and I knew that if she didn’t use it as a table in the end, it would be a good dressing table. In addition, its simple design can be easily integrated into any future decoration scheme. I also like the White Molded Evie chair from World Market. The mid-century design has a plastic backrest, so it is the perfect sturdy dining chair; but putting an IKEA Rens lambskin on it, it becomes a comfortable side chair in the living room or bedroom. My favorite side table is the Lindved side table from IKEA for $20. This is one of the items you can order online from IKEA. Although it comes in a flat package, it is easy to assemble. It is an excellent bedside table or living room side table. The metal surface is indestructible-perfect for sharing with roommates. For area rugs, I like Target’s pure cotton Safavieh Flatweave Rugs. They are available in 17 sizes and 11 colors. Stripes visually make the room look larger, and since the carpet is more like a thin cushion, the door can usually be opened and closed easily.

Whether you are renting or owning it, finishing is as important as decoration. I maximized the internal space of my daughter’s closet by hanging canvas shoes and sweater bags. I provided boxes and trash cans so she can put everything in the right place-this is the best way to start the new year .

Mayhew is a "Today" program style expert and former magazine editor. He is "Flip!" Used for decoration. "

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