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How Sketching My Own Apartment Made Me Actually Want to Decorate It
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items Staring at the same beige walls for two years straight had me convinced my place was hopeless — then I started drawing it, room by room, and suddenly I could see what was missing and what needed to go. If you've been stuck in that ‘I hate my space bu...
Sections
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Beginner Sketching Supplies That Won't Intimidate You
Color Tools for When You Start Seeing Possibilities
Reference Books That Actually Teach You to See Space
Lighting That Changed Everything Once I Drew It
Small Furniture Swaps I Discovered While Sketching
Wall Art That Filled the Gaps My Sketches Revealed
Beginner Sketching Supplies That Won't Intimidate You
I put off drawing for years because art supplies felt like a commitment I wasn't ready for. These three got me from stick figures to actual room layouts in about a week.
Grab this before you talk yourself into a fancy sketchbook you'll be afraid to mess up — the paper is thick enough for erasing a hundred times, which you will, and it's perfect if you're the type who needs permission to make ugly drawings first.
Strathmore 400 Series Sketch Pad, Recycled Paper
Switch to these from whatever dried-out pencil you found in a junk drawer — the range from light to dark meant I could actually shade my curtains vs. my walls and suddenly the sketch looked like a real room. Wish I'd started with decent pencils inste...
Staedtler Mars Lumograph 12-piece set graphite pencil
Keep one of these within arm's reach because you'll redraw your couch placement about fifteen times before it clicks. Way cleaner than those pink erasers that smear graphite everywhere — for anyone who gets frustrated fast, this removes the evidence ...
Prismacolor 70503 MAGIC RUB Art Eraser Vinyl 3/Pack
Color Tools for When You Start Seeing Possibilities
Black and white sketches showed me the layout problems, but adding color is when I started actually getting excited about my apartment for the first time since I moved in.
Toss out that old Crayola tin from college — these blend like butter and helped me test wall colors on paper before committing to a $40 paint can. Saved me from what would've been a very regrettable mustard yellow accent wall.
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, Assorted Colors
Try watercolor washes over your pencil sketches and suddenly a boring drawing of your kitchen looks like something from an architecture magazine. Fits in a coat pocket too, so I started sketching at coffee shops when I needed fresh eyes on a room lay...
Winsor & Newton Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Box
Use these if you want the watercolor look but hate the mess of actual paint and water cups — I knocked over dirty paint water on my sketch twice before switching to these. Perfect for anyone who draws on the couch with a cat in the way.
Sakura Koi Coloring Brush Pens
Reference Books That Actually Teach You to See Space
Drawing my apartment forced me to really look at it for the first time. These books taught me what I was supposed to be noticing about proportion, light, and why my living room felt so cramped.
Grab the latest edition and do the exercises even if they feel silly — the upside-down drawing chapter literally rewired how I see corners and negative space in rooms. Everyone I've recommended this to texts me like 'why didn't anyone teach me this i...
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards
Pair this with your daily routine and start drawing whatever room you're sitting in — the author's approach to messy, imperfect sketches gave me permission to stop trying to make everything look Pinterest-perfect. For anyone paralyzed by perfectionis...
SKETCH YOUR WORLD JAMES HOBBS / URBAN
Snag this if you want to understand why certain furniture arrangements feel wrong — Ching breaks down spatial relationships in a way that clicked for me after years of just shoving my couch against the longest wall and hoping for the best.
Interior Design Illustrated by Ching, Francis DK
Lighting That Changed Everything Once I Drew It
Sketching my rooms at different times of day showed me how much bad lighting was ruining the vibe. That one dark corner I hated? Turns out it just needed the right lamp.
Try clamping this to your drawing desk first, then watch yourself buy two more for dark corners you'd been ignoring — I realized my bedroom felt depressing because I had one overhead light doing all the work. Dirt cheap fix for a problem I'd complain...
Ikea Tertial Lamp
Switch your bulbs to these and test warm vs. cool tones in the rooms you've been sketching — I drew my living room under both settings and the warm version made it look like an entirely different apartment. Worth it if you work from home and stare at...
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit
Keep one of these on a side table for that warm glow that makes any room look cozy at night — I sketched my bedroom with and without it and the difference convinced me to stop relying on my harsh ceiling light. Great for anyone whose apartment feels ...
25+ Himalayan Salt In Lamps for sale | Updated Oct 2026
Small Furniture Swaps I Discovered While Sketching
Drawing my room to scale revealed that my furniture was way too big for the space. These smaller replacements opened up floor area I didn't know I had.
Swap out that bulky nightstand for this slim one — when I drew my bedroom to scale I realized my old nightstand was eating two feet of walkway. Took five minutes to assemble and suddenly I could actually walk around my bed without turning sideways.
IKEA Lack Side Table (401.042.70) Living Room Furniture
Ditch the coat hooks behind the door that make it impossible to close all the way — I sketched my entryway and realized the door was literally the problem. This stands in the corner, holds everything, and freed up the whole doorway.
Umbra Flapper Floor Standing Coat Rack Hat Scarf
Use a clear console if your hallway or entryway is narrow — I kept drawing my entry and it always felt cluttered until I realized a see-through table tricks the eye into thinking there's more space. For anyone in a small apartment who needs surface a...
25+ Acrylic Console Tables for sale | Updated Oct 2026
Wall Art That Filled the Gaps My Sketches Revealed
Every time I drew a wall, the blank spaces screamed at me. I'd been living with empty walls for two years without really registering how bare they looked.
Grab a matching frame set instead of collecting random frames over time — I drew my living room wall with frames sketched in and immediately saw that mismatched sizes were making it look chaotic. This set made the gallery wall I'd been planning for a...
Americanflat Gallery Wall Frame Set of 10 - Black
Try a large single piece above a sofa if gallery walls feel overwhelming — I sketched three different options above my couch and the single oversized print won every time. Perfect for anyone who wants impact without spending a whole Saturday measurin...
Canvas World Map Home Décor Posters & Prints for sale
Pair this with a blank wall that gets afternoon light — the shadows it casts change throughout the day, which I only noticed because I kept sketching the same wall at different hours. For anyone bored by flat prints who wants something with depth.
Stratton Home Decor Claudette Handmade Modern Metal
Textiles That Added the Warmth My Drawings Were Missing
My sketches kept looking cold and hard. Adding soft textures in the drawings made me realize my actual apartment had almost no fabric anywhere except the couch.
Toss this over whatever sad couch you've been sitting on — I drew my living room with a draped blanket and without, and the difference was so obvious I ordered one that night. For anyone whose apartment looks like a model unit nobody actually lives i...
Bedsure Sherpa Fleece Throw Blanket - Grey 60" x 80"
Swap your builder-grade blinds for actual curtains and watch the whole room change — sketching my window with flowing fabric versus bare plastic blinds was the moment I understood why my place felt like a dorm. Stock up before you get used to the ugl...
Lush Decor Farmhouse Boho Stripe Curtain Panels Pair 42
Use a rug to anchor the furniture grouping you figured out from your sketches — I moved my rug placement around on paper six times before landing on the right spot. A textured rug under a coffee table makes the whole seating area feel intentional ins...
Authentic Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug 5x8 ft
Plants I Added After Drawing My Empty Corners
Every sketch had at least one sad empty corner staring back at me. Plants were the fastest way to fill dead zones without buying more furniture.
Snag a tall palm for that one corner you've been ignoring since move-in day — I drew a plant in my living room corner as a placeholder and liked it so much on paper I ordered a real one the same week. For anyone who thinks their space is too small fo...
Costa Farms Majesty Palm Tree Live Indoor Plant 3
Try hanging plants if your floor space is already maxed — I sketched hanging planters near my window and it added a whole layer of visual interest at eye level that I was completely missing. Wish I'd done this before buying three more side tables I d...
Mkono Macrame Plant Hangers Set of 4 Indoor Hanging
Get a self-watering pot if you're the person who kills every plant within a month — I drew beautiful plants into my sketches and then murdered three succulents before admitting I needed help. This one keeps them alive through sheer engineering.
25+ Pottery & Ceramic Garden Self Watering Pots for sale
Desk Setup for Comfortable Sketching Sessions
Hunching over my coffee table to draw gave me back pain within a week. Setting up a proper little drawing spot made this a habit instead of a chore.
Grab this if you've been drawing flat on a table and your neck hates you — tilting the surface even slightly changed everything for my posture. Folds flat when you're done so it won't eat up your desk permanently. For anyone who lives in a studio and...
SoHo studio Urban Artist Adjustable Metal Easel
Use a daylight-balanced lamp so your color choices actually look right — I was picking paint colors under warm yellow light and wondering why they looked different on the wall. This one shows true color and doubles as a reading lamp when you're not s...
Daylight Company, LLC U35108 Slimline 3 Table Lamp
Keep all your supplies in one portable bag instead of scattered across three drawers — I wasted twenty minutes before every session hunting for my eraser. Now I grab this tote and I'm drawing within sixty seconds, which matters when motivation is fra...
Art Supplies Bag
Organization Pieces That Solved Problems I Found on Paper
Sketching forced me to inventory every visible item in each room. Turns out I had way too much stuff sitting out with no home.
Toss all those loose items from your shelves into these and suddenly your bookcase looks intentional — I drew my shelf and realized half the visual clutter was random objects with no container. For anyone whose shelves look like a yard sale.
mDesign Plastic Stackable Kitchen Storage Organizer Bin
Use these to hang everything you've been meaning to put up for months — I had three framed prints leaning against walls for over a year because I was afraid of drilling into rental walls. Zero holes, zero landlord drama, zero excuses left.
Command Extra Large Picture Hanging Strips White 4 pack
Snag one of these for your bathroom or closet door — sketching my bathroom revealed that every surface was covered in products because I had no vertical storage. Freed up my entire counter and I stopped knocking shampoo bottles into the toilet.
Simple Houseware Over Door Hanging Organizer Beige
Inspiration Sources That Keep the Creative Momentum Going
After the initial excitement wore off, I needed fuel to keep seeing my space with fresh eyes. These kept me sketching and rearranging months later.
Grab a stack of back issues and flip through them with a pencil in hand — I started sketching rooms from magazine photos and then applying those ideas to my own apartment. Way more useful than scrolling Pinterest because you actually engage with the ...
25+ Architectural Magazine Back Issues for sale
Switch to a dot grid journal for your room sketches — the dots help you draw straight lines and maintain scale without the visual noise of full grid lines. I filled one in four months and flipping back through it is like watching my apartment slowly ...
Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal
Keep these loaded and ready for quick color studies when inspiration hits — no water cup needed, just squeeze and paint. Perfect for anyone who wants to test a color scheme in thirty seconds flat before the idea slips away. I keep one in my tote bag ...
Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brush Assorted Tips, Pack of 3