The Ultimate Book-Lover’s Guide to How to Make an Apartment Feel Like Home

You’ve moved! And right about now, you’ve managed to change your address, notify every institution of your current whereabouts, and unpack almost everything. But there are still some things to do after moving that are awaiting you. They say that home is where the heart is, and when it comes to bookworms, their heart is with their paperbacks and hardcovers. So now you’re probably wondering – how can I make my home feel like home? Most people would buy a few candles and throw pillows on the sofa, but bookworms won’t stop there. They need to use each corner of the abode to present their favorite books and create cozy spots for reading.

First of All, Get Rid of Everything Unnecessary to Help Your Move

Suppose you haven’t already downsized for a move before the relocation truck arrives. In that case, you should get rid of anything unnecessary you won’t be needing in your new residence to reorganize and redesign it. Besides, decluttering is something that we should do regularly, as we tend to pile up unwanted items when we’re living in one place. All the items movers won’t move have already made their way to the garbage bin, but you can donate furniture to a charity such as Goodwill and throw away all the useless stuff to create some space for a library. In the end, create a pile of things you need for your first apartment, contact cross-country movers and invest in long-distance moving services. If you plan to ship your car with an auto transport service, don’t forget to leave a few novels out for your trip on a plane.

Thin Down Your Collection of Novels Before You Leave Your Old Residence

Throwing a moving away party is a great opportunity to say goodbye to your friends and family. While you were packing, you’ve probably decided not to take some novels with you, and these could be the perfect gifts for your loved ones. You’ll leave them a lovely memory and thin down your collection at the same time. If you want a tip or two about how to part with some of your novels and don’t see it as something sad, watch the video below.

Pay Special Attention to Your Collection While You Pack It

Before you start packing your collection, you should either go out and buy different packing materials or find out where to get free moving boxes. They can be found in a local book store (they probably already know you there, so they’ll be delighted to give them away and help you) or perhaps in a retail store.

Then you’ll need a few packing tips for moving, so your paperback and hardcover lovelies arrive unscathed. You can deposit them in a box flat on their backs, or they can be packed standing up, just like on the shelf. The trick is that they should be placed with their spines facing the walls of the box. If some of your books need extra protection, put some cardboard dividers between them. If you’re not sure you’ll handle packing all your favorite books well, you can always invest in a packing service so that the professionals can take care of it.

How to Make an Apartment Feel Like Home and Create Yur Own Library

It’s easy to know what to keep when moving if you are a bookworm. That means that your favorite sofa, armchair, and some shelves have made it to the new residence. But you can do many other things to create an abode that’s homey and cozy for those living in it. From thorough cleaning at the beginning to implementing your sense of style, you’ll manage to design it in such a way that you’ll entirely fall in love with it.

Making an Apartment a Home Requires Some Sprucing up First

Before you settle in the abode and begin to rearrange everything, you should thoroughly clean the apartment before moving in for good. That’s why your new residence checklist should contain all the cleaning supplies and tools you manage to get your hands on. You’ve probably added most of these things on your moving out for the first time list, but ensure you buy some furniture polish, too, so your shelves could shine.

Bright up the Residence With Light and Color

Everyone needs some brightness in their lives, especially bookworms (because they spend so much time reading). Multiple studies show the benefits of good lighting and fresh views. Patients placed in rooms with windows looking at a beautiful landscape view didn’t require pain medication. And although most book-lovers forget pain, the fact that they’ve moved to another state alone, hunger, or the lack of light while they read, it would be great to brighten up the space, even if it doesn’t have enough natural light. You can do this by adding lamps strategically throughout the place and by painting the walls some bright colors.

How to Make an Apartment Feel Like a Home by Remodeling Old Furniture

Sometimes we move furniture from the old place because we want to save on the expenses, and sometimes we are simply too attached to some of these pieces. But even the worn-out-looking furnishings can be redesigned and given a new life. Old desks can be repainted in a color that you love, and shelves can be redone in several ways. One way is to simply renew them with some paint or wood stain, and another way is to either paint the back wall of the shelf another color or to place a stick on the wallpaper. This solution makes the packed books pop out once you start placing them.

If You Have Enough Free Space, Designate a Room for a Private Library

If you are a passionate bookworm, in love with their collection of novels, and you’re looking for ways on how to make an apartment homey, having a whole room for a library is a dream come true. Before your long-distance movers bring your belongings that were stored in their storage units, you have some time on your hands to scout out each corner of the residence. If you have a spare room, no matter how tiny it is, you can consider making it your personal library, where you can sit, drink a hot beverage, and get lost in your favorite novel.

Use Each Wall and Every Available Space to Place Shelves

When we look for a perfect abode to rent, it should match several criteria. While we create a list of what do we need to rent an apartment, bookworms will also search for a residence that has enough space for all their favorite novels. But even when you are not able to afford a spacious abode, there are ways to use every inch of it and present your books in the best possible light. Shelves can be placed anywhere. If you follow some moving tips that help you save on costs, you can repurpose it instead of throwing away old furniture. Add some shelves on the sides of your desk, for example. You can even use the space under the stairs (if you have them) or mount shelves on the wall around the doors. Window nooks are everything that any bookworm dreams of – a perfect cozy little spot, which you can line with colorful pillows and add some warm blankets.

Reupholster Old Sofas and Armchairs to Get a Chic Style

To a bookworm, their favorite books will not be among the forgotten things to pack. And as a book-lover, besides relocating your collection to a new abode, it’s almost equally important to have something cozy and comfortable to sit on while reading. Sofas and armchairs aren’t cheap, and since your pieces are probably quite worn out, you can do a little sprucing up. Go out and buy some stylish fabric to reupholster your sofa and armchair with, while you can go over the wooden parts with some sandpaper and a bit of paint. If you add some colorful pillows over, you’ll have a lovely spot for living in.

Or Simply Go On a Shopping Spree

If your furniture for sitting is too old and worn out, or simply too large to fit into the abode, there’s no way around it – you must go shopping. Stores like Ikea have quite affordable yet functional shelves and furniture pieces for sitting. You can go and hunt for details for decorating that can brighten up the space, and when it comes to book-lovers, that means a few blankets and some artwork with quotes will do the trick. If you’ve moved with pets, create a spot for them in your reading nook, so they can be close to you while you relax with your favorite book in hand.

How to Transform Your Library Into Something Impressive

How do I make my apartment cozy? – you’re wondering. In a bookworm’s case, cozy means enough spots where you can be comfortable and relax while reading. But books don’t have to be simply placed on the shelves – you can rearrange and organize them so that they will be just pleasing to the eye. This will state the obvious to any visitor – that the abode you’re living in belongs to a passionate book-lover. Here are some examples of how your library can pop:

• One of the most obvious choices, especially if you own an extensive collection and need to reference books often, is to arrange them alphabetically.
• If you’re not just into one genre and buy the books you like, whatever their running theme is, you can organize them by their genre. It’s an exciting approach to shelf arrangements and a simple way to do something fresh with your collection.
• Separating the paperbacks from hardcovers will bring some visual balance to the shelves.
• Have you ever tried rainbow bookshelves? Although there’s some controversy surrounding this kind of book arrangement, it makes sense if the books are mostly read and are not referenced often.
• You can create visual waves if you organize your books by height. Start from the right to left, and do the opposite on the shelf below. You’ll get stunning visual results.
• Stacking up a part of your shelves is not a new method. The best approach is to vertically organize around 70% of your shelf and about 30% horizontally.
• If you want to combine some decorations or artwork with your novel collection, you can always arrange them in the two-thirds method. It’s a method where you take two-thirds of the shelf and stack your books, while one-third is left free or decorated with interesting pieces.

If you own an extensive collection or love to lend books to others, it would be good to keep track of them. While the alphabetically organized shelf is the easiest to keep an eye on, you can find some apps where you can create your online library. They can come in handy if you’re moving out for the first time, and you don’t want any of your novels lost in transport.

A Book Lover’s Home Is Where Their Books and Reading Nooks Are

It’s not easy to pack up and move, whether you’re struggling to figure out what to pack for college or you’re making a moving to-do list because you are relocating to advance in your career. But when you make your future residence cozy and homey, it’s easier to battle the relocation anxiety and depression. And what’s crucial for any book-lover is to let their inner sense of style shine so that they can create a perfect reading spot out of the whole abode.