Not everything that makes your space better involves buying furniture. Here are 9 quick fixes that you can knock out in a single afternoon — most of them are free.
Turn Off the Soap Opera Effect
Go into your TV settings and turn off TruMotion / Motion Smoothing / Auto Motion Plus (the name varies by brand). This is the setting that makes movies and shows look like they were shot on a cheap camcorder. It's on by default on most TVs and it makes everything look terrible. Your $350 TV will instantly look $200 better.
Eliminate Bowls of Clutter
That bowl on the counter or coffee table that's become a graveyard for keys, coins, receipts, and random hardware? Empty it. Either find a proper home for each item or get a small drawer/tray that hides the mess. Open bowls of clutter on visible surfaces scream "I don't have my life together."
Replace Disposable Soap Dispensers
The $2 softsoap bottle by the sink is the easiest upgrade in your apartment. Get a refillable pump dispenser in ceramic, glass, or brushed metal. This single swap makes your kitchen and bathroom look intentionally designed instead of hastily stocked. Total cost: $8-15, one time.
Fix Self-Opening Drawers
If you have kitchen or bathroom drawers that slowly slide open on their own, fix them. It takes 5 minutes with a screwdriver or a drawer bumper pad. Nothing says "I don't notice my own space" like a drawer hanging open at a 45-degree angle.
Retire the Novelty Cups
The giant Costco tumbler, the free conference mug, the souvenir cup from Cancun 2019. These should not be in your kitchen cabinet rotation, let alone left out on the counter. Get a matching set of simple glasses and mugs. IKEA does these well and cheap.
Remove the Bedskirt
Bedskirts look dated and fussy. If your bed frame has a gap underneath, either get a frame that sits lower or use the space for clean under-bed storage boxes. A modern bed should show the frame, not a fabric curtain.
Manage Your Cords
Zero visible cords hanging from your TV. Then work outward from there — desk cables, lamp cords, charger nests on the nightstand. Use cord covers, cable clips, or even just re-routing cords behind furniture. This is covered in detail in Mistake #9.
Get Small Bathroom Trash Cans
A proper small trash can with a lid in each bathroom. Not a plastic grocery bag hanging from a doorknob. Not an open wastebasket showing its contents to every guest. A simple, small trash can with a lid. Under $10.
Mount Curtains Wider Than Windows
If you have curtains, the rod should extend 6-12 inches wider than the window on each side. This makes your windows look larger and lets more light in when the curtains are open. It's the single most impactful curtain trick and costs nothing if you already have a rod — just reposition the brackets. See Mistake #8 for more window treatment tips.
What's Next?
These 9 fixes are the low-hanging fruit. Once they're done, move on to the bigger upgrades:
- 13 No-Cost DIY Projects — more improvements that don't cost anything
- Worst Design Mistakes — make sure you're not making the big ones
- Starter Packs from $500 — when you're ready to invest in furniture