Top 10 Apartment Decorating Don'ts

OK, you don't own the place — that doesn't mean you have to live in a bland box. Don't be afraid to ask the landlord what you can and can't do with the space — you might be surprised. Most are fine with painting, hanging wall decorations and replacing existing window treatments and light fixtures, as long as you return the apartment to its original state when you move. And you never know — if the floor is hideous, you might actually be doing the building owner a favor by painting or staining it. Or that exposed brick wall really might look better white. Ask! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"People think they can't do anything to the space if they rent," says designer Ron Marvin, mini-space expert on HGTV's Small Space, Big Style. "Go ahead and paint. The way I look at it: If that apartment is back to white when you give it back to them, what can they say?" In his latest apartment, Marvin has painted his bathroom a deep chocolate brown. The key to beautiful apartment living, he says, is to look at the space not as a rental, but as your home.