While there’s a lot of resources out there for decorating today’s larger homes, there’s very little about how to decorate an apartment or incorporate your furniture into it. Let’s face it, many people are downsizing these days and even a 1,000 square foot apartment can seem pretty small after living in a house.

However, with a little creativity, space planning and repurposing your furniture, you can easily adapt your lifestyle to apartment living while still feeling like it’s home.

First, creating a comfy home in an apartment doesn’t require a huge outlay of cash, especially if you’re moving from a home to an apartment, either in your own town or halfway across the country. The first step is to figure out what fits in your new space. This may require some hard decisions. If you can’t fit it all in, you can always put what you can’t use in storage until you either move to larger quarters or decide its fate.

Be creative in your furniture decisions. Furniture that was used for one room in your home may work well in another in your apartment. Be open about how you add furniture to each room and don’t make the mistake of trying to recreate your old home on a smaller scale. It may never feel right.

Once you have your basic furniture selected and you’ve decided where it looks best, you can go shopping for any new pieces of furniture you need. Each apartment has a different layout and will end up with odd spaces that are begging for the right furniture to fill it. If you’re on a budget, shop the sales. Get the best piece of furniture you can afford and resist the temptation to buy a cheap piece of furniture. It won’t last and it will just cost you more in the long run when you have to replace it with something new.

There’s always a temptation to forego decorating because you don’t own the space. That may sound logical, but it means your house will never become a home. If you have a good relationship with your landlord, see if you can do a little painting. Otherwise, add artwork to the walls to make them less sterile. You’ll be amazed how a little lighting, art and accessorizing will not only make your walls warmer, but make your furniture look more inviting to visitors.

If you’re new to apartment living, you want to put most of your effort into decorating the spaces you’ll be living in most. You want to find comfort in these areas, particularly the living room and bedroom. Make sure your best furniture goes in these rooms. You can put the other furniture in the rooms that are less frequently used.

Extra storage is really important in a small apartment. If you have furniture that already features storage, make sure you use these pieces first. This will keep your apartment from feeling crowded or cluttered. Also, remember that you don’t want to overload your living room, bedroom or dining room with too much furniture. Less really is more, as long as the furniture you select is useful, comfortable and welcoming.