This post shows you how to decorate a cool vibey apartment you will LOVE coming home to.
Have you scrolled through beautifully curated apartments on social media before thinking: “how the heck did they make this apartment such a vibe???”
You know, those apartments where you can just PICTURE yourself vibing out to a jazz record with a nice glass of wine after work. Or creating beautiful memories hosting friends and family. Or just vegging out on the couch for a movie marathon. Somehow even the most mundane activities would feel like a treat in THAT apartment.
Don’t worry – you don’t have to be a super talented design genius or hire an expensive interior designer to create a vibey apartment of your own.
While each person’s interior design tastes may vary, the core formula for a cool apartment is surprisingly consistent. Start with a foundation layer of furniture that reflects your desired aesthetic, then layer with ambient lighting, and last but not least accessorize with art, personal objects, and home decor that reflects your unique vibe and personality.
If you’re ready to breakdown the core components of a vibey apartment into 16 easy to copy decor ideas, let’s dive in!
16 Cool Decor Ideas for a Vibey Apartment:
- Cool lamps
- Embrace intentional clutter that reflects your hobbies.
- Statement couch or chairs
- Unique funky coffee table
- Projector
- Funky side tables
- Aesthetic bookshelf
- Gallery wall
- Colorful cozy throw blankets
- Plants, plants, plants
- Funky statement mirrors
- Large wall art
- Record player or sound system
- Mood-enhancing scents
- Cool books
- Bar cart or bar tray
1. Cool lamps
Lighting is absolutely critical to creating the right ambience for a vibey apartment. Avoid turning on the dreaded harsh overhead lights by filling your space with layered lighting from cool lamps. Opt for warm bulbs or smart bulbs to get that cozy amber glow.
Two lamps that I consider to be must-haves for any vibey apartment include a solid small accent lamp (perfect for curated corners or bookshelves) and an arc, floor lamp. For a deeper dive on cool lamps, check out this post on 20 cool lamps that would turn any apartment into a cozy dream.
Glowing Orb Lamp ($64.99)
2. Embrace intentional clutter that reflects your hobbies.
Don’t be afraid to embrace mess (“intentional clutter” is a buzzy design trend for 2025). The most unique, vibey apartments reflect the passions of their owners. Embrace your hobbies and the occasional mess they may make – whether it’s art, music, movies, wine and food, collecting comic books or whatever else!
By all means make good use storage solutions, but leave some occasional clues about your personal taste out to display in the open on your walls, coffee tables, and shelves.
3. Statement couch or chairs
The sitting area is arguably the centerpiece of any living space, so go for something that pops and packs a design punch. I love sleek, modular sofas for a timeless design that serves as the perfect base for additional styling via blankets, pillows and art.
If you have a smaller space or just prefer variety, I’m a big fan of the no couch / assortment of chairs approach as well. Check out how a collection of colorful, aesthetic chairs can be styled together to create a stunning seating area in Aden Wang’s stunning living room below:
4. Unique funky coffee table
There are so many cool, unique coffee tables to choose from nowadays: from colorful tiled coffee tables, to curved organic wood tables, to chic sculpted glass tables. Go for something with an unexpected, interesting design for a great conversation starter piece!
5. Projector
Something about the soft light and immersive experience of a projector always makes an apartment extra vibey. With a compact and mobile projector, you can turn any blank wall into a cinematic experience, whether its for movie night or just vibey imagery to accompany your lo-fi background playlist.
The best part is, projectors can be more affordable than TVs. Check out some of these options under $100:
6. Funky side tables
Side tables are like the perfect canvas for a furniture designer’s creativity – they come in so many interesting shapes, colors, and materials.
Instead of buying sets of side tables, mix it up and buy different individual ones. Choose unique and unexpected designs to sprinkle visual interest all over your apartment.
7. Aesthetic bookshelf
Shelves are a great way to showcase your personality and elevate your decor. A thoughtfully styled shelf can turn an otherwise drab space into a unique, interesting gallery reflecting your inner world.
To create a visually interesting shelf setup, mix different elements: stack books both horizontally and vertically, add small sculptures or vases, incorporate framed art or prints, and sprinkle in plants for pops of green. Play with varying heights and textures to create balance and dimension. Remember to leave a little negative space to help everything look intentional rather than cluttered.
8. Gallery wall
A gallery wall is a great way to showcase your diverse visual art tastes. They can be expansive and cover a whole wall, or small and contained like in the example below.
Mix photographs, prints, original works of art, and even postcards and mementos from your travels. You can think of gallery walls like a personal scrapbook on display for instant dopamine and inspiration.
Check out Drool, Etsy, and Society 6 for cool pieces for your gallery wall.
9. Colorful cozy throw blankets
Throw blankets aren’t just a cozy and useful home accessory to have, their colorful prints and designs can add enormous visual interest to your space. You can drape them over chairs, couches, and beds for a cozy pop of color.
My favorite throw blanket brand Bien Mal is currently having a 30% off spring sale (as of March 2025). They make 100% cotton throw blankets with stunning designs inspired by the Latin American roots of their founders. Check them out!
10. Plants, plants, plants
Plants are basically a necessity in a vibey apartment. You’ve probably seen many jungle-like, plant-filled apartments explode in popularity on social media. And for good reason – greenery literally breathes life and good energy into any space.
When utilized correctly, plants can even become a core, defining design feature – just look at any lush, verdant 1 Hotel lobby.
For a lush, jungle-inspired vibe, layer different types of plants at varying heights—think hanging planters, large floor plants, and small tabletop greens. If you’re a beginner who’s just trying to keep your plant babies alive, opt for low-maintenace monsteras, snake plants or a vining pothos plant.
11. Funky statement mirrors
Funky statement mirrors are a great accessory for any vibey apartment. Mirrors bring light into your living space, but a unique colorful design can also bring a playful, fun vibe to your space.
These colorful squiggly wavy mirrors by Gustaf Westman have been making an appearance in every cool girl’s apartment recently. If you don’t want to shell out a thousand bucks for a designer mirror however, there are tons of great dupes on Amazon.
12. Large wall art
Nothing screams taste more than a large work of art placed prominently in your living space. Whether it’s a large framed photograph or a canvas painting angled against the wall, art is a fantastic way to elevate your space and showcase your aesthetic preferences.
If you can afford to, shop around at your local art galleries for an original piece to support a working artist. Authentic original works of art can be found for under $5000 if you’re investing in an artist early in their career. If you prefer to shop online, I really like the female-artist focused online art gallery Tacit Collective.
You can also easily DIY your own large abstract art pieces if you’re willing to put in the sweat equity for a true original that is uniquely yours.
13. Record player or sound system
Music can really set the vibe and ambience of any apartment. Whether you’re unwinding to a great jazz soundtrack, chilling out with friends, or letting off steam in a solo dance party, a great sound system can really enhance your quality of life.
Create a little dedicated “sound station” atop a media console or side table and decorate with a vintage record player, your record collection, or a modern bluetooth speaker. I’m a big fan of the classic Google Nest Mini + Spotify subscription combo. Gotten a little too used to changing soundtracks while washing dishes with just a quick: “hey google, play my jazz club playlist!”.
14. Mood-enhancing scents
An apartment that smells good is an apartment that feels good. Scent can enhance the atmosphere of a home, and instantly make your space feel more luxurious and cozy.
Experiment with candles, diffusers and incense with different scent profiles to find what feels like home. Here are some popular scent profiles to get you started:
- Sandalwood, lavender or eucalyptus for a zen, spa-like home
- Vanilla, amber, and palo santo for cozy, warm vibes
- Citrus, peppermint, and musk for energizing, rejuvenating vibes
15. Cool books
Cool books are a great way to “leave clues” about your taste across your apartment, and embrace intentional clutter. Arrange them like jigsaws on top of a coffee, fill your bookshelves with them (check this post for how to DIY a vertical bookshelf for $20), or simply stack them into vertical towers that you can use as mini side tables or stools.
If you’re looking for books and magazine with beautiful covers to buy for your home, I would recommend:
- Apartamento
- Kinfolk
- Monocle
- Monocle Travel Guides
- Assouline Books
16. Bar cart or bar tray
Every vibey apartment needs a bar cart or bar tray for a finishing touch. A home bar element can really set the tone for fun, relaxing atmosphere perfect for hosting friends or unwinding solo after a long work day. Even if you don’t drink alcohol, you can fill your bar tray with mocktail ingredients, canned drinks of your choice, glassware, and other decor.
If you don’t have enough space for a full bar cart, check out these 16 stylish bar trays that look even better than bar carts.
That’s it! Hope this post gave you some ideas for how to create a vibey apartment of your own. Remember there are no hard and fast no rules – as long as you buy what you love, and let your personality shine through, you’re bound to end up with a space that feels like home. Good luck!
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