Hello! 
I (33f) just moved into my first solo apartment post pandemic.  I really want to make the living room/kitchen/hallway a lot less sterile and more homey,  and hopefully fix/cover up a lot of "landlord specials". 
Some basic info:
- UK based
- I am a student, so while I love a good DIY, I can't take on a big project. Likewise, money is somewhat tight.
- there is scaffolding outside, and will be for another year. I have some privacy film I'll be putting up so I can at least have the curtains upon during the day to help with lighting. But overall, the flat feels quite dark and stuffy.
- the sofa, chair, black/beige wall art, and dining set belong to the landlord and can't change.
-the storage space available is abysmal to say the least. One bedroom closet and one hall closet that houses the water heater, so anything that can double as storage space gets extra points. The kitchen has one overhead cupboard (currently housing dishes), one cupboard with two shelves (currently housing pantry items) under the sink (currently housing cleaning suplies), and a set of three drawers (utensils, cleaning and hand towels, pots/pans/baking sheets).

I hope that wasn't too much info to give. I'd really like to stay in this flat at least until I'm done with my program (sometime in 2026, hopefully), and, provided I find a job nearby, for a year or two after that. 

Thanks!

Please help me turn this flat into a comfy, warm haven