Apartment Decorating

So I've been dating my boyfriend for 2 years long distance now and we're both talking long term future. We've been talking about what will happen after I graduate and move up there, he rents a room in his friend's house now but we both know that we can't live there long-term. So we've been having a house/apartment discussion recently. I want us to have OUR house where we can raise future children and have our home where I can paint the walls canary yellow if I want to! He argues that a home is super expensive and that with his job as a typist (that he's been at for 11 years) and my future teaching job really won't support us and a mortgage and kids. He was born and raised in the Bronx in an apartment so he really sees nothing wrong with it. His reasoning is pretty sound, an apartment IS cheaper and if something breaks we can call the landlord rather than having to pay to fix it ourselves. My main problem is how little an apartment is and I don't know how to decorate a place where you're not allowed to paint the walls or put nails in to hang up art work. So I've been looking all over the internet and at the most amazing Pinterest for design ideas for my future apartment. I haven't come up with much yet but I was thinking something like this out of a dresser:

This provides prettiness, seating, and storage all in one! Something required for an apartment yes? Here's another dresser revamp:

A bookcase, shelf, and storage all in one! I love books so I love this idea too! It allows me to show off books and use up wall space instead of floor space too! 

I also like this lampshade that may not vary according to house or apartment but I just think its beautiful and would look great with some awesome book pages. 

As another storage opportunity I love this idea of surrounding a sofa with small bookshelves so I don't have to have side tables on both sides taking up room! 

Have you realized I love books and bookshelves? Because here's another idea of using wall space and repurposing something! A ladder as a bookshelf lining the walls!

(all these pictures came either from my for the home or craft ideas at my pinterest account here.)

So what do you think of the house/apartment debate and my dreams of decorating an apartment? Are my dreams so far amazing or not so much? Any other ideas you have for decorating a great apartment? :)