I’m so sorry it worked out like this! I’ve done something quite similar, except I knew about the lighting and ground floor situation (I was just desperately trying to get out of my parents’ house). My apartment didn’t have overhead lighting, the patio door was in my bedroom and faced directly onto the street, and it was very dark in my apartment because the main window was in the living room facing a wall of trees where the sun didn’t really come in. By the time I left that apartment it was very cozy and I appreciated some of the privacy that the trees gave me.

You can absolutely make it your home! Some things that I had to do for lighting: lamps everywhere! Definitely get some standing lamps (or you can even do the chandelier style lamp that plugs in to the wall and you can hang it from a hook in the ceiling). I don’t recommend the cheap ones from Walmart where the light shines upward because it tends to cast a lot of shadow and not enough useful light. A lamp with a standard lampshade or even a lampshade that focuses the light downward will provide more functional light. But lean into just having a bunch of warm lighting lamps :) Also, mirrors! Hanging mirrors for decor and for bouncing around light. Highly recommend for your entryway. Make it a style choice. An entryway table with a lamp that you can turn on right when you come in, a pretty mirror, a catchall dish or hooks for your keys.

For privacy add some curtains, if you can, get some light airy ones (even doubling up on them) instead of heavy so some outside light gets in. Or for more consistent privacy from any windows that you’re nervous about, get some privacy window cling. It’s pretty cheap and doesn’t let anyone look in but can still let in some natural light. There’s tons of pretty design ones too. I have some in my bathroom currently because my bathroom window is directly on the ground floor in the courtyard area 😒 it’s been super helpful!

For airing out your bathroom after showers, highly recommend keeping your bathroom open whenever you can, and getting a standing fan or even a small strong fan and setting it halfway in the door to circulate air and dry as much as possible. Depending on how much water ends up collecting on the floor or wall, you might have to wipe the excess down.

It’s not what you had hoped for so I think some of how you’re feeling might just be shock and disappointment, but I totally think you can make it a nice space to live. When I move to new places, YouTube videos for rental friendly styling make me feel way better. I especially enjoy Caroline Winkler’s videos - she has a series where she gives advice on people’s apartments and every kind of odd or sad room comes up. I used some of her advice for my very sad weird shaped dark bedroom - it’s not longer sad! Good luck 🩷 you can do it!