Ideas for Decorating a Rental Home
Renting should never feel as if you’re living in someone else’s house.
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On the contrary, if you’re finding it difficult to feel at home in your rented house, we’ve put together this guide to give you some ideas that will not annoy your landlord nor jeopardise your deposit.
What is sure is that you really should decorate your rented home, as the place where you live ought to be at least one of the ones where you feel at home.
Buy versatile furniture
When renting, it often happens that you will have no idea where you might be living next. We suggest to take this as an opportunity to buy versatile furniture. Find furnishings that don’t necessarily fit perfectly into your current house, but look for those that you will be able to take with you no matter where you will be going next. These are, for example, modular sofas, that can be left- or right-handed, folding chairs, gateleg tables, side or coffee tables.
Add some plants
If you’re unhappy with the environment of your newly rented house, with the addition of easy-to-keep plants you will surely enliven the space and relax the ambience, while giving the whole house a characteristic and unique look.
Improvise with a side table
If you have a good pile of old magazines, with the addition of a cheap smooth platform you can create a stylish, maybe vintage looking, but surely cool side table. Just part the pile of magazines in two or four piles and place the slap of marble or wood on top, to create the perfect side surface.
If you can’t hang, then lean
If your landlord is very strict, and you have already used all the hangings available, you can still lean your pictures off the wall from the floor, which will give your flat or house a New York loft feel or a Paris bohemien environment.
Upgrade the lighting
Light is truly important as a feature in any house. If the rental lights are not suitable for you, you can start thinking about swapping them, and this will make a big change into your space. However, if you are in the position of not being able to upgrade your fixtures, either because the landlord does not permit you, or because of your budget, you can always try to avoid using the overhead lights and build up a growing collection of floor and table lamps, which will be able to create a unique ambience for your house.
Change the hardware
Upgrading cabinet pulls in the kitchen or bathroom can be a perfect way of swapping that impersonal style with your own one. You should be careful to store the old ones somewhere safe and put it back in its place before you move out.
Improve Window Coverings
Dirty old curtains, lackluster windows and vertical blinds window treatment are really impersonal and proper of a rental house. You can try and change them with fresh new curtains, or simpler roller blinds that will best fit your tastes and characterise your house much more.
Paint a small section of the wall
If you feel like adding a little bit of colour to the standard white walls of rented houses, you can decide and paint a section of the wall in your own desired way, just make sure to repaint the original colour before you end your tenancy. It’s always worth double checking this is OK with your landlord first.
In addition, if you paint with relatively neutral colours, and the space looks great, you might not have to repaint the property when you leave, as some landlords might like it and keep it as you changed it.
Use tape
Nails are one of the most abhorred things to put on the wall of a rented house. However, if you still want to decorate the walls of your room, it’s suggested to use a tape that will be easily removable once you leave. You will probably still achieve the same personalised effect with less damage on the wall.
Temporary wall decorations
If you prefer not to paint, to avoid its expenses and work, try using temporary stick-on wallpaper, a choice that provides nearly endless ideas. Indeed, even a small change to the walls of your house can give it a fresher and more personal look.
Buy some rugs
Rugs are the perfect means to cover up cold laminate flooring, damaged wood, and other old carpets. You can choose all types of colours, manufacturers and sizes. And, best of all, it will be yours forever. So make sure to choose one that you really like, and transform the look of your living room, bedroom or other rooms with your personal style.
Decorate your bathroom with vinyl stickers
Vinyl stickers are extremely easy to apply, and look like the tiles of your bathroom were bought new! If well looked after they can also last for years, but can be also easily removed with a scraper without damaging the original tiles underneath, when you need to move out or if you have changed your mind.
Decorate with some string lights
Fairy lights are renters’ favourites, as they add a festive sparkle all year long and also add a warmer glow to bedrooms and living rooms. If you want to go for a trendier look, you can opt for micro-festoons with globe caps and brass-coloured fittings.
Summary
Decorating a rental home can often feel like a minefield of decisions that might explode at the first false step, with high financial risks. However, nothing will feel nicer than coming back to the house you made your own, and your own aesthetic will surely pay off. Wait no longer, and with these tips at hand, you can surely decorate your rental house in your own unique style.
