Opinion

Make Your House a Home 5 Rental-Friendly Decor Ideas

For one reason or another, we all need to rent at some point in our lives. While the majority of people rent out of financial necessity rather than choice, there are certain benefits to not owning a home: the freedom to move around, for example, and not having to make repairs. However, one obvious downside of renting a home is not being able to make changes to the décor without permission.

Whether your living situation is temporary or long-term, personalizing a space is the key to making it your own. With this in mind, here are five tips to help you upgrade your rental without losing your security deposit.

Add Splashes of Color

A splash of color can do wonders for a lifeless room, but renters often get stuck with magnolia walls that do little to inspire. Check with your landlord before ruling out painting your apartment, as some are more relaxed about tenants redecorating if it’s done tastefully. Most of the time, however, painting a rental home will cost you your security deposit, so don’t unleash your paintbrush on the walls without permission.

If you can’t change your wall colors, don’t despair – you can paint your furniture instead. Just make sure you buy multi-surface paint and clean and sand items down before starting, and lay dustsheets to avoid getting paint on the floor.

Hang Pictures Without Leaving a Mark

Personal photographs and artwork are what turns a house into a home, but most landlords are reluctant to let you drill holes to hang them up. Instead of living with bare walls, try using command hooks or washi tape to personalize your space. You can even use Velcro strips if you want to be able to move items around easily. If making holes in your walls is unavoidable, know that they can be filled easily with spackling paste before you leave.

Create Artistic Storage Displays 

Who said storage had to be boring? These days, there are tons of clever storage ideas on the Internet, including wire basket displays, ladders as shelves, dry bags on display and tree stumps as side tables. Open shelving is also really popular, giving you an opportunity to showcase your best crockery or organize your pantry essentials into pretty jars.

Go Big on Lighting

A beautiful space is nothing without proper lighting, so invest in some stylish table and floor lamps, even if you can’t change the overhead fittings. YLighting offers an extensive collection of statement lamps and lighting solutions that will take your interior style up a notch, while melding functionality with beauty. For instance, a contemporary floor light with reading light would be ideal for a reading nook or home office, being both practical and artistic at the same time.

Dress Your Floors

You may not be able to get carpet or change the tacky flooring in your bathroom, but you can lay rugs to transform the look of your home instantly. Using rugs will also help to insulate the property – not to mention they will keep your feet feeling toasty when the weather drops. Look out for large area rugs that will add to your style, or consider making your own using scraps of material.