Usually, renters are restricted to what they can and can’t change in a rental property but even if you can’t hang pictures or paint walls, your decor doesn’t have to be boring. There are plenty of affordable, temporary ways to brighten up a space without jeopardising your bond.
Take a look!
Paint Your Furniture
One of the key ways to make a rented property feel like your own is to fill it with your own furniture, whether new or pre-loved. This way you can add your own personal style to your flat, especially as you can get creative with it. Second-hand wooden tables, chairs, cabinet and dressers look fantastic when given a coat of trendy paint to blend in with your overall look. It’s also an easy DIY project that won’t break the bank.
Colour Your Furnishings
You can instantaneously brighten up a rented home with the addition of scatter cushions for the lounge and bedroom. Keep the couch or bed linen neutral and choose a general theme for the cushions so it doesn’t look too haphazard (i.e., animals, geometrics, florals). Alternatively, you can introduce bright colours and patterns into bed covers, pillowcases, a throw blanket, a shower curtain, a tablecloth – all easily removed and taken with you when the lease is up.
Hide Tatty Floors
A statement rug is a no fuss way to hide stained carpet or scratched floorboards, and it’s also a great way to inject colour and visual interest into a room with hardly any effort involved. You just have to choose the right rug! As a general rule of thumb, pick the rug first then choose textiles to go with it. Rug layering can also work if you’ve got a large space and not the budget to match. Buy a larger neutral, natural fibre rug and layer the smaller, more expensive rug over the top.
Accentuate With Lights
Good lighting is essential for brightening a dingy rented flat, turning it into an inspiring space you want to live in. There are plenty of options when it comes to affordable lighting shops, and a huge range of interesting floor lamps, table lamps and side lamps. Statement candlestick holders and fairy lights are non-permanent fixtures that give a room glamour, warmth and comfort, without relying on boring bulbs.
Play Around With Plants
Flowers, pot plants and kitchen herbs can make a home feel brighter and cheerier. You don’t have to have expensive vases either, a collection of glass jam jars or empty candle holders are ideal for flower displays, whether real or fake. Indoor pot plants such as African violet or cyclamens add a natural, calming effect to a room, as well as purifying the air. If you’ve got a sunny windowsill or balcony, then set up a cute portable herb garden for enjoying fresh herbs in your cooking.
Mark Your Territory
Don’t be afraid to make your mark on a rented home. Display your own cool and quirky belongings to create an interesting aesthetic, rather than keeping them hidden away in storage. The best thing about a rented flat is that it’s a blank canvas begging to be up-styled, and you don’t have to fork out wads of hard earned cash to do it.
