It’s no secret that when you own a home, you have a lot more creative freedom over your interior design than you do when renting. Your landlord may have put a ban on any painting, wallpaper and/or nails in the wall, as it creates more mess and work for when the next person moves in. Any good landlord will compare landlord insurance policies to ensure that they are as protected as possible against any damage a tenant might leave behind.
Some renters luck out with a laidback landlord who’s happy for them to make changes but for most, there are rules and boundaries to adhere to. Don’t let that stop you though, renters! There are plenty of creative hacks out there that you can implement in your rented property to make it feel more like your own and put your personal stamp on it.
Hide what you don’t like
Whether it’s the floors your landlord put down, the curtains or any furniture that came with the property, if you don’t like it – hide it! Sure, hiding your flooring isn’t easy but you can disguise as much of it as possible with rugs and runners. Opt for colourful patterns, plush textures – whatever it is that more reflects you and your style, add it in and fixate on that instead of the features you don’t like.
With items such as curtains, you can take these down and replace them with your own – just as long as you keep the originals safe to put back up before you leave the property and move. You could even do this with any furniture your landlord has left, such as beds or sofas. Either ask your landlord to take the furniture back, or you could even pay for storage or keep it in a garage/friend’s garage.
Create the right lighting
Never underestimate the power of the right lighting! Lighting creates an atmosphere and ambience that is the key to making a space feel homely and welcoming. The best way to achieve this is through lamps. You could also try replacing any ceiling bulbs with ones of better quality to either give the room more light, or a cosy warm glow.
Make sure each corner of a room is well-lit. You can do this through adding statement floor lamps or table lamps. Creating a cosy feel is most important in bedrooms and the lounge, as this is where you’ll want to curl up and relax after a long day at work.
Dress the walls
Sure, you might not be able to nail things to your walls, such as picture frames and mirrors, but there are other ways for you to dress your walls. Try relying on surfaces such as window sills, TV units and coffee tables to display your nik-naks. Simply propping and layering different sized pieces of artwork and prints on sideboards and furniture is on trend at the moment for a scandi but slightly maximalist vibe.
You could also look at investing in a standing shelving unit of some kind. This is a great way to add height and dimension to a room, cover any blank spaces, whilst giving yourself extra storage space and display opportunities for books, prints, plants and all those little things in your home that really reflect you.
Just ask!
It’s always worth just asking your landlord about any changes you might want to make in the home. Who knows – you might be doing them a favour by giving the place a bit of a refresh! If the walls are currently a tired shade of magnolia, your landlord might be overjoyed if you offer to paint them white and take on the labour and costs yourself – a win-win. White is the perfect base colour for any style and interior, so always a good first step to make.
A rented home is still a home. You may have more obstacles in your way when making it look exactly how you’d like, but it’s by no means an impossible feat!
