In this era of high social media exposure, we are regularly bombarded with shows, blogs and websites filled with images and takes on well-decorated homes. But if you’re a renter that’s when ‘home-ownership-envy’ hits you.
Decorating rented homes is a tricky business. On one side, you want to make ‘your’ space feel like home while you’re living there. Whereas on the other, you don’t want to jeopardize your situation… Anyone who rents a property longs to put their own stamp on their living space nut knows, the limitations of set up of a typical rental home can be extremely frustrating. But are you bored of the bland magnolia walls and conventional outlook on furniture?
That’s where I come in, as I’ve gathered practical suggestions and ways to help you decorate your home without being limited in design choices. Create a truly unique and beautiful living space without wasting money or making any permanent changes.
Here are some tips and tricks to help you decorate your rental homes, no matter how temporary.
Because if you’re paying it, why not own it?
Paint those walls:
First and foremost, wave those magnolia walls goodbye and paint them white!
Remember the goal is to achieve a modern yet sophisticated look that is both achievable and affordable.
You’ll realize the power of the color white once you’ve painted the entire interior white as soon as you move in, as it makes a world of a difference and gives us the perfect ‘blank-canvas-look’ to work with. The benefits of ‘whitewashing’ is simple, as the color makes the space open, fresh and calm any desired look can be achieved. The simple method to go about after painting the walls white is either incorporating different themes in furniture or simply by painting a single wall a different color.
Are a couple who got recently married or a family with kids? Want to get that perfect Pinterest look? Neon is the color to go about as it’s having a major moment in home décor right now. But if you’re not that dramatic, you can always opt for a richer shade that compliments the white walls, and since it’s a typical-desi household, with the mahogany furniture.
Another way to take on the boring walls are Removable wallpapers. This hack is for everyone, if you’re a bachelor who wants to spin around their apartment, a newly couple who wants to add color in their life, or better yet have kids to deal with. This is a great way turn the game around by being affordable to utilize and make a design statement for relatively little effort. A few essential to keep in mind when working with removable wallpaper are, the first step is to gauge the quality of your walls. Walls that aren’t heavily textured or have loose plaster are ideal to use wallpapers on. So smoother walls reduces the chances of having air pockets under paper when installing and a bubbly look can be avoided. With removable wallpapers, the possibilities of design are endless, you could either opt to cover a whole room in a print, or stick to one eye-catching design to create an accent wall, or just highlight a particular wall. With a press-and-stick method, removable wallpapers are the easiest trick for any and every renter to turn about their home décor.
Make artsy space:
If you’re reluctant to paint the walls, another easy fix is artwork or photo frames, which is achievable and make you feel like you own your space. Own the space by adding pictures of your family, if you’re married or married with kids. An issue is often faced when nails are hammered in the walls which actually damages walls. But hey, don’t worry. There is always a solution to problems… and in this case the solution is ditching the nails and using; S-hooks, wash-tape or removable wall hooks. Another issue one might face is lack of storage space, therefore adding shelving can solve your problems and they don’t have to be expensive. One can always get creative with the ideas and turn about the wall décor game. Using painted wooden planks is a modern take on setting up your homes, maximum space to place things with minimal suspension… winner.
Add some greenery:
It’s about time to give greenery the fair share of attention that is required. House plants are a relatively cheap method to personalize your space, and add color to any room. There’s no denying that natural elements like plants can bring a much-needed pop of visual interest and variety to your homes, but best of all, not only do plants help clean the air around, but they have been proven to reduce stress. I’ve found they are also the perfect way to disguise nasty window ledges. Over the last few years, home plants have become increasingly popular. Adding to the modern aesthetic.
This might be easier for people already committed, as they know how much care goes into caring for living things… but if you’re a bachelor and you’re serious about taking up this job? You must know the amount of effort that goes in. And if you’re not ready? Get creative and add colors to your rental home or apartment by setting up different crystal pieces.
Lighten up:
Lighting should be a top priority, but is often neglected in rentals. Investing in small but spectacular signature lamps with quirky shades will provide your space with the personality and homely look you want, whereas great lighting at an affordable price is essential. This is an affordable yet contemporary hack for the bachelors out there. A smart overhead light is an example of inexpensive and effective yet a bold take to add instant ambience to a room. Similarly, suspending a cluster of filament bulbs give a room that modern-chic look. Consider the light bulbs you’re using, typical Pakistani homes don’t have a dimmer switches, so a simpler way is use lower wattages of bulbs or even a filaments to get a good evening glow. Setting up a wonderful mood for all those family gatherings if you’re married. It’s all easier to pack when you move out.
Add statement pieces:
This is one the main tricks that is essential for any kind of rental home or apartment and family or a bachelor pad. When renting a house, make sure your money is best spent on the things that you can take with you to your next home. Scoring a few stand-out pieces of furniture for each space, creates an overall theme for your space but remember to harmonize your furniture in a synchronized manner. Make sure to draw the eye to a subtle little piece or a statement surprise in every room.
Using rugs:
Flooring is one of the most common issues with rental properties. Changing carpets isn’t possible, so an affordable solution is investment in rugs. This is an inexpensive way of adding color and excitement to any room by integrating patterns. For situations in which you want to hide your wall-to-wall carpeting, opt for a large, neutral rug to cover as much of it as possible without clashing. Then again adding a simple sisal area rug can help protect wood floors and add life to a lifeless room. Optimizing a runner in a hallway can change the whole feel of an entrance or hall leading to bedrooms and is relatively inexpensive.
Dress up the windows:
Changing the window dressings in a room is a quick hack that has a big impact. Replace the old pieces with curtains or shades in the fabric of your choice; possibly a flowy material, as that gives an open look to the room, makes it airy, and allows maximum daylight to enter your home. If one can, ditch railings for rods, as you’ll be able to take these with you when you move, so it’s worth the investment.
However, if any bachelor is renting an apartment and does want to put in so much effort, simple curtains or blinds would do the trick. It will again save up the time and is easily removable when moving out. Remember guys, it’s all about owning your space.
Fixture and fittings:
Talking from personal experience and being my favorite, a great finishing touch for any home especially rental home is the fixtures and fittings. Changing the ironmongery on anything from kitchen cabinetry to bathroom cabinetry is a great way to tie up a rental property together. Ironmongery has the power to turn something simple and ordinary into something special and memorable and upgrade the feel of the whole space, with the added bonus of taking it all with you when you move, so this is also a safe investment.
Easily installed on simple kitchen cabinet doors, they instantly draw the eye and uplift the overall impact of the kitchen, reducing the impact of the kitchen doors themselves. By choosing something slightly unexpected the impact is increased and can divert attention to minute details if an overall theme is created.
Decorating a rental home can be a challenge. On the one hand, it makes one want to own the space by making it your own during your tenure there. With the help of the tips in this post, I hope that I’ve convinced you to turn your rental homes about. Feel free to drop suggestions for bringing a little life to rental homes. Also, let us know in the comments below if you’ll you be using any of them to decorate your apartment?
