Today I have a guest post from a fellow interior blogger Fiona from Kindred Living sharing her expertise on how to add your personality on a rented home. Over to you Fiona :
Decorating your rented space can be such a frustrating task. You’re limited by all these rules and stipulations by your landlord, and no one ever understands why they don’t just give you free reign – you’ll be making the place look a whole lot nicer anyway!
Well lucky for renters there’s a whole suite of hacks accustomed over the years and today I want to tackle some of those decoration headaches so that you can give your rented space as much personality as if it were your own home.
credit: Kindred Living
Problem 1: You’re not allowed to hammer nails into the walls
Solution: 3D Command Strips and/or Washi Tape
Fear not renters! Just because there’s a rule in your contract that won’t allow you to put your DIY skills to good use, doesn’t mean your walls will forever be bare and soulless. 3D Command Strips come in all shapes and sizes and are perfect for sticking photo frames to your walls whilst giving you the option to remove them (without leaving a pesky hole). If you’re on a really tight budget and want a quick fix, try sticking paper art or posters to your wall with some pretty washi tape.
credit Oh So Amelia
Problem 2: You really want pattern on the wall but you’re not allowed to wallpaper
Solution: Decals! Go wild!
Decals are a great temporary solution to wallpaper. Purchase (or DIY) small round polka dots in your chosen colour and – the tricky bit – position them in a uniform way all across one bedroom wall, for an ‘accent’ to the room.
credit DIY by Honeybear Lane
Problem 3: You can’t paint the walls but you really want some colour in the room
Solution: Paint your furniture instead!
It can be such a pain requesting that your landlord allow you to paint your room only for them to say a big fat no. If your love of colour needs to be brought to life, try painting furniture in the same shades you would have painted your walls. It’s brave, but bold and will transform your room. It may even cost you half the price in paint, thank you landlord.
credit: thelittledesigncorner.com
Problem 4: You really want some outstanding lighting but instead, you have to make do with “the big light”
Solution: Get creative with plug-in lighting
You see it all over pinterest, quirky lights that hang beside your bedside pulling a look together and creating a focal point. Good news is these don’t require an electrician or tampering with the walls to create. On sites like Urban Cottage Designs, you can design your own simple plug in lights with long electric cord in any length. Use a 3D Command hook to hang the cord to the ceiling and there you have it – your very own lighting focal point.
Problem 5: You despise the window treatments in your rented place but can’t justify spending lots of money changing them
Solution: Give your curtain/blinds a facelift with no-sew solutions
This is a genius hack for anyone who is renting somewhere with such awkward windows you couldn’t possibly afford to redesign the dressings. Who knows how long you’ll be in your rented accommodation for anyway? Well good news! You needn’t put up with dull drapery any longer. Quick no-sew hacks like this tutorial to customise your own roman blind means that you can iron on fabric over the hems of your current window dressings, and take it off once it’s time to pack up and move. All it will cost you is the fabric costs. Get choosing some pretty patterns!
I hope this list of home design solutions helps some of you improve the look and feel of your rented space for many months and years to come.
If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends, or come find more decoration help at my blog www.kindredliving.co
I like to read your post. Home decoration is really very important for a home. I think your helpful information will give true guideline to decor a home.
Great article! Completely agreed with all the points you’ve mentioned in this article. Keep sharing such informative articles with us.