When it comes to decorating a rental, people normally struggle with personalizing the space. But because of the fear of changing the entire look of the house and breaking the lease or risking the rental deposit, a lot of renters are forced to settle to live in a space that either inconveniences them or live around things that frustrate them. But is there a way that this can be remedied? Read on as Love is All Colors shows you how you can decorate your rental apartment without risking your deposit or breaking your lease.
Rental decorating ideas
Leases are meant to be temporary. But does it mean that now you have to uncomfortably live in that space? The place that you are living in, no matter how temporary needs to be satisfying. One needs to at least have some sense of ownership. So waking up on a Saturday and deciding to spend the whole day painting or changing bulbs will be worth the while. At least you will feel some kind of belonging. If you are there for say three months, decorating rental apartment might not be worth the hustle. But if it’s for a year, then why be less happy when all it might take to tweak the place is a few hours?
Luckily there are a few hacks for decorating a rental house on a budget. Plus you can do it even without breaking any rules that the owner might have laid down on your lease. Plus, it can be much easier than having to bring down the kitchen cabinets.
The thing is, something as simple as just changing the lighting, putting up some funky curtains, changing the showerhead or even having a small greenery to keep your house fresh can make such a huge difference. And all those things can be done with less effort and less money. Plus, one thing about rental apartment decorating is that it can be a great opportunity for one to buy furniture and furnishings before investing in a mortgage. So forget about knocking down walls that you don’t own and focus on changing the easy to remove and versatile things. Think inexpensive upgrades that make a statement.
Decorating a rental apartment on a budget
Just because you are temporarily living there doesn’t mean that now you feel like a squatter. Aren’t you paying rent? Own that temporary space by using these affordable hacks…
Opt for removable wallpaper
No one wants to spend time on wallpaper that requires lots of effort and hours to put up. And that is why a lot of home stores have got you covered. In fact, you will find that when you buy removable wallpaper, it comes with free installation. So a couple of hours and the house is as good as new. The sanest advice in case you are doing it yourself is to at least have a couple of extra sheets just in case you don’t align a section well. So wallpaper one of the rental apartment decorating that can help one personalize the living space without permanency. Plus, you don’t have to do the whole place. You can just have a statement section!
If you have to paint, go for the neutral colors you like
Well, painting is the other way to go. But don’t go for shouting colors as your landlord might not be happy when they are repainting the house for the next renter. You might end up losing your deposit. But if you have to use some screaming colors, ask first.
Raise the lighting standards
This is one of the best rental apartment living room decorating ideas especially if you don’t have the money or incentive to express your individuality by bringing some expensive, cool pieces into a rental home. So if you don’t want to go through all the trouble of extensive renovations, simply upgrade your lighting. This is one of the ways to infuse some personality when decorating a rental apartment on a budget. Just get a statement fixture that can light up the mood of the room.
Yes, there are fixtures… and then there are the bulbs. Those matter even more. The good thing about decorating a rental with lighting is that they are easy and cheap to change. Now LED bulbs are the way to go as they are more cost-effective when it comes to your electricity bill. Go for
Upgrade the showerhead
Now if you are looking for rental apartment bathroom decorating ideas, then upgrading the showerhead is something to consider. You have no reason to inherit the one that came with your rental. Upgrade it! Believe me, it will make all the difference. Plus, it’s one of the things in the bathroom that you can claim ownership to and can uproot it when moving out.
Use open storage to display things you like as opposed to mounting them
Now, you don’t want to go drilling holes into rented walls. Opt for something less permanent. How about showcasing your art in open storage spaces. Plus they are versatile enough for more personalization and mixing things up here and there. Plus, the beauty of an open cabinet is that you know exactly what is in it – or on it.
Have your own curtains
The easiest fixes for decorating a rental house on a budget are curtains. Forget about those already installed vertical slats and just get curtains that upgrade your whole space. Plus, besides being able to take them with you once your lease is up, you can use them to express your sense of style. And if you outgrow them, you can easily and cheaply replace them.
Buy furniture that you can roll around
So you have that list of must-buy things. But seeing as you are in a rental apartment, chances are you won’t buy everything now – especially if you are not sure of how your mortgage house will look like. A rolling kitchen cabinet can be ideal because it can be moved from one living space to the next. Plus it comes with no installation. It is one of the rental apartment living room decorating ideas, that is both inexpensive and versatile enough for both the kitchen and living room. The only question will be “Where do I need this now?”
Get your own rugs
Whether you looking for rental apartment bathroom decorating ideas or ideas for the whole house, rugs can really personalize one’s floors. Plus they are easily movable. Besides giving the house the illusion of larger spaces, carpets and rugs can also help ground the furniture. You can match them up with other items in the house such as the curtains or throw pillows. Plus, they are perfect for covering the floor that you hate!
Add a piece of unusual furniture
When it comes to rental decorating ideas you can let your imagination run wild. Nothing is off-limits. All that matters is that you are comfortable with whatever you have in your house. Think tree stump instead of a stool. Think of a big drum to be in place of that center table. Let your furniture make the statement for you with little effort.
Since you might be limited by your landlord’s rules, let your energy go into your furniture and improving your home. The good thing with furniture is that you can bring it and move with it from place to place.
Make a statement with your wall art
Go big on this. The bigger the better. Whether its canvas or the map of the world, let it be the focal point. And if you want to get even a better effect, hand a large rug or some patterned fabric. Don’t just limit yourself to painted art. The rug will definitely make a statement as well as cover boring walls.
If for instance, you don’t own large pieces of art, combine many small pieces to form a gallery wall. Command hooks are perfect in case you one of the rules os not nailing the walls. Do not limit yourself when decorating rental apartment. There is always a way. Even a small chalk board can be a center piece for that boring wall.
Sven if you can’t knock down the walls to get more space, or you can’t rip that ugly wall to wall carpet, there are always many less permanent ways for decorating a rental to make it feel more like home. All we are aiming for is keeping that landlord happy, keeping your deposit intact and having a home that expresses your personal style until you are ready to move to your mortgage home.
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