As real estate investors, Tarek and I have a lot of experience taking old, run-down, terrible-looking houses and turning them into gorgeous flip properties that people actually want to buy and live in. We work together to create a great result, but you may already know that I’m the designer in the family. I love creating whole new spaces and giving homes a completely updated look. New appliances, flooring and cabinetry all contribute to the overall impression. But details make a space truly feel like home. Getting it right in your rental presents different challenges, especially when you’re on a budget.
Follow a few of my favorite tips and you might be surprised at how you can stretch your dollars without sacrificing style.
Consider Who’s Going to Live in the Space
Are you going to be sharing your home with your family or with roommates? Are there going to be kids around? Do you have any pets? If you’re living on your own or with your family, you can make whatever style choices you want. If you have a roommate, the two of you are going to have to sit down and come to terms with your design and decorating choices so you don’t end up with clashing styles. If you’re going to have little hand and paw prints on your walls and furniture, white might not be the best color option. And you might want to look into materials that clean really easily.
Always Check Your Rental Agreement
Next, before you do anything else, always check your lease or rental agreement. You don’t want to spend money on buckets of paint just to find out that you’re not allowed to do any painting. If you check your lease, you’ll know what you can and can’t do before you get your heart set on new colors or anything else.
Most apartment communities allow for minimal changes to the rental, as long as they are not permanent. You may be able to hang shelving (to maximize your storage space) as long as the holes can be filled in. Make sure to seek advice on proper use of anchors and the right type of hardware for your installation to avoid damaging the walls.
Create a Stylish Space With the Right Furniture
If you’re decorating an apartment, you’ll want to make sure that you’re working with the scale of the space instead of against it. Don’t buy a huge sectional sofa if you don’t have a big living room. Instead, go with furniture that is similar in scale and is appropriate to the room. Televisions should also be appropriately sized to allow for comfortable spacing between the screen and the viewer.
When making furniture choices, consider pieces that do double duty whenever possible.
For example, instead of a coffee table in front of your sofa, consider a trunk, foot locker or two storage ottomans. If you don’t expect a lot of guests, maybe a sofa bed is not a priority. Some smaller sectionals have hidden storage instead of foldaway beds. Nesting tables also work really well as end tables for your couch or nightstands by your bed. They offer great flexibility for both entertaining and displaying décor. If you tend to work from home, a table with a drawer or even an actual desk could be a better investment than a dinette set.
Change Your Light Fixtures
Once you’ve chosen your furniture, you can make a big difference in any room by changing out its light fixtures. Instead of a boring half-dome light like you’ll see in a lot of rentals, why not install a small chandelier or another hanging light fixture that casts more light and gives the room a cooler feel? The beautiful thing about swapping out these fixtures is that you can store the original ones and replace them before you move out. Then you can take your fixtures with you.
Use Accessories for Accent
It’s common to inherit furniture when well-meaning friends and family know you are on a budget. Donations are a nice gesture, but they don’t always reflect your personal style. Accessories are a great way to add your own personal stamp.
Lampshades are often overlooked, but they offer a great opportunity to kick things up a notch. You may not be able to recover a boring sofa, but lighting can take a room from ordinary to extraordinary.
Patterned rugs can anchor a space and define seating areas. If your household includes pets or children, look into indoor/outdoor rugs. You won’t have to compromise on design, and you’ll enjoy easy care and maintenance.
Create collections inspired by your interests or hobbies that set your space apart. To avoid a cluttered appearance, choose just a few objects. Cameras, clocks or candles look curated when carefully grouped on a bookcase or side table.
Add Wow to Your White Walls
Finally, you can find a lot of cool wall decals and other removable décor pieces that will give any room more personality, even if you’re not allowed to paint. Then, when you move out, you can just peel them off.
With these tips, you should be able to decorate your rental without breaking the bank — or the terms of your lease. Have fun!
Ready to get started now? Learn more about adding color to your space without using paint.