Renting a property can put you in an odd position. The place you’re renting is your home, but at the same time, it isn’t. If you have the lingering feeling that your rental house isn’t really yours, here are a few non-permanent design ideas that will help you put that nagging feeling away.
Use Stickers To Decorate
When you think of decorating your home, your first thoughts might be of wallpaper and paint. In a rental property, these options may not be open to you. However, there is a third option—interior design stickers.
These surprisingly effective stickers aren’t for kids. They come in all shapes and sizes and offer an easy to move and change decorating method. Furthermore, you can find ones that don’t damage the paintwork or walls. You can find a vast array of decorating stickers such as slogans that look like they’re painted on. There are small polkas dots right the way up to whole wall murals. These fantastic stickers are the perfect way to individualise your space.
Find The Right Lighting
The lighting in a room can affect how it feels. If you have spot-lighting, there isn’t too much you can do to about these fittings. However, you can always get some lamps that cast the type of light you want.
For pendant lights, changing the lampshade will not only change the look of light fitting. It can dramatically change the quality of the light. This means you can enjoy brighter lighting in the mornings, or perhaps you prefer a more relaxed glow.
Rugs and Throws
Soft furnishings are a great way to bring colour and life to a space. Putting down oversized rugs can cover a floor you’re not crazy about. Throws can do the same magic with furniture. These are also items that you can mix and match, or pick and move whenever the fancy takes you. Soft furnishings like these can provide a fantastic sense of freedom, allowing you to chop and change your décor whenever you want, without asking for permission from the landlord.
Shop For Sofa Covers
If you are provided with the furniture in your rental home, then the sofa can be a dominant item in your living room. If you don’t like the colour or style, it can be hard to look at it every day. Sofa covers are a great way to do something about that. You can get some fabulous printed sofa covers. They come in as many colours and designs as you can imagine. They look good, and they also protect the sofa, which is a bonus.
These are more than throws because they fit your sofa. There are foam batons that sit behind the cushions to mould the sofa cover to the seat. It will look like you bought yourself a brand new sofa.
If You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get
If you want to make a change, then there is nothing to lose by asking your landlord for permission. If you are willing to do the work, then it’s often in their interest to agree.
Just make sure to get any agreements in writing before you start work. It’s always better to be safe than sorry in these situations.
Add Some Plants
Plants are a great way to bring life to your home. The plants you choose can change the look of your home. They can also improve air quality. If your home smells clean, fresh and fragrant with floral blooms, then it’s going to feel more welcoming.
Hang Art Without Nails
Adding art to your walls is a great way to make it feel more personal, especially if you hang pictures of loved ones and favourite places. Most rental agreements stipulate that you can’t add nails or hooks. However, there are plenty of hookless hanging options around now. Command hooks and 3M tape are good choices. These solutions won’t leave a mark behind when you take them off.
Find What Sparks Your Joy
If you can try to put something that makes you smile in every room of your home. It can be a small item popped on a shelf or hanging over a curtain pole. If moving through your house makes you smile then you’re a lot closer to feeling like you’re home.
Have fun making your home feel like it should. Making even one or two of these changes can dramatically transform how you feel. Everyone deserves to feel like they have a home that’s all their own.