How many times have you gone to look at a rental property and it looks more like a crack den than somewhere you would want to live. Looking around all you see is stained carpet, walls that have been painted a hideous colour or worse are stained from years of smoke and the place smells like something died!
Some rentals are in great shape but you still get the feeling that because you don’t own it you can’t put your own spin on it. I’m here to call BS on this and show you in 5 ways how to make a rental property feel like the home of your dreams.
Give the walls a face lift – I can’t count the amount of properties I have gone to where a previous tenant has taken creative liberty and painted a feature wall. Unfortunately the colours chosen are worse than hideous, but this doesn’t mean you have to live with a wall that is the colour of spew green!
More often than not the landlord is either unaware of this ugly additional to their rental or they’re too lazy to change it. In the past I have found that if you approach your realestate agent or landlord and ask if you can repaint they are (generally speaking) happy to let you. My advice is offer to paint the property a neutral colour as it’s an easy palette to work with and timeless. At the end of the day (provided you do a good job) you’re doing them a favour by updating their property and adding value at the same time – a win win situation if you ask me!
Wall decals and removable wall paper – Paint isn’t the only solution for transforming a wall space. I have recently had the pleasure of coming across thewallstickercompany who specialize in removable wall paper, wall decals and murals.
I am loving this clever product as it’s easy to install, comes in a variety of beautiful colours and patterns and is best of all landlord friendly as it’s not permanent. It’s perfect for adding some life to plain wall spaces that are crying out for a makeover or for adding some pattern and playfulness to your child’s bedroom or nursery.
Images via Instagram:@thewallstickercompany
Stick on decals are also an awesome way to revamp plain furniture. In the example below I have stuck some coloured triangles onto a plain white dresser. See creativity needn’t be rocket science 🙂
Adhesive hooks and tape – If you’re really worried about not getting your bond back due to holes in the walls fear not because you can still style your walls without a single nail.
Available at Bunnings or any hardware store are adhesive hooks such as 3M– these heavy duty babies come in a variety of sizes and can take up to 7kgs in weight making them perfect for larger style prints.
Another awesome invention for people not wanting permanency is adhesive mounting tape. Perfect for creating a wall collage or possibly sticking kids mouths closed it will stick to virtually any surface 🙂
Dress up your lighting – I love going into properties and seeing the hilarious light fixtures some of the older properties have. Whilst some of them are retro and making a comeback, some are just downright nasty! But the great thing is they are easily updated.
Lighting can completely transform a space and if you’re lucky enough to have moved into a place with pendant light fixtures all you need to do to bring the property into the 21st century is install a light shade that suits your style and take it away when you leave.
If you can’t change the light fixtures because they’re wall mounted or it’s just all too hard another great way to create the right mood in a room is by using lamps. I am a big fan of the lighting and lamp selections at Freedom as they’ve always got a great range at affordable prices.
Embrace rugs and curtains – I know I bang on about rugs a lot and yes my entire house is filled with them but that’s because they are perfect for framing a space and ideal for covering up scratches and stains.
But not to be forgotten are curtains. If you have moved into a place that doesn’t have blinds, curtains are a fantastic way to update a room with texture and pattern and bring instant softness to a space. There is a perception that curtains are expensive which is what turns people off buying them, but you can find awesome products at places like IKEA and Spotlight that won’t break the budget and they can be used again if you move.
Whilst all the tips I have provided are ways you can decorate a rental, it’s not always necessary to do large scale projects such as painting to make a difference. Sometimes smaller additions and personal touches such as bed linen, towels, soft furnishings and plants can have the biggest impact.
Whether it’s an entire home, apartment or kids room, decorating doesn’t need to be difficult. Stick to keeping it simple, adding your own personality and remember that renting is no excuse for living in a space you don’t love.
Special Offer: The amazing creator behind The Wall Sticker Company is offering readers the chance to get a free sample. If you would like to take up this exclusive offer you can subscribe to their newsletter at www.thewallstickercompany.com.au or request a free sample by clicking here.
IMAGE & BRAND CREDITS: @thewallstickercompany VIA INSTAGRAM, Bunnings, Commandbrand, IKEA & Spotlight
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