Do you have a hard time finding easy, damage-free workarounds for decorating your rental house? If you’re looking for ways to make a rental feel like home, you’ve come to the right place.
There’s no place like home, so don’t let the limitations of your lease (or your wallet!) prevent you from creating a cozy, inviting space. Today, we’ll show you how to make a rental feel like home with 15 easy landlord- and budget-friendly techniques!
Read more: 25 Apartment Decorating Ideas and Design Tips for Renters
15 Ways to Make a Rental Feel Like Home
The secret to how to make a rental feel like home is not money but creativity! With a little bit of imagination (and Pinterest!) you can make even Joanna Gaines proud. Take a look at these 15 ideas and don’t stop there!
- First, make an entrance
- Update window treatments
- Light it up!
- Swap switch plates and cabinet knobs
- Go green
- Update your bedding
- Remember to accessorize
- Frame it
- Use removable wallpaper
- Apply contact paper
- Decorate with washi tape
- Upgrade your shower head
- Spa-ify your bathroom
- Turn your radiator into a shelf
- Use area rugs
First, Make an Entrance
Walk into your dwelling where most guests will enter (it’s not always the front door!) and try to see it with fresh eyes. Is it welcoming? If there’s space, adding a small side table with a lamp or a small plant helps set the mood and create a place for car keys and other essentials.
Update Window Treatments
Start with your windows, which are likely a focal point of your rental home or apartment. Hanging curtains can do wonders for a room! You’ll be surprised at how much window treatments can impact the entire look and feel.
If your rental came with those dreaded 70s mini blinds, take them down and replace them with curtains. Curtains come in many styles, offering coverage to let natural light in or protect your privacy.
To preserve your security deposit and avoid damaging your walls, try Kwik-Hang’s no-drill curtain hardware. Kwik-Hang curtain rods enable you to hang curtains easily without drills, nails or measuring. Just align the curtain rod brackets to your window trim and tap them in with a hammer, and you’re good to go!
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Light it Up!
Is your rental home dim and depressing? Swapping old school flush-mount lights with small chandeliers or modern fixtures packs a decorative punch. Discount retailers and thrift stores are great resources for inexpensive light fixtures, whether you need task lighting, floor lamps or table lamps.
Don’t settle for all-white bulbs, either. LEDs come in many colors and will save you money in the long run if you’re paying an electricity bill. And, if you buy three-way lamps, you can achieve the look of a dimmable light without the dimmer switch.
Pro tip: If you’re replacing anything in your rental, remember to keep all existing fixtures so you can put them back where they belong when you move.
Swap Switch Plates and Cabinet Knobs
Small changes, big impact. For a quick, budget-friendly upgrade, consider swapping dull cabinet knobs, light switch plates or furniture pulls and handles for something more modern or stylish. It’s easy to reinstall the original hardware once it’s time to move out.
Pro-tip: Most knobs, plates or handles are inexpensive – around $5 or less. You can even try perusing local thrift shops to score a bargain or find unique pieces. If you’re replacing handles, measure the space between screw holes to choose the correct size.
Go Green
Adding plants – real or fake – always adds life to a room. You can place fresh flowers in vases throughout your home for seasonal looks and fresh aromas for an ever-changing vibe.
If you’re an apartment dweller, you can still garden! Growing herbs on a windowsill add color, texture, and fresh ingredients for your next meal.
Upgrade Your Bedding
Even if you’re living with hand-me-down furniture, swapping out old sheets and bedspreads for modern comforters or duvets levels up the coziness factor substantially. Add throw pillows or a plush throw for extra color, texture and warmth.
Remember to Accessorize
Less is more, but sometimes less is not enough. Adding decorative items like candles, vases, clocks and stacked books personalize a room and make it uniquely yours.
Frame It
Framed photographs of loved ones, favorite vacation spots, works of art, or inspirational quotes fill gaps on dressers, coffee tables and window sills. Short on wall space? Framed art can be propped on easels or leaned against walls to prevent holes that you may have to patch later.
Use Removable Wallpaper
Decorating with removable wallpaper will make your friends and family wonder if an interior designer worked their magic on your home.
Hygge and West, Chasing Paper and Graham & Brown are just a few popular retailers selling stylish peel and stick wallpaper designs. Many removable wallpapers are also reusable, so have no fear if you’re indecisive about decorating.
Disclaimer: Removable wallpaper won’t work on textured walls.
Apply Contact Paper
Use contact paper to decorate small spaces like countertops, appliances, bookshelves or even stairways. Add a pop of color to your kitchen or beautify your living room furniture and design.
Most contact papers are easily removable and very affordable. For example, you can buy a 9-foot roll for under $10 from major retailers like Target or Bed Bath and Beyond.
Note: Contact paper and removable wallpaper (above) aren’t interchangeable. Contact paper comes in smaller size rolls and is best for light updates.
Removable wallpaper has a stronger adhesive and comes in larger dimensions to accommodate entire walls. If you attempt to use contact paper as wallpaper, the look won’t be seamless since you’ll need multiple rolls to cover a wall.
Decorate with Washi Tape
Washi tape is a colorful, decorative Japanese masking tape perfect for adding pops of color to a wall, doorway or accent piece.
Use washi tape to create an accent wall in your bedroom or office or adorable artwork in the kids’ room. Browse Pinterest for washi tape wall decor ideas – the color and pattern possibilities are endless.
Upgrade Your Shower Head
Older homes and apartments don’t have the best showers. Luckily, switching out the showerhead is one of the easiest things you can do to transform your bathroom (and pamper yourself!).
Using the right shower head for your needs can substantially improve your shower quality. Maintain peace of mind as you move from one rental unit to another, and never worry about clogged valves or weak water flow again.
Spa-ify Your Bathroom
Spa-style bathrooms are all the rage, and with good reason. So why not treat yourself to a luxurious retreat that leaves you feeling pampered and relaxed?
After swapping out the showerhead, make other small enhancements to your bathroom to refresh the look, like:
- Updating the shower curtain
- Replacing your tired old towels with fresh, fluffy new ones
- Installing a bidet
- Adding a soft bath rug or bamboo mat
- Vaporizing calming essential oils (like lavender, bergamot and chamomile) with a diffuser
Turn Your Radiator Into a Shelf
Do you have a radiator in your rental property? Try this hot idea in your home!
Place a wood shelf, stone slab, large tray, or thick rectangular cutting board over the top of your radiator. Then, style your improvised shelf with faux plants, a stack of books, picture frames, or decorative objects.
Important: We don’t recommend adding candles or other heat-sensitive objects on your DIY shelf due to the heat emitting from your radiator.
Use Area Rugs
The right rugs can instantly transform a lackluster space into a warm and inviting retreat. To make small spaces feel bigger, use an area rug.
Rugs aren’t always cheap, however. Depending on the material and construction style, a higher-quality 4×6’ carpet can run around $100. If you have multiple floors that need covering, the cost of rugs can add up fast.
Before you decide to purchase a rug (or a few), try these tips first:
- Give your floors or carpets a thorough deep cleaning or steam cleaning. Hire a professional if it’s within your budget. You might find that your floors or carpet aren’t as bad as you initially thought!
- Rearrange your furniture to mask any carpet stains or eyesores.
- Add texture to your living space to draw attention away from the floor or carpet. Decorate the walls (in damage-free fashion, of course), throw in some accent tables, or add a floor lamp or large plant.
Pro tip: For long-lasting, good-looking rugs, try Ruggable’s washable rugs.
Make Your Rental Feel Like Home With Kwik-Hang
Affordable, elegant and damage-free home decor solutions can be hard to find. That’s why Kwik-Hang is here to help.
Kwik-Hang’s no-drill curtain rod brackets are the perfect solution for renters. Hang perfect curtains in seconds without measuring or using inconvenient tools and hardware that leave permanent wall damage.
Salvage your security deposit and keep your landlord happy – try Kwik-Hang’s damage-free brackets and curtain rods today!
