As a renter, it can be easy to feel like you’re living in someone else’s space. You want to make your flat feel like you but don’t want to break the bank or your landlord’s rules. Don’t worry — millions of tenants are in the same boat. There are plenty of ways to put your stamp on a property, even if it’s just in the short term.
How does a house become a home? Here are a few tips for personalising your space without spending a fortune when it’s time to move on.
Renovate in your personal style
Think about what’s really important to you. Websites like Pinterest are great for putting together mood boards and working out what really matters to you before you start building, painting or rearranging.
What colours centre you? What styles are you drawn to? What interests do you have that you want to reflect in the space? Thinking about these things will help you make more meaningful changes to your home, meaning you can do more by doing less.
Personalise with paint
Painting your walls a unique or meaningful colour is a quick way of making somewhere feel like your own. Looking to paint an entire room? Pick a light colour that can easily be covered when it’s time to move. Or, go bold with a statement wall in one of your common spaces. The most important thing is that the colour reflects your personality.
Marie-Kondo it
It’s easy to become attached to stuff. Books, bedding, kitchen utensils from that first year of university — going through your belongings and throwing away anything that doesn’t serve you or your current home will help declutter your space and make everything that is left feel more meaningful. Plus, you will have more room to grow into your space and add new pieces along the way.
Give your furnishings a second chance
It’s no secret that everything is becoming more expensive. Refurbishing old furniture is a great way to save money and give something you have loved a new lease of life. Older furniture can be stripped, upholstered or repainted. All it takes is a few hours on YouTube and a can-do attitude.
Put down roots
Renting gives you the freedom to move more frequently, but it can also make you feel unmoored and impermanent. One of the best ways to make a flat feel more like a home is to have something else living in it. Plants are great for opening spaces up, making them feel alive, and improving your air quality. Plus, they’re more low-maintenance and less high-risk than a housecat.
Practical tips and tricks
Now that you’ve got the creative juices flowing, here are a few practical things you can do to get started.
- Ask permission – this is an important one. Make sure your renovations are cleared by the landlord before you get going. Otherwise, you could end up spending time and money putting things back the way they were or, even worse, breaking the terms of your lease.
- Use removable wallpaper. This is a great way to add some personality to your walls without making a permanent commitment.
- Hang some curtains. Curtains help to define your space and make it feel cosier.
- Add some rugs. Rugs can pull a room together and add warmth and texture to your floors.
- Change out the light fixtures. New light fixtures can make a big difference in the overall look of a room.
- Get creative with storage. If you’re short on space, get creative with storage solutions. There are all sorts of ways to store your belongings without taking up too much space.
Working on your space is about more than colours and fabrics — making it a project, doing the work yourself, and being mindful about every step will make living in your space comfortable and rewarding. As a tenant, you deserve to feel just as at home as anyone else, so get started today and make it your own.
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