How to Make a Rented Apartment Feel Like a Home
Without making any structural changes, you can still convert a leased space into your personal sanctuary
Nupur Sarvaiya
11 September 2020
In the age of ride-sharing and subscription services galore, renting instead of buying can surely have its pluses – for instance, you’re exempt from home maintenance taxes. One major minus? The design dilemmas renters face when it comes to deciding on decoration. However, being a tenant should not bar you from your design aspirations. With a pinch of imagination, you can turn a rented apartment into your personal sanctuary, while working within the boundaries set by your landlord. Try one or all of these innovative ideas to make a stylish impact without leaving a permanent mark.
Remember to click on an image to know more about the designer’s work and contact information
Remember to click on an image to know more about the designer’s work and contact information
1. Use wallpaper
If an achromatic aura reverberates from your rental space but you like the occasional pop of colour, then bring one wall to life with a removable wall covering. Incorporate a bright-hued cover with patterns behind your television unit or sofa in your living room, or as a backsplash in your kitchen, or behind your bed. If you would like to revamp a larger space then choose a patterned or textured neutral style covering as seen in this living room.
These wallpapers will win you over
If an achromatic aura reverberates from your rental space but you like the occasional pop of colour, then bring one wall to life with a removable wall covering. Incorporate a bright-hued cover with patterns behind your television unit or sofa in your living room, or as a backsplash in your kitchen, or behind your bed. If you would like to revamp a larger space then choose a patterned or textured neutral style covering as seen in this living room.
These wallpapers will win you over
2. Retain the hardware but revamp by adopting small upgrades
Most landlords might not be on-board with renovating the space if it has pre-existing furniture. But even if you cannot change the cabinetry, you can customise it with new, unique embellishments and accessories. Swapping old for new doorknobs, closet handles, drawer pulls and even faucets or shower heads has huge aesthetic payoffs, without the financial burden of updating furniture.
Find an interior designer to help design your home
Most landlords might not be on-board with renovating the space if it has pre-existing furniture. But even if you cannot change the cabinetry, you can customise it with new, unique embellishments and accessories. Swapping old for new doorknobs, closet handles, drawer pulls and even faucets or shower heads has huge aesthetic payoffs, without the financial burden of updating furniture.
Find an interior designer to help design your home
3. Bring in new lighting fixtures
With new lighting fixtures you can instantly brighten up your space, making it look more refined and personalised than before. Choose from chandeliers and pendants to artistic lamps to sculptural pieces to make them the focal points in your home. If you cannot rewire due to technical or permission issues, then we suggest giving the nod to stylish floor and table lamps. This room makes a compelling case for this.
What to Consider Before Hanging Pendant Lights
With new lighting fixtures you can instantly brighten up your space, making it look more refined and personalised than before. Choose from chandeliers and pendants to artistic lamps to sculptural pieces to make them the focal points in your home. If you cannot rewire due to technical or permission issues, then we suggest giving the nod to stylish floor and table lamps. This room makes a compelling case for this.
What to Consider Before Hanging Pendant Lights
4. Put fabrics to good use with new upholstery and drapery
With the right fabric choices you have the power to revitalise the room. Start by decking the windows with treatments that are custom-made rather than off-the-shelf, to create a tailored look, like a tuxedo for your drapery. Once you settle on the panels, pick fabrics depending on your taste and their function. Invest in drapery that complements your furniture, walls and ceiling. Brightly coloured curtains are ideal for spaces with neutral walls. In this room, the designer has coordinated the curtains’ colour with the shade of the seater – a great option for anyone who likes minimal elegance.
Wondering which upholstery fabric is right for you?
With the right fabric choices you have the power to revitalise the room. Start by decking the windows with treatments that are custom-made rather than off-the-shelf, to create a tailored look, like a tuxedo for your drapery. Once you settle on the panels, pick fabrics depending on your taste and their function. Invest in drapery that complements your furniture, walls and ceiling. Brightly coloured curtains are ideal for spaces with neutral walls. In this room, the designer has coordinated the curtains’ colour with the shade of the seater – a great option for anyone who likes minimal elegance.
Wondering which upholstery fabric is right for you?
5. When in doubt, increase storage
Don’t feel limited by the amount of existing storage in the house: you can add modular storage units to accommodate all your belongings. There are easy-to-install options out there, such as sofa-cum-beds, self-install bookshelves and furniture pieces that are seriously stylish and won’t hurt your wallet or lease agreement. An open-bookshelf design like this one pulls off double-duty as a room divider and also a unit to display prized possessions.
Browse through these clever hacks for extra storage
Don’t feel limited by the amount of existing storage in the house: you can add modular storage units to accommodate all your belongings. There are easy-to-install options out there, such as sofa-cum-beds, self-install bookshelves and furniture pieces that are seriously stylish and won’t hurt your wallet or lease agreement. An open-bookshelf design like this one pulls off double-duty as a room divider and also a unit to display prized possessions.
Browse through these clever hacks for extra storage
6. Get creative with the flooring
The right flooring can step up the style quotient in your room. A simple way to break ground is by adding carpeting or vinyl flooring to bring in colour and texture. Alternatively, you could layer the space with rugs in accent colours, patterns and textures – perfectly depicted in this space.
5 Reasons to Love Vinyl Flooring
The right flooring can step up the style quotient in your room. A simple way to break ground is by adding carpeting or vinyl flooring to bring in colour and texture. Alternatively, you could layer the space with rugs in accent colours, patterns and textures – perfectly depicted in this space.
5 Reasons to Love Vinyl Flooring
7. Invest in art
Always wanted to enter the world of art as a collector? Now is the time to loosen the purse strings on that art piece you’d set your heart on. It can become the conversation starter of your rental property and, of course, the mainstay every time you move. If you cannot afford a Dali yet, then you don’t have to break the bank to get arty. Let your apartment become your canvas for creativity. Frame travel knick-knacks, inspirational words, posters or even your kids’ doodlings and hang them on a wall. Display a visually arresting painting, as seen in this bedroom.
Tip: If you’re looking for a less intrusive option that doesn’t include hammering nails, then display framed pieces of art on a dresser, take advantage of ledges to lean them on or simply place them on an easel.
Read more:
Design Musts for an Urban Indian Apartment
Tell us:
Do you live in a rented accommodation? How have you personalised it? Share pictures and your ideas in the Comments section below.
Always wanted to enter the world of art as a collector? Now is the time to loosen the purse strings on that art piece you’d set your heart on. It can become the conversation starter of your rental property and, of course, the mainstay every time you move. If you cannot afford a Dali yet, then you don’t have to break the bank to get arty. Let your apartment become your canvas for creativity. Frame travel knick-knacks, inspirational words, posters or even your kids’ doodlings and hang them on a wall. Display a visually arresting painting, as seen in this bedroom.
Tip: If you’re looking for a less intrusive option that doesn’t include hammering nails, then display framed pieces of art on a dresser, take advantage of ledges to lean them on or simply place them on an easel.
Read more:
Design Musts for an Urban Indian Apartment
Tell us:
Do you live in a rented accommodation? How have you personalised it? Share pictures and your ideas in the Comments section below.
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