Renter-friendly home upgrades – decorating tips and tricks

As a renter there are some things you need to just go with, for example, the bathroom tile or kitchen units. But besides that, there are a lot of other elements that you can adjust and make your own. The level of personalization is up to you – just start from one room and work your way up to the whole apartment. Keep reading to learn all the best tips and tricks on how to make your rented apartment feel authentic!

General renting rules that interfere with decorating

As a renter you know that there are a few rules, that you need to follow when renting an apartment. They can change from landlord to landlord, but here are the two most common ones that apply to decorating and can make decorating challenging:

No holes in the walls

Some landlords are open to people drilling and adding a few holes in the walls, but often “no holes” is one of the main rules that comes with renting. It can get challenging because hanging decor items on the walls are one of the best ways how to make a room feel finished and personalized.

No painting/wallpapering

Landlords don’t want to deal with people changing the wall color to unexpected tones, for example, lime green or bright orange. It might suit someone's personal taste, but it is definitely not a look that will appeal to the masses. However, if you ask, a landlord might allow you to paint the walls, as long as you repaint them in the original color when you move out.

Upgrade walls and floors

Walls and floors are a big surface area in any home, and when changed they can give a big impact on how the room looks. Even if your landlord is very strict about the “no painting” rule and is not ready to make an exception, there is a way how you can go around that regulation and have walls and even flooring in colors and patterns you enjoy.

Peel and stick wallpaper

Peel and stick wallpaper is an invention that is popular for a few years now that is perfect for renters as well as house owners. It is a wallpaper that works like a big sticker – it is easy to apply and most importantly – easy to remove without leaving any trace. That’s right – the peel and stick wallpaper doesn’t damage the walls so you can have the room design you desire without the landlord ever knowing about it.

The only thing you need to keep in mind is that the walls underneath need to be painted. To avoid damaging the underlying layers don’t use peel and stick wallpaper on already wallpapered walls or bare drywall.

Peel and stick wallpaper can be used as an accent wall or for all four walls. You can also use it in unexpected places like the bathroom, or closet space, or as an accent element for furniture and doors. The ways how to use peel and stick wallpaper around the house are truly limitless – you just need to use your imagination!

Peel and stick wallpaper at Deccoprint is made out of fabric, which means that it is breathable and more eco-friendly than vinyl-based wallpaper. The ink used on the wallpaper is Epson Eco which has an ISO certificate and is approved for use inside. Textile-based or fabric peel and stick wallpaper has a visible woven structure – which gives the wallpaper a different dimension and a great look.

Here are a few of our most popular peel and stick wallpaper that people love to use in their rented spaces: Midnight tale, Give a Toast, and Birch Leafage.

Outlet coverings

This is a bit unusual idea on how to elevate the look of your home and it might seem like a minor detail, but sometimes the little things are just what was missing for the look. And one of these little details is outlet coverings. You can choose an outlet cover that goes perfectly with your peel and stick wallpaper or go for something fun and unexpected, for example, colorfully painted outlet coverings.

Just remember to save the original outlet covers so you can put them back when you move out!

Peel and stick flooring

That’s right. There are peel and stick options not only for walls but also for floors. You can use peel and stick flooring for any room in the apartment, however, a very popular choice is to add a fun floor design for the bathroom. The peel and stick flooring is often water resistant, so it works very well with the moist conditions in the washroom.

The peel and stick flooring prints can go from bright designs with interesting shapes to mimicking wooden floors. What pattern to use is up to you and your interior design vision.

Rugs

With or without the peel and stick flooring, rugs are a lifesaver when it comes to making a floor look amazing and when you want to create an extra cozy and homey environment. And aside from a design standpoint, rugs are great sound isolators if that is something you struggle with in your rented home. Rugs will also perfectly hide any imperfections on the floor that the previous tenants might have left there.

You can put rugs everywhere:

Entryway rugs are perfect for collecting dirt from outdoor shoes so the living areas are kept clean longer. Also, anything you see in the entryway is the first thing that greets you back home and a cute rug might be just the right thing.

Bedroom rugs will make the room feel warm and snuggly. Also, in colder mornings when you get out of bed, your feet will touch a soft rug, not a cold floor. And that is definitely something you want.

Bathroom rugs will collect the excess water after showering and keep the bathroom floor looking nice and crisp.

Upgrade your bathroom in a renter-friendly style

Bathroom is a place where we wind down after a hard day in a hot shower or long bath and it is also one of the first rooms we visit in the morning. And for those reasons, the bathroom is definitely a room that deserves your attention and design love.

Wooden bath mat

Simple and easy – have a wooden bath mat. This simple move will greatly elevate your bathroom look and give it a SPA feel. A wooden bath mat is also amazing because it dries fast and doesn’t retain moisture like fabric mats.

Change shower head and faucets

Usually, in rented apartments, the original shower heads and faucets are seen as practical items that need to just do their work (which is important!) and not make a contribution to the interior design. But you can change that easily and take your rented bathroom to the next level by changing the shower head and faucet.

Now, this might sound extreme if you are not a very skillful person at home renovating tasks. However, fear it not, changing the shower head and faucets is much easier than it sounds. And if you are still not sure about it, you can always ask for help from a handyman or a crafty friend.

Use towels as decor

Inevedably you will have towels in your bathroom. Use them to your advantage and choose towels that go well with your desired bathroom look! You can go for a luxurious SPA feel with emerald green or natural beige. You can also experiment, and choose colorful, printed towels that resemble an art piece. But most importantly, try to match all your towels so they can truly contribute to a coherent bathroom look.

All living areas

Make your rented home feel truly yours by changing a few elements that can be found in all living areas. It will not only make the space personalized but also will help you bring together the overall style of the apartment.

Lamps

If the ceiling lamp in your rented apartment doesn’t go with your room design, you don’t need to live with it. It can easily be changed! That’s right, changing a ceiling lamp is much easier than you think. You can do it yourself, or ask a professional. Just remember to save the original lamp, so you can put it back once you move out.

Curtains

Always hang your own curtains! Not only you will make the new space feel like home, but you will also quickly add a splash of the desired design look. You can match your curtains with the walls or make them as an accent. It is also wise to choose day curtains as well as night curtains. Since night curtains are opaque you can choose them in a variety of colors and prints. Day curtains make the direct sunlight more dispersed and give a room a homey feel.

Change knobs

Did you know that you can very easily screw off knobs from furniture and add new ones? It is a perfect hack how to make any inherited furniture feel more like yours. Try it in the kitchen with kitchen cabinets, in the bathroom, or in the living room. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that they need to have the same screw-hole position, so you can easily swap them.

Hang art

Even if your landlord is very strict and you are not allowed to hang art on the walls, there are ways how you can anyway get artwork up on the wall. How? Use hooks with adhesive on the back or just adhesive strips! They work wonders for lots of people – renters, students, office owners, etc. Before you hang your artwork with the adhesive elements, it is best to try out the product on an imperceptible area on the wall to check how strong is the adhesive and how to best remove it. It is also not advisable to add adhesive elements on paper wallpaper.

Conclusion

Decorating a rented space might feel challenging at first, but after a while, you will definitely get a hang of it and learn how to make it personalized and homey. And most of the upgrades you do, you can take with you to the next place, which is just perfect! And, yes, even the peel and stick wallpaper if you take it off carefully. Happy decorating!