Μake your rented house feel like home: 10 hints

It’s a fact that for a year now, we all spent much more time at home. So what can we do about it? What more than to turn it into our ideal environment!

We often limit ourselves when decorating a house we rent, since we will probably not stay there forever. We also worry about what the homeowner will say if we make big changes.

But we all deserve to live in a place that truly feels like home. After all, there are many smart ways to change your house’s decor and aesthetic without even having to ask the owner for permission.

So, if you want to “renovate” the house you rent, using easy, affordable, and temporary changes, you are lucky! In this article, you’ll find 10 hints to make your rented house feel like home.

Change your lighting

Perhaps one of the easiest, but at the same time, important changes you can make is to upgrade your lighting. If you are not allowed to change the ceiling lights, add table and floor lamps.

Don’t limit yourself! Add many light sources to your space and transform it. Create a cozy and relaxing corner next to your sofa, with a lamp with soft lighting. Place an interesting piece next to your bed, as an alternative to the conventional bedside table lamp.

Usually, in rented apartments, the power supplies on the ceiling are located in the middle of the room, and many times you have to place the hanging, ceiling lights in a not so ideal spot in relation to dinner or bedside tables.

Make lighting your ally in interior design, by choosing smart energy sources with large cables, which will help direct the light around the room and illuminate the spots you want.

After all, visible cables on the ceiling are the trend!

You can find additional info about lighting in the article 6 things I’ve learnt from my Danish friends, and also many lighting suggestions in The 2021 IKEA Catalog: Our 7 favourite products.

Choose the right furniture

When choosing furniture, it is worth considering your own personal style first and then your rental home. Avoid furniture that only fits in this space, in case you want to move. You can choose multipurpose furniture. Like a coffee table that also serves as a storage system.

If your space is small it would be wise to avoid large and heavy furniture. For example, instead of a huge sofa, you can choose a small sofa, an armchair, and a footstool.

In general, try to create small, beautiful corners that will give warmth and personality to your home.

By choosing small pieces, your space looks bigger and it is also easier to move the smaller furniture to a new home.

Change knobs or handles in your cabinets

Installing new cabinets would be a radical change. Even if the owner agrees, you can’t take them with you if you decide to leave.

By installing new knobs or handles you will give a completely new style to your cabinets. And of course, you can take them with you and use them in your next home. There are options for every taste. Explore the internet to find the ones that suit your aesthetic and also your cabinets.

Divide the rooms

In many rental houses, there may not be a separation between a bedroom, a kitchen, or a living room. If you want to create a sense of privacy, change that by using a stylish room divider. They are easy to install and if you choose one with shelves, you can increase the vertical storage space.

Use carpets

You may not like the homeowner’s choice when it comes to the floor of the house. You don’t need to limit yourself. Choose a rug with the pattern of your choice and cover it!

You can choose a minimal design or make the carpet, the focus of the room.

If you can’t buy a large rug, choose two or three smaller, cheaper, and relatively similar rugs, with a slight difference in color or design, and place them in the space asymmetrically, next to each other, or on top of each other.

The result will impress you!

You will find many ideas for carpets in the article 6 great trends to help you choose the most beautiful carpets for 2019 – 2020.

Change your bathroom mirror

A new mirror can always transform your bathroom. You may need to make a hole in the wall for your new mirror. Nothing that a little plaster can’t get rid of if you decide to leave. If for some reason you can’t remove the old bathroom mirror, think about where else in the house you can place a new one to enlarge your space.

The rattan mirror I presented in the article The 2021 IKEA Catalog: Our 7 favourite products is a lovely option.

Decorate your shelves

The easiest way to give your space an interesting vibe and express your personal style! Place shelves and decorate them with statement pieces that say you! If you can’t install new shelves, use your kitchen shelves. Decorate them minimally, with indoor plants and books. Or use your library shelves.

In any case, let your personal style speak!

Use plants

Another easy, fast and effective solution. Indoor plants will do wonders for your rental house. Don’t use them just in the living room!

Some plants will thrive if you take advantage of the humidity in the bathroom. Use smaller plants, such as succulents, to decorate your shelves. Use larger ones, such as palms in the corners of your living room or to hide something, like a hanging cord, or other things you don’t like.

Use temporary, self-adhesive tiles

I am not referring to the usual wall decals. But on self-adhesive tiles whose 3D texture makes them look like real tiles! The perfect solution for a dramatic revamping of your space, without the time and cost of renovation. You can use them sporadically as a backsplash behind the sink or around the bathtub. You will give a splash of color and completely change the style of your kitchen and bathroom.

You can find them here.

Add work of art that says you

Art is subjective. That's why, as I mentioned in the article How to choose the perfect work of art for your home: "Go with your gut feeling". Don’t be afraid to choose a painting or an art print that contrasts with the rest of your home decor. The result may surprise you.

If the homeowner doesn’t allow you to drill holes in the walls, there are alternative ways to display your frames. You can place them on shelves, on the nightstand or, on your table, and let them lean on the wall, giving a more modern aesthetic to your space. For larger frames, you can also place them on the floor with their back to the wall. The same technique can be used for large mirrors.

Regardless of all the hints above, the best advice I have to give to everyone is: let your personal style guide you. Express your personality and aesthetics, through interior design. The goal is to feel joy, safety, and warmth in your home. So follow your instinct.

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