Decorating your rental with temporary style

Living, really living in a rental home or apartment can be difficult sometimes.  Rental homes are innately temporary and most renters don’t want to put in the work to personalize their short-term digs. Personalization is what it’s all about.  You pay the rent and you deserve to feel really at home where you lay your head. Here are a couple of really simple ways to make that space your own that won’t have you kicking yourself on move out day.

• Wall decals – Not only are wall decals a huge trend right now, they are perfect for rentals and I am in love with them!  If you’re cursed with stark white walls and don’t want to deal with painting only to repaint it back to white upon move out, these decals are a lifesaver.  They won’t damage the walls, are easy enough to apply and easy enough to remove.  I can’t think of a downside, seriously.

You can find decals everywhere from IKEA to Target to the highest-end home decorating boutiques. There are adorable designs for a kids room, tasteful little touches for every room of the house, all the way to decals resembling high art filling the expanse of an entire wall.  Take any blank wall and add a decal of a design to accent your current décor or make that decal the centerpiece of your room with an intricate tree design or something more abstract. Personally the addition of a high-impact quote to a frequently passed wall is my favorite implementation of this design technique.

• Command hooks & hangars – These reusable hooks and hangars are a renters dream.  You’ve seen the commercials demonstrating their ability to hold some serious weight while still being easy enough to remove that it won’t damage any wall. They actually work. No longer be afraid to hang a picture, mirror or towel hook.  There are actually a few stylish designs as well that no one will know were purchased on the tape aisle. They’re also cheap enough to pitch when you move.

• Play up the floor – Invest in a really cool rug.  If you aren’t allowed to change the walls counter tops or window treatments, draw attention to the floor.  It doesn’t have to be an expensive piece, just something interesting and expressive of your style.  You may be surprised how a colorful rug in the living room, a bamboo mat in the kitchen and runners down that long, boring hallway will do. Not only do rugs add a lot of personality to a room but they also protect the flooring underneath, which is a huge help in getting that security deposit back.

Please don’t forget to review your lease agreement before going ahead with any changes to your place.  Most landlords are fine with changes as long as you restore everything back to the way it was on move in day, even if your additions are way better.

It really is possible to make that rental feel really homey without a lot of money, effort or stress.  You don’t need to paint, replace flooring or drill holes in the walls to add your own touch to your home.