5 Landlord-Friendly Ideas to Decorate Your Walls

Tired of staring at the blank walls of your new rental? We’ve got you covered!

Making a new place feel like home is never easy, and the typical plain, white walls are no help at all. Instead, the color palette — as well as the items you choose to display — should represent a sincere picture of the person who lives there. Unfortunately, renters sometimes struggle to make a new apartment reflect their personality. The good news is that there’s always a way!

So, if you’re looking for landlord-friendly ways to put your personal touch on your new apartment, check out these easy and fun tips for decorating any boring old wall.

1. Use Good Ol’ Wallpaper

If your landlord doesn’t share your interior design preferences, removable wall art like wallpaper is the safest choice. Much like other adhesive or removable wall art options, wallpaper has made a big comeback in home design. Take your pick from the most intricate patterns to the most minimalistic ones you can think of, like these from Kate Zaremba. Or, make your very own pattern out of washi tape! The results are immediate, and your personality shines through.

2. Bring in Texture

Embroidery pieces, old-school tapestry, textile wall art like Lulu & Georgia’s, fabric hangings, weaving — these don’t belong in the 1970s anymore. Think of texture as alternative art that showcases a different side of yourself — the bohemian soul in love with playful patterns and a romantic ambiance.

3. Add a Wow Factor

If you want to make sure your apartment scores major points for style, consider adding a wow factor. For example, work on your very own small gallery. Frame your favorite photos or prints to create a private art wall. For a refined look, make sure the frames are all the same size — no matter the art and order you think of hanging them in. Or, for a museum feel, go about it in the opposite way — with various frame sizes and colors, but similar art styles. For other wow ideas, check out Minted.

4. Make Use of It

Wall décor doesn’t have to be limited to being pretty. It can also be functional. This is especially ideal when you want to make the most of a smaller apartment. For example, hang hats, scarves and the kids’ daily schedules. Alternatively, mount a cool blackboard and keep colorful chalk handy to encourage creativity, or post a whiteboard with plenty of markers nearby to help you keep track of your own tasks. You can even hang plates, utensils and other tools. The point is to make it look artsy or intentionally disorganized.

5. Make an Accent Wall

This is ideal when certain restrictions mean you can’t decorate to your heart’s content. Plus, creating an accent wall can be the best of both worlds when you need some décor, but your roommate prefers minimalism as opposed to overcrowded walls.

In this scenario, place all of the wall hangings on one single wall — any kind of artwork, mirrors, statement paintings, frameworks, photographs, prints and so on. You can even include pieces of décor and art that don’t damage the interior walls, like the ones from Saatchi Art.

The perfect pieces to upgrade your space are right around the (virtual) corner. Your apartment’s empty walls are full of possibilities. These are just a few tips to help you take them to the next level. So, no matter how strict the decoration policy — or how different your tastes are from your roommate’s — there’s always something you can do to bring out the full potential of your walls!