6 Ways to Make Your Rental Feel Like A Home

Purchasing a home is sometimes not that easy to come by, especially in today’s economic world. Therefore many people find themselves renting properties to live in that may not be their first choice.

There is a hesitancy that by living somewhere that is rented you’re therefore unable to do anything with it. And to an extent, that is correct but there are ways you can modify the property. Firstly, without making structural alterations but improving the flow of the space. And lastly, without completely breaking the bank!

Having spent a number of years now living in rented accommodation, I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to call them home.

Next week, I am actually moving out of the apartment I’ve been renting for the last 18 months. For that reason it seemed the perfect opportunity to collate my top 6 ways of making any rental feel like a home.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can make your rental feel like a home…

1. Think White

There’s no other colour that can make your space feel larger, than White.

Of course, with renting a property you will need to check with the landlord before doing any decorating. I would recommend staying away from using wallpaper or renting somewhere with some already there.

If the decorating is particularly dated, I would highly recommend that you ask whether you can paint the property before you move in. It gives the whole space a fresh and cleaner feel.

You will probably have to do the work yourself but it’s definitely worth it for when you properly move in. It really makes it feel like yours if you’ve been involved with improving the overall appearance.

2. Layer Textiles

Occasionally rental properties come furnished, which is particularly helpful if you’re on a budget. If this is the case, then it may take longer to make it feel like yours, and ultimately like a home.

I couldn’t agree more with Clotilde Passalacqua, Interior Design Leader for IKEA UK and Ireland, in that, “textiles are the easiest way to make a space feel like your own.”

For an interior you’re moving into that is already furnished, try adding throws and scatter cushions to give the space some more comfort.

3. Plants

You can never have too many plants. It’s official. Plants brighten up any space and can bring a room to life.

What’s great about plants is that you can get a wide variety of styles and shapes. Many are inexpensive too.

Particularly for the kitchen, try combining a few different types of herbs. Whilst they look great on the window sill, they taste fantastic too.

Check out this post I wrote on how you can introduce plants into your home.

4. Accessories

Whilst the backdrop to your rental home is most likely to be neutral in colour, invest in some key accessories.

You don’t need to go crazy and buy hundreds of items, but key statement pieces which are either brightly coloured or patterned can really help to bring the otherwise dull space, come alive.

5. Wall Decoration

One of the easiest way to decorate / style your rented property to make it feel more like home is dressing the walls.

The strategic use of mirrors help to make spaces feel much bigger than they really are and can add elegance (depending on the style of them).

Try adding wall art or posters (Desenio are my fave!) to make any room more personal to you.

There are many heavy-duty plastic hooks you can purchase from good supermarkets which have non-damageable backs to them. Perfect for your rented home and putting pictures up!

6. Rugs

Depending on the age of the property you’re moving into and upkeep will hugely depend on what you want to try to disguise. One of the main things you may want to consider covering is any cheap and nasty flooring.

Particularly dull carpets or linoleum – you will want to cover these with a large rug. Try IKEA, Next Home and La Redoute for stylish yet cost effective solutions.