7 Techniques To Spruce Up Your Rental To Make It A Home
Home is supposed to be your solace when you are done for the day and need some TLC (Tender Loving Care). It is decorated to your liking and has everything you need to wind down and relax, unfortunately for renters, many do not bother to put in the extra effort to achieve this. If you want to Spruce Up Your Rental and make it your own, here are some tips.
To be fair, it is likely due to the many restrictions set upon them by their landlords. Restrictions can include rules such as “no painting the walls”, “no hammering nails into the walls” and some might go the extra mile and set their foot down to not allow the tenants to rearrange the furniture.
All these rules and regulations on decoration limit the tenants’ ability to express themselves in their own homes. Making their house feel like they are just a place for them to temporarily sleep in at the end of the day but not for them to feel comfortable in.
With all these set limitations you wonder if there is a loophole for you to make your rental your home, and the answer is yes.
Here are 7 techniques to spruce up your rental to make it home:
- Set a theme
- Refurbish your furniture
- Removable flooring
- Temporary Wallpapers
- DIY Projects
- Utilise no-drill hooks
- Go green
Set A Theme
Firstly, you need to set a theme. Every redecorating plan requires you to pre-determine a theme to be able to incorporate pieces that would fit into the overall end look.
Having a theme is also a way for you to show off your personality, it could be zen, rainforest, minimalistic or even maximalist. Its purpose is to also set the mood of how you want to feel when you step into your house.
If you are unsure of what part of your interest you want to display, feel free to experiment! Do not make any big changes like buying new furniture just yet, instead just buy new bedsheets, cushion covers and rugs that suit your current trial and see if you like it after a few days.
When you have found the one for you then you can start shopping for the big pieces.
Refurbish Your Furniture
Buying all new pieces of furniture can add up and soon enough you will be staring into an empty bank account. Try refurbishing pieces that you already have instead.
Refurbishing furniture is not as costly and it will come out looking brand new. When you think of refurbishing furniture, you think about upholstering the sofas and that is it… well you are wrong.
You can give new life to just about any of your old pieces with some paint, wallpaper and a little creativity. You can paint over pieces that you own and stick on wallpaper on those that you don’t own, you now have one-of-a-kind pieces.
Even that old kitchen cabinet the landlord gave you, you can change the handles to ones that are more to your style. Just make sure that you do not throw the old handles away so you can change them back when you move out.
You get a whole new look for your house and all these little changes cost less than having to change bigger ones.
Removable Flooring
Is your old wooden floor rotting and chipping off? You lost track of the number of splinters you got stuck on your toes? Well, have you heard of removable flooring?
No, it is not cutting up your old flooring and replacing it, it is however a temporary solution. Removable flooring is stick-on tiles with various designs that can suit anyone’s dream floors. Whether it is dark, medium or light wood flooring, there are even Moroccan flooring options, you can choose to mix and match as well.
Since they are self-adhesive they require less work as you do not need to buy cement and are wallet-friendly. Just head on to your nearest hardware store or even get it online for better options and deals.
You get brand new floors and your toes will definitely thank you for saving them from wood shavings.
Temporary Wallpapers
Treading in the same realm of self-adhesive options, let us talk wallpapers. They are affordable, they bring life to a room and they are temporary.
Landlords not letting you paint your dull walls? Get wallpaper. There are plenty of options to choose from, every texture and design you can think of from plain solid colours to floral and even abstract wallpaper.
If you really cannot find one that suits your tastes, you can just get a plain wallpaper then paint over it. Drawing your desired designs on the wallpaper keeps the wall under it protected.
Despite it all, you have to make sure to remove it when you move out or if you are chummy enough with your landlord, maybe ask them if they want to keep it up.
DIY Projects
We have been talking about doing everything yourself, from the refurbishing, the flooring and the wallpapers, now how about decoration pieces?
Say you like painting or pottery or other artsy interest, what comes out of it could become your decoration. You can also benefit from creating your own decoration by being able to change it often. Bored of this painting? Time to make a new one! That basket looks dull? Let’s make a vase instead!
You definitely will not find it as a chore to make and you get to brag to your guests every time they come over and see it. Hey, if they like it enough you can make some and sell them.
You not only get to display your hobbies and get new decoration every time but now you get to make some side income from it too.
No-drill Hook
You want to display those photos you have of your family and friends but your landlord will not let you drill the walls? The solution is a no-drill hook.
It has a self-adhesive pad on the back and can stick on any surface you can think of. Your walls, doors, tables and even wardrobes, create new spaces for storage.
Not only can you hang photos, but you can also hang your towels, clothes and plant pots up. No-drill hook comes in different sizes and designs allowing you to utilise it however you want or need to. There is even a no-drill hook for heavier decorations like curtains and mirrors.
However, if you do not like hooks, there are always other options to hang up your things. All of which is just as easy to remove as it is to put up so you will not face any problems when moving outcomes.
Go Green
Plants! that is right, plants. Those green, often leafy things you see growing outside where nature exists. Yes, you want those in your house.
What? You do not have a green thumb? That is okay, with how much people are staying indoors as of recently, we have also seen a rise of indoor plants. Easier to raise, harder to kill.
You might wonder how indoor plants are easier to raise? For one, they do not require as much sunlight or water as outdoor plants, and they do not grow as unwieldy as their outdoor counterparts do.
It comes in all shapes and sizes, some even come in different colours, all you need is a window with a little bit of sunlight and a reminder to water them once a week.
These green friends provide your space with natural colour, fresh air and some even have other benefits such as destressing, antioxidants and anxiety-reducing. What other reason do you need to go green? Incorporate all these little techniques into your house, soon enough you will start seeing bits and pieces of yourself in every corner. You can also explore other options to change your space and then you can start calling it home then.
