Making the Most of Your Rental Home

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A TEMPORARY HOUSE IS ALSO A HOME…

You guys know me and my belief in the power of doing up a rental home. I’m truly passionate that regardless of your living situation, you can make your space feel homely. Now, you can go to the lengths we’re going to with our rental home (you can follow our rental renovation journey here on Instagram). However, if you’re not feeling too confident with that, there are some great and simple ways you can make the most of your rental home, that is not too complicated and are deposit friendly…

BRING IN SOME COLOUR.

Adding colour into a home will instantly give in an overhaul and make it feel like a new space. For our rental, my husband and I went to the edge by painting our kitchen door a plaster pink; it’s such a cute moment! If this is too much for you, then get some colour accents to decorate your home. Things like cushions, vases, even coffee table books are great ways to add colour. The best thing is most of these can be swapped seasonally, meaning you are not stuck with the same things throughout the year if you like to mix it up every now and then.

GET CREATIVE WITH STORAGE.

I feel like it’s a rule with any rental home that there must be a lack of storage. Perhaps they are doing us a favour not to hoard things in case we move, but whilst we’re in the property, it’s rather annoying. The key to creating more storage in your rental home is getting creative with it.

If you love a minimalist style or have a very small space, investing multi-purpose furniture will allow you to have a design moment but is also practical. For example, I use an Ikea Hemnes dresser as a TV Unit. It allows me to have my TV up high, but I also have plenty of practical storage- hidden in case I needed to chuck the clutter somewhere for five mins. I would also recommend investing in a bed with built-in storage underneath it, an absolute lifesaver for us in our household.

Other decorative storage ideas you can use are woven baskets, trunks and even decorative boxes. Anything that will keep your lovely products nice, neat and out of the way.

 

   

SHOP MY HOME.

RUGS WILL ALWAYS MAKE AN IMPACT.

I feel like if you made a bingo game with the advice I give out, adding a rug to a home would be one you will always cross off. But I truly believe in the power of the rug. My go-to place for rugs is La Redoute, I’m obsessed with my Berber rug that I’ve had for years. It makes such a difference to a room. Not only does it help to zone spaces, especially if you live in an open-plan room, but it also adds texture and softness. As always, with rugs, go as big as possible. You’ll never be annoyed with a huge rug, but you will be with a rug that is clearly too small for a room.

LIGHTING WILL ALWAYS MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Another one you could make a bingo game out of. But working in interiors has really made me appreciate the finer details when it comes to your home and lighting is one of them. From your fittings to your bulbs to your shade even updating one of these elements can make such a difference. In a rental, just changing up the shade will make the most of your rental. I’m obsessed with our rattan shade from La Redoute in our living room. It’s stunning and has made such a difference in our home. If you can, changing up the flex and fittings of the light will also help. Bulbs as well. Getting some natural light ones will make your home feel bright and airy. I’m obsessed with my Hive bulbs, I can go from cool and warm depending on the time of the year.

WINDOW TREATMENTS WILL ALWAYS IMPROVE A SPACE.

I’ve spoken about this in previous decor posts but window treatments will always improve a space. In a rental, it’s not always worth investing in expensive treatments. Look for luxe fabrics from your favourite homeware stores like Ikea and Homesense. I got my linen curtains from Ikea and they look amazing! So light and breezy. They make my space feel so airy. Ensure they fit your windows (billowing too-big curtains don’t look good) even if you have the hem them yourself. Long curtains to the floor will add some luxe to your home and completely make it.

GIVE PAINTING A GO IF YOU CAN.

Now, most of these things I’ve spoken about are temp and will not make you lose your deposit. However, if you can paint- it’s 100% worth giving a go. Ask your landlord and reassure them you will change it back once you leave, I sure that your landlord will be on board. If you paint in a neutral, it’s easier to fix and you may get away with leaving it. If you’re going a little freakier and bolder, it will be harder to fix up and it may be harder to convince your landlord over it. But it’s worth asking and it will make your rental home look fabulous.