Tips & Tricks to Decorate your Rental

A couple of weeks ago, I hosted my first Interior  Decorating Workshop! I had a lot of fun! It was a little daunting at first, but became quite relaxed once I started talking. I gave a short talk about how to decorate a rental without making any major or structural changes to your home.

A few renters talk to me and say they haven't bothered with decorating or putting any effort into their interiors because they know they wont be there for a while, because its not their home, or because the landlord wont allow them to make changes.
I want to help change that and love the place you live in, even if it is for a small while and make it feel your own.

Below are a few decorating ideas you can use in your own home that are inexpensive and removable.

Work with what you have!

Focus on what you like about your home and possessions rather than concentrating on the negatives and damn straight ugly side.Its easier and cheaper to work with what you have, because in most instances you cant make structural changes to your rental.For example, if you don’t like the colour of your walls, floors or bench tops, find a colour you love and ensuring there is repetition.

The image of this bathroom shows cream wall tiles, a dated vanity and not a lot of storage.
You don’t notice those elements much as the home owner has added touches of green to make the ugliness disappear and create a total transformation.

Colour creates individual style, it can give a space a lift and has the power to calm and relax.            Be confident with colour and experiment.

 

 

Repurpose Furniture:

 

Change the way you see furniture and accessories as it can create a new way to use it.

The first image below of the pair of vintage French doors have been used as a bedhead.

 

 
 

Old filing cabinets can be sprayed in a bright colour and use as a bedside table or side table in a lounge room.

 

A trestle table can be used as a dining or office table. This is a pic of a trestle table I made myself. I bought the trestle legs for $30 for the pair and with the help of my fiance we bought timber planks from bunnings and nailed the boards together to make the top. All pup it cost $70! If you don’t want to make your own table top, you could find an old barn door and sand it make to give it a warn look.

 

 

Bookcase Styling

 

A different way to add colour in your home,  is to colour code your books to create visual interest.

If you don’t have a large range of coloured books, why not pretty them up by wrapping the front and back covers with wrapping paper, maps, patterned fabrics scraps  or old pages from a dictionary.

 

A great tip for styling bookcases and shelves is it mix up the way you stack your books. Try laying a stack of books flat which then gives you the opportunity to display ornaments and accessories on top of them.

 

 



 

 

 

Wall Decals

 

Wall decals or wall stickers have been around for a while now and are a great alternative to hanging artwork. They are removable and leave no residue.

 

 

 

By creating a bigger impact, removable wallpaper is a great temporary solution. The Wall Sticker Company stock a great range of wall stickers and removable wallpaper.

http://www.thewallstickercompany.com.au/

 

 

 

Next week I will share with you, part two on how to add colour to a room without paiting the walls.