3 Easy Ways to Decorate Your Rental and Make it Your Own
No matter where you live, you want to make that place feel as homey as possible. There are plenty of easy ways to update and decorate a place that are easy and inexpensive. Check out 3 of our favourite ways to renovate without commitment:
1. Gallery or Feature Wall
The most difficult part of a gallery wall is choosing what you want to display. Everything else is easy. Start with a collection of objects you’d like to hang. Choose from framed photos, art, mirrors, shadow boxes, 3D wall décor or shelves. You can achieve the best results when you pick objects with similar shapes, sizes, or colours. But really, when it comes to gallery walls, you can be as creative, eclectic, or as uniform as you’d like.
Lay all the pieces out on your floor first to find the arrangement you prefer, then recreate it on the wall. Not allowed to make holes in your landlord’s walls? No problem. There are lots of options for picture hanging strips and hooks that adhere to the wall and can be easily removed without leaving a mark.
It helps when you’re hanging anything to use a level, but don’t rush out to buy one just yet. If you have an iPhone, just open your compass app, swipe left, and voilà, you have a level!
2. Invest in a Piece of Furniture or Art You Love
Not only will buying a piece you love help freshen up your current rental, but it’s a smart buy if it’s something you’ll be able to take it with you when you move one day. And by “invest” we don’t mean it has to be something that breaks the bank. Just choose something classic that you think you’ll be able to keep with you for many years to come.
3. Get Painting
With a little bit of elbow grease, painting is one of the simplest and fastest ways to make a big impact in your living space. If you need help choosing a colour, paint companies like Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams have digital tools to help you narrow it down. You can also use an app like Paint Tester to try out colours on photos of your space. When you go to buy paint, start out with a sample pot and try a swatch on your wall. Light in any room changes throughout the day. Doing a test first can save you from making a big mistake.
Make sure to ask your landlord if it’s okay to paint, and while you’re at it, ask them if they’ll cover the cost of paint and/or provide supplies. You’d be surprised how many are open to the idea. Think about it, for them to paint your rental, they usually have to wait for it to be vacant and will lose out on rent for that month. If you’re doing the work while living in the space, you’re saving them time, money, and hassle.
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