10 Ways to Make a Rental Feel More Like Your Home

With 1 in 3 Australians living in rental properties in 2023, I sometimes work with Sydneysiders who don’t have the same opportunities for interior design changes as a homeowner. Rental properties tend to have restrictions on what you can change (most of us can’t get away with removing a wall or adding an arch to the hallway), but there are still plenty of things you can do, to make your rental feel more like your home.

Here are 10 ideas you can easily do yourself, even if you’re not a DIY person:

1. Temporary Wallpaper

   Did you know that you can get temporary wallpaper? This kind of wallpaper is made to be easy to apply yourself and easy to remove without leaving marks. You can use it directly on painted walls but also inside kitchen cabinets or built-ins to create exciting surprises when you open those doors.

2. Rugs - yes, you can put a rug on carpeted floors…

   I know what you’re going to say: “But Nadia, my place is carpeted so adding a rug feels weird”. I understand your hesitation but stay with me on this one. Most rentals have a boring grey carpet that’s either just in the bedrooms or the whole rental except the kitchen area. Regardless of how much is carpeted, adding rugs to your space will break up the home into smaller cosy areas. Add a rug under your bed and/or a larger rug by your sofa. If your carpet is ‘boring grey’ you’re actually in luck as it’ll allow you to bring in rugs with more interesting textures and colours.

3. Changing blinds or adding curtains

   Ever considered changing the curtains at home? I know that some rental comes with blinds or curtains while others don’t. But even if your rental did, you can change the blinds - or ask your landlord/agent if you’d be allowed to add a rod around the windows in your living room to add sheer curtains. Sheer curtains and hanging curtains create a warmer and softer feel - great for bedrooms and living areas.

4. Lighting

   In most rental properties, the ceiling lights are simple boring domes. Play around with ceiling lights that better suit your style: add a chandelier to suit your Hamptons dining table, or perhaps simple spotlights to give better light around your kitchen counter. Obviously, you could also just choose to add some table and floor lamps to the space.

5. Sticker backsplashes

   If you’re not loving your kitchen, there are plenty of things you can do - even in a rental. Sticker splashbacks come in a variety of patterns and colours. They are easy to apply on top of existing tiles or fibreglass splashbacks, and you can easily remove them when moving out. Be bold and choose a colourful pattern or choose a single-colour sticker in a trendy hexagon shape.

6. Cabinet makeover

   Speaking of kitchens… You may be lucky that your landlord agrees to a cabinet makeover and painting your cabinet doors can transform any kitchen. If your rental has a small kitchen, choose a lighter colour to brighten the space - it doesn’t have to be white. Go with a fun light green or blue. Make sure to check with your local paint supplier that you’re using the right paint for the cabinets.

7. Fixtures

   Your landlord/agent may not give you the okay for a kitchen cabinet makeover. However, changing the handles and other fixtures is another great way to spice up your kitchen. If your kitchen cabinets are modern, you can get away with sharper shapes and colours. If it’s a dated kitchen with dark wood or carved patterns, choose something fun like a funky round nob handle.

8. Plants

   I LOVE plants - Like, LOVE LOVE!! Plants genuinely spices up ANY room and can add soooo much atmosphere to a space. Large lush greens add warmth and life to your living space but similarly, dried flowers and colourful bouquets can add an interesting dimension to cooler spaces with cleaner, modern vibes (think cement kitchens etc). Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post, where I’ll talk more about biophilic design, i.e. incorporating plants and nature into your interior.

9. Art

   Most of us do this already but in case you weren’t aware, I thought I’d mention that double-sided adhesives can be bought in most DIY stores and even supermarkets. They’re easy to remove and can hold relatively large pieces of art, paintings or decor, if you add enough adhesives. Think about distributing the weight evenly, i.e. having adhesives on both left and right plus top and bottom.

10. Textile

    I thought I’d save the easiest for last: textiles. If you want to keep it simple, choosing the right textiles can really transform your home. I like to think of each room as a clean canvas: adding the furniture is the foundation for my art and the textiles I add to those furniture makes the design interesting. A sofa may come with back and side cushions in the same colour as the seating, so spice it up with a nice rug or perhaps just a single pillow in another pattern. The same goes for your bedroom: choose textiles you like sleeping in and then add a pillow or two in a contrasting pattern or colour to make the bed into a feature piece in the room.

Obviously, while all these changes are temporary and easy to remove when you vacate the property, please check with your agent and/or landlord before trying them out.

Want some customised ideas for spicing up your rental? Book me for a Home Consultation and let’s make sure your space feels like home!