Feel like you’re bored of staring at plain white walls? Do you dream of your rented flat or house having more of your own personality? Follow our simple steps below to make your rental a home.
1. Hang your pictures up by a string or washing line
A really simple trick that adds a personal touch to any room. Tie up a piece of string or a washing line to two items in your home to avoid affecting the walls. Take some pegs and attach what you want. You can make this specific to your style by mixing and matching prints, photo booth pictures, postcards and more.
2. Add texture
An easy – but essential – way to bring life into your home. By adding rugs, curtains, cushions etc. that you love you’re bringing your personality into your home. Plus, bringing in texture can instantly make a home feel cosier (as well as helping to trap heat in your home during the colder months).
3. Stick on tiles / paper
This is a newer trend that has hit the rental market and helped many upgrade the look of their home without permanent changes. You can buy self-adhesive tiles and wallpaper to create a new effect in any home without a huge cost. Once you are ready to re-decorate or move out of your tenancy stick-on tiles/paper should come off easily with no residue left behind.
4. Self-Adhesive vinyl
A brand new idea that has evolved from the stick-on trend. You can make any wallpaper peel-able by applying a layer of self-adhesive vinyl to the walls before applying wallpaper. This means that the wallpaper is not actually touching the walls of your property.
Once you are ready to change the wallpaper or change tenancies you can remove the self-adhesive vinyl without any residue left behind. We’ve seen instagram accounts use this hack and it looks great! Check it out for yourself on @thepajaamahub account.
5. Update your handles
This takes less than 5 minutes and transforms the look of your furniture. Simply unscrew the handles on your furniture and pop on the brand new ones. Remember to keep the old ones somewhere safe so you can replace them at the end of your tenancy!
The real fun comes in choosing what handles you want on your unit – you can choose an endless amount of personalised, trendy or minimal handles. The choice is yours!
6. Get creative
You don’t need to use any special hacks to make your home feel homely. You can upcycle things you already own to create items that have a new lease of life. Follow Pinterest and Instagram accounts for inspiration (see a list below), there are thousands of creators sharing new ideas every day.
Instagram accounts to follow for Inspiration:
- @thepajaamahub
- @thebrighthome
- @studioshelleyinteriors
- @homeonharbor
- @kyliewhitespace
- @iamhayleystuart
- @knots.and.pots.home
7. Shopping Hacks
Some simple hacks for when you’re out shopping for new bits!
- Check Facebook Marketplace for great finds in your local area, a step that can make your rental feel like home instantly
- IKEA Family Card: This is a FREE loyalty card that gets you exclusive discounts to products, free just-in-case protection (and even a free hot drink on weekdays)
- B&Q Club: This is a FREE loyalty scheme that gives you £5 off a £30 voucher to spend online or in-store. You do need to make sure you have used the voucher before its expiry date
- Go out to vintage markets or charity shops and find unique pieces that you love
If you enjoyed this blog, why not check out our 6 Tips for Moving into a Shared House. Perfect for those of you who want to decorate a home that you share with housemates!