10 Expert Hacks for Decorating a Rental Apartment


This is a sponsored post by Domino


It has been about five year since we left apartment life.. and we spent even less than a year in a rental. When we were renting we were so hesitant to decorate.. M was always worried about having to patch up ever nail hole before we left so we never did anything. There was no Pinterest back then :( When renting, decorating seems difficult so here are some decorating hacks courtesy of Domino.



Maybe you can’t knock down the wall between your kitchen and dining room or pull up the wall-to-wall carpet, but there are many less permanent ways to make a rental apartment feel like home.
With a few easy decorating tips, you can keep your landlord happy, get your security deposit back, and have a home that expresses your personal style — until you’re ready to move out, that is.
Before you pull out the paint roller or start online shopping for light fixtures, be sure to get your landlord’s permission for any updates you plan to make. Chances are if the change increases the value of the property or you agree to put things back to their original state before moving out, your landlord will give you the green light.

Ten Expert Hacks for Decorating a Rental Apartment

1. Go Big With Wall Art

You may not be able to paint the walls (it never hurts to ask!), but don’t be afraid to hang art on the walls — the bigger the better.
Select a large-format canvas, like in this space, a world map, or trio of posters to create an eye-catching focal point. For an even bigger impact, try hanging a large tapestry, rug, or patterned fabric to create interest and cover boring white walls.
Don’t have any large pieces of art? Get the same effect by combining many smaller items into a gallery wall. While spackling over nail holes is one of the easiest fixes before moving out, if you’re worried about nailing into walls, use Command hooks or other easily removable hanging devices that won’t damage paint.

2. Upgrade Bath or Kitchen Fixtures

With your landlord’s permission, swap out the lackluster bath or kitchen faucet for a better-looking version. If you plan on making your rental apartment home for a few years and enjoy cooking, updating the faucet is a medium-difficulty task that packs a big punch.
While quality faucets don’t come cheap, it’s something you can remove and take with you to your next home. And if you’re relatively handy, the update should take less than an hour. Be sure to store the old faucet in a safe place to be reinstalled when you move out.

10 Tips for Decorating a Rental Apartment

3. Hang Curtains Over Blinds

The right window treatments add instant coziness to your rental home. Stuck with cheap plastic blinds? Don’t worry — you can hang curtains right over them.
Mount your curtain rod as close to the ceiling as possible above the window, then let the curtain fabric brush the floor to maximize the appearance of tall ceilings, like in this property. To jazz up a plain room, choose a patterned or bold curtain fabric.

4. Make It Cozy With Rugs

Area rugs transform a rental space from cold and sterile to personalized and cozy. While rugs are a no-brainer in a wood-floored living room, they can be added to any room in the house, from the kitchen and hallways to bedrooms and dining rooms.
If your walls and floors are neutral, picking a large rug in a bold pattern or bright colors is an easy opportunity to make a big impact in the room. Even if you have wall-to-wall carpet, adding an area rug on top helps to define the space — just make sure you anchor the area rug with furniture or a non-slip pad underneath to prevent wrinkling as the rug shifts.

Expert Tips for Decorating a Rental Apartment

5. Paint a Small Accent Wall

If you want to paint and your landlord gives you the OK, go with a bold color on a small area. Not only will a splash of color make a huge difference, it will be less work to paint over when you move out. Try a vibrant orange in a hallway or nook, or paint the lower portion of the wall, where chair rail molding would usually appear, like in this warehouse.

Ten Expert Tips for Decorating a Rental Apartment

6. Hang Temporary Wallpaper

Long avoided for being a pain to take down, removable wallpaper has opened up new home decor options for renters and homeowners alike. To save money and time, pick an accent wall to cover in a bold print, like this luxe vacation space. If you want to wallpaper an entire room, pick a smaller space like a bathroom or office.

7. Hide What You Don’t Like

Sometimes, the worst part about renting is living with quirks you don’t like and can’t change. But that doesn’t mean you have to stare at them every day. Disguise the ugly backsplash in your rental kitchen with removable tile stickers, toss a rug over a stained carpet, or hang a large piece of art over an awkward opening in the wall.

Decorating a Rental Apartment

8. Incorporate Hobbies as Art

Worried about where you’ll store your bike or surfboard in a small rental apartment? Instead of hiding them away in a small space, think of them as part of the decor.
A colorful bike or guitar hung on the wall or a surfboard leaning in the corner adds personality and immediately signifies to guests that you love adventure. If you love to travel, frame photos from your travels and make them into a conversation-starting gallery wall. Personal touches make a rental feel like home.

10 Expert Hacks for Decorating a Rental Apartment

9. Upgrade Lighting

Staring up at an ugly ‘90s-era ceiling light that’s not meshing with your decor style? Replace it with a new light fixture to instantly upgrade and personalize your space. A modern chandelier becomes the focus of the dining room in this vacation rental.
If you don’t want to remove the offending light, get creative and disguise it with a DIY lampshade that fits over the original fixture. More lighting options will make your rental apartment more comfortable. Even if your rooms have existing overhead lighting, adding table and floor lamps will amp up the ambiance.

10. Don’t Forget About the Front Door

Especially if you rent an apartment in a large building with identical doors, don’t neglect your entryway decor. Putting out a doormat or hanging a wreath differentiates your home from your neighbors, and makes a great first impression on guests before they even step foot in your apartment.
Read more at Domio.

      
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Comments

  1. Love all these ideas! So many things are so easy now days. I love that wallpaper is peel and stick nowdays!

    http://www.mylittlenest.org

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  2. Wow, very helpful post with great ideas. I like it, thank you for sharing.
    Have a wonderful day!
    Dusana ;-)

    www.letnedni.com

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  3. Lots of wonderful hints, Hena! Thanks!

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  4. Some great suggestions. I particularly like numbers 8 and 10.

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  5. I love the 5th one :)

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  6. Ah, great tips here! I never let holes stop me from hanging mirrors and art when I was renting. I just patched up the holes got paint sample painted over the holes and I always got my deposit back

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.com

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  7. This is so smart. It's even good when you are in your own place because you can't always spend the time and money to do everything we want. I found this great covering for the lighting in our bathroom that is removable, and it's still there.
    XOOX
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is super cool dear
    new
    https://www.melodyjacob.com/2019/02/10-cheap-premium-men-summerspring.html

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  9. all wonderful ideas!!! i love pinterest, i wish i had it when my kiddo's were little and back when i decorated my house. now i have lost interest somewhat and don't feel up to the mess that would be necessary to fix my 80's house up!!

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  10. These are fabulous ideas! When we lived in an apartment, we always hung curtains and added a wreath to our front door! Switching out light fixtures and faucets is an easy switch too that landlords would probably be all for!

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  11. These are all great tips! Thanks for sharing. Xo, Ellese

    Rock.Paper.Glam.

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  12. Marvelous ideas! I love the idea of painting a small accent wall. Pinning this!

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  13. These are great tips! Love the accent wall and wallpaper ones especially.

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

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  14. Lovely decor! thanks for sharing all these wonderful hints with me.
    The Glossychic
    Wonder Cottage

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  15. These are great. Growing up, we lived in an apartment and I so remember my parents being careful about decorating and ruining the walls:)

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  16. We haven't rented, so I don't know all of this. Great tips!

    Amy Ann
    Straight A Style

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  17. Fab tips! We totally did the temporary wallpaper back when we rented.

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  18. Amazing interiors, so inspiring!
    Kisses, Paola.

    Expressyourself

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  19. Living in the apartment also has a beauty for him. There's a neighborhood relationship. When you're sitting in an apartment, you learn to treat your neighbors with respect. You go to the guest, your neighbor is coming to you.
    http://friv.party/

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  20. Oh very cute dieas~ Thanks for share so great tis darling

    Please do not place links if you comment on my blog or I will delete your comment and report as SPAM

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  21. Love these tips, doll! A big piece of art can really transform a space!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  22. These are very useful tips. Thank's a lot!

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  23. I really like big wall art!

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  24. Great post!
    Very helpful tips.

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  25. These are all great ideas
    xo
    www.laurajaneatelier.com

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  26. Ahh, lovely ideas :) I am currently living in a rented apartment too and you are right. It is so difficult to decide what to do or what not to do. There is always a confusion about everything because we don't know when we would move out. But these are really some interesting tips. I love wall arts and removable wallpapers :)

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  27. These are beautiful tips dear, thanks a lot for sharing these ideas!
    Jessica | notjessfashion.com

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