Rental agreements may keep you from making major renovations, but there are plenty of other ways to decorate a rented apartment.
When renting an apartment, you can’t always add those fab and funky decorating touches you really want. But with a bit of creativity and a limited budget, you can transform your pad into a unique and comfortable living space… and get your deposit back at the end of the lease.
Removable wallpaper
Removable wallpaper is the answer if you want to bring vibrancy and colour into your pad. It’s cheaper than paint and can easily be peeled away – and possibly even re-used in your next home.
Self-adhesive tiles
Source: Vivo Homeliving Inspiration
Self-adhesive tiles are as easy to remove as they are to apply. They’re a temporary décor trend that can make a statement on any surface and in any room.
Throws
Covering your well-worn furniture with a richly coloured or textured throw is a quick, easy, low-budget way to add style and comfort to a room.
Wooden ladder bookcase
A repurposed wooden ladder is an eye-catching element that can be used in a wide range of applications. It’s a freestanding bookshelf and a unique display area that takes up an infinitesimal amount of wall and floor space.
Vertical garden
A simple step ladder can double as a vertical garden. A bonus is that it can easily be transported indoors or out, as the seasons change.
Retro door handles
An easy way to modernise a room is by replacing the standard door handles, knobs and plug covers with more retro or modern versions. At the end of the lease, you can easily screw the originals back in place.
Room dividers
You can bring bold patterns, textures and colours into an otherwise bland space using a removable room divider. This is also a practical solution for creating a private nook in an open-plan loft apartment.
Old leather luggage
Soft, supple and versatile, vintage leather luggage and trunks add a rich, retro ambience to any room. They can serve as stylish tables, storage units or stands.
Recycled sash window mirrors
Source: Kitch En Sync
Strategically placed mirrors are a great way of bringing light and space into a small apartment. If you want to save money and make a unique statement, you can use old, discarded sash windows to great effect.
Fabric
Source: Designing Home
Using bits and pieces of fabric, you can make lamp shades, head board covers, room dividers or even framed works of appliqué art.
Wooden crates and wine boxes
Source: NanoPress Donna
Old wine boxes and wooden crates can easily be integrated into an aesthetically pleasing storage and display unit. They can add a richly toned and rustic appeal to the kitchen, lounge, bedroom or bathroom.
Sepia or black and white photographs
These days, it’s easy to digitally enhance and enlarge your own photographs. Consider printing them in sepia or black and white to create highly personalised, stylish décor.
Lamps
Placing lamps around a room instantly adds warmth and light, making your apartment feel cosy and lived in. Lamps can also serve as creative design elements.
Decorative baskets
Baskets are versatile decorative pieces that can be hung on walls or placed on cupboards, shelves or the floor. They can double as organic storage units in the bathroom, bedroom or living room, and are light, low in cost and easy to relocate.
Local art
Original art works are a practical way of decorating empty wall space, and may even have value as assets if they’re created by noteworthy local artists.
Collectibles
Displaying antiques, collectibles and interesting bits and pieces you’ve picked up on your travels adds personality and interest to a rented living space.
Store the superfluous stuff
An apartment cluttered with too much stuff is disorganised, untidy and less comfortable than it can be, for you and visitors. So instead of packing in the clutter, consider storing the items you don’t need or seldom use.