I have been renting now for just shy of 4 years. 4 years of walls I can’t paint, carpet I can’t change and spaces I have little control over. 4 years.
But the fact that I am in a rented property has never stopped me from enjoying the space I’m in, filling it with things that I love and making it feel like a home. I love the space I’m in and although I know I don’t want to be in a rented property for the rest of my life, it’s served me well over the last 4 years and giving me a space I can call my own.
I know that a lot of you reading this are fellow renters and battle the same battles as I do. So I thought I would share some of the secrets that I have learnt over the last 4 years to make my rented space feel like home.
Furniture is king
Seeing as though the only item you have control over is your furniture, I would recommend investing in pieces that really speak to you and give you so much joy to sit in / lie on/ look at. Let your furniture speak for the room and bring people’s eye to them. Whether that’s from a cute pouffe, a colourful bed spread or a shelving unit filled with your favourite things. Let them stand king.
Command Strips are your friend
I don’t know what I would do without command strips. Those adhesive little life savers have really helped me turn my rented flat into a space that I really love. With prints, mirrors or clocks, they let you hang things on the wall without leaving a mark, making a mess or compromising on your security deposit.
Know your colour scheme
I think the key to making somewhere feel really pulled together, cohesive and you is knowing your colour scheme and sticking to it throughout your space. I personally love a very neutral decor look and focus on whites, beiges, blacks and neutrals. I find that it makes my flat a lot more cohesive and reflects my personal style so well.
Work with what you’ve got
One thing that can sometimes be a hard pill to swallow with rented property is knowing that you don’t have any control over what you’ve got – so I’d say just embrace it! Whether that’s a funny alcove, balcony doors or a quirky shaped shower. Sometimes it’s so great to make a feature of what you’ve got and embrace your space, quirks and all.
