8 easy ways to make a rented house your home

Once upon a time in the carefree days of my youth (well, 6 years ago) me & Mr DC’s first place together was a flat which we rented. It was a nice size, two bed with an open plan lounge/diner, exposed beams and an amazing city centre location - seriously there was a bar so close the people in the flat above us could connect to their wifi. However, decor wise, it wasn’t so nice. I’m talking magnolia on magnolia, brown carpets and lots of glass shelves everywhere (your guess is as good as mine?!). On top of that we were really restricted with what we could do decorating wise, so putting our own stamp on it was a struggle to say the least.

However you needn't feel like your rented pad can't be your dream home (especially if you've got slightly more flexible landlords!) So here's eight ways to put your own stamp on a rental property, and things I wish I’d of done myself:

1. Invest in your own furniture

Our flat was furnished and money was tight, which unfortunately meant we had to live with a wicker coffee table and the type of sofa your nan wouldn't even want. We made do with lots of strategically placed throws, however my biggest tip would be to rent an unfurnished flat if you can (or ask your landlord to put any unwanted furniture into storage), and invest in your own bits which are more to your taste, and you can take with you if you were to move on. Don’t treat it like a rented or temporary place (unless it is of course!), it's still your home and you should love where you live!

2. Paint, paint, paint

Why not ask your landlord if you can paint the walls? You could offer to repaint back to whatever shade it currently is, however if you go for a simple white not only will it open up the space making it feel bigger and brighter, it'll also be easier to change back should you have to if/when you leave. Although my bet is the landlord will love it, and won't bother. Sadly it stupidly didn't cross my mind to do this, however it would have made the world of difference if we had.

3. Style the walls

The main issue we had with our flat was that the landlord wasn't keen on us putting anything up on the walls (see why the magnolia was such an issue?!). However we did get the OK to use command strips and picture hooks which can be used to put up artwork, wall hangings or even shelves, which in turn can then be styled to the max! Landlord still not keen? How about propping prints or mirrors up on side boards/furniture?   

4. Get your greenery out (real or otherwise!)

They're currently the biggest trend in interiors right now, so make the most of it and get your green on. If like me, you're a serial plant killer you could go faux with some beautiful artificial ones which can be picked up fairly cheaply from places like Homesense or IKEA - I shared my pick of some of my favourites here. The best part of this is that again this is an investment and you could take these with you if you were to move.

5. Get something soft underfoot

If you're unlucky enough to be blessed with thirty year old carpets or organgey laminate, (again speaking from experience here!) why not invest in some big, cosy rugs to cover the floor. I've previously shared some tips to make a room look bigger, but if you go for one that's big enough to sit under your sofa/furniture, it'll give the impression of a larger room, and hide as much of the offending floor as possible. Again, the more you can add your own taste and style to a space, the more it'll start to feel like home.

6. IKEA is your friend

This isn't just restricted to renters, I'm the biggest fan of IKEA ever, and think its definitely the place to go if you're on a tight budget. You can pick up furniture for very little, and with a bit of upcycling can hack them into something much more expensive looking. For example, I changed the knobs on my IKEA shoe cupboard to some cheap eBay hare handles to give it a slightly more luxurious look. 

7. Rethink the layout

This probably again applies more to a furnished property, but sometimes the space isn’t as well thought-out as it could be. Don’t be afraid to have a move around of some furniture or switch over some rooms, as often this can make the world of difference!

8. Change the lampshades

Might sound like an obvious one, but why not replace the dusty old drum shades with something a bit more on trend? Feather and wicker shades seem to be everywhere at the moment, and certainly make a statement, but even some pendant shades, or some with a brightly coloured inner would make a huge difference to the feel of the room. Just make sure to keep the current ones safe so you can put them back where they were if you need to.

What are your tips for personalising a rented home?

Thanks for reading,

Sam Xx