With the cost of owning a house continuing to rise, more and more people are living in rented homes. In the UK, 18.5 percent of people live in private rented accommodation, which is no surprise when you consider the cost of home ownership. While many people would like to own their own homes in the future, living in a rental property has many benefits. Not needing to worry about significant expenses, such as replacing boilers or dealing with plumbing emergencies, are just a couple of benefits of rented accommodation. However, for many people that rent their home, there is one thing they would like to change, and that is its appearance. Many rental properties are decorated in a pretty basic way, and if you are someone that likes to surround yourself with beautiful things and live a luxury lifestyle, the aesthetic of your rental property may not match your tastes. The good news is that even if you are dealing with the classic rental property décor of neutral carpets and magnolia walls, it is possible to add an extra touch of style to your home. If you are hoping to give your rented property a revamp without facing the wrath of your landlord and losing your deposit, these tips will help you get started.

Brighten up the Walls

While repainting or wallpapering the walls of your rented home may be out of the question, you may not need to deal with bare walls for the entire length of your tenancy agreement. Take a look at the walls carefully, and you may notice some nails or picture hooks already on them, meaning that you may be able to get away with hanging items on the walls without breaking the rules of your rental agreement.

Selecting some of your favourite photos of family and friends and special places you have visited on your travels will help to liven up the wall space and bring a personal touch to the room. Take a look here for custom canvas prints to order for your living room (for example, I have a photo from my blog of beautiful perfumes in my living room), and you should have the canvases on the wall in no time which will help the room look entirely different. There is nothing better than having pictures of the people and places that matter most to you up on the wall to make you feel right at home. You could also swap out plain blinds for some patterned blinds to add some colour.

Add Accessories

Decorative accessories are the perfect way to make a house feel like home and improve your home, so adding plenty of these to your rental is an excellent idea. Ornaments, keepsakes, and sentimental objects you have collected over the years on your travels are an ideal addition to your home and bring a truly personal touch to your living space. Displaying travel keepsakes is a particularly good way of making you feel at home when you move into your rental property. Seeing a reminder of all the places you have been and all the memorable experiences you have enjoyed when travelling will ensure your living space truly reflects who you are and your unique story.

Read my tips on how to upgrade your master bedroom!

As well as displaying your most treasured objects, you may want to add some new decorative accessories to the mix to bring even more of your personality to your rental home and make your home look well maintained and decorated. If there are parts of the property that you do not like, such as an ugly fireplace or unattractive shelving that does not match your tastes, brightening them up by displaying your decorative items is a great way to detract attention from them. As changing the fireplace or replacing the shelving is not an option, shifting the focus onto things you do like is the next best alternative and will make them less of a prominent feature in the room.

Bring it to Life With Plants & Flowers

Adding plants and flowers to your living space has many benefits and is a great way to make your rental property feel more like home. Using houseplants with delicate coloured flowers, such as peace lilies and orchids, will help to create a luxurious look for your living space, as these stylish plants provide an air of sophistication. These types of plants do best in sunlight, so they are an ideal choice to use for brightening up a windowsill and adding some extra interest to the room. If you are not usually a green-fingered person, an orchid may feel like a little too much work for your home. In that case, introducing some succulents and cactus to your living space may be an easier option and are certainly less labour-intensive plants.Using plants and flowers to add colour and interest to your living space is one of the simplest ways to decorate your home and also one of the most beneficial. Selecting plant choices that help to purify the air makes introducing plants to your home even more beneficial. Aloe vera and peace lilies are two plants that help to purify the air and also make attractive choices in your home. If you are styling your home with a vintage vibe, rubber plants and snake plants will purify your home while adding a 1970s style look. So, adding plants to your home could enable you to benefit by making your home look better and the air that you breathe purer.

Introduce Textiles for Texture

Adding different soft furnishings to your rental property is a sure-fire way to put your own stamp on the place and ensure that it reflects your taste. Using textiles in each room in a variety of textures will help to elevate the look of your space with ease. Although you cannot paint or decorate the walls with wallpaper, using textiles throughout your living space will provide the room with plenty of style and a luxurious finish.

Read my post on how to change the mood your living room on a budget!

If your home comes fully furnished, adding throws is a particularly useful way to make the furniture reflect your personal taste and to help make it more comfortable. Faux fur and chunky knitted throws are especially good for adding comfort as well as a touch of style to any space but can completely transform the appearance of sofas and chairs. If you dislike the flooring in your rental, or simply want to make it better suit your tastes, then adding a textured rug or two is an excellent choice. There are so many ways to improve a rental home with the help of textiles. Choosing your textiles carefully and combining different textures to create a layered look is one of the noticeable ways that you can transform your rooms. So, heading to the shops in search of the best rugs, throws, and cushions is an excellent way to get your home makeover started.

Final Thoughts

Wherever you live, and no matter how long you plan to stay, it is always crucial to feel at home and comfortable in your space. Your living space is so much more than just bricks-and-mortar; it should be somewhere that you can relax and be yourself. Making over your rental so that it matches your sense of style is a powerful way to ensure that it feels like home. Even the most sterile rental property can be transformed to reflect your tastes with the help of some carefully chosen accessories, textiles, and prints. With the help of your eye for design and some clever purchases, you will be able to makeover your rental home with ease. The best thing is that when the time comes to move on, you can recreate the look in your new property, as you will have everything you need to refresh the décor.

Renting also means keeping your landlord happy, so it’s worth checking your tenancy agreement before you hang anything or swap out fittings. Many of these arrangements are handled by the top property management company, which uses software that lets landlords manage leases and rent in one place. Sending a quick message to ask about picture hooks or removable wallpaper can save you a deposit dispute later, and most will say yes to changes that come down again cleanly.

Main Image – by Max Vakhtbovych / Second Image – by Vecislavas Popa

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