7 Decorating Tips for Renters ...

The first of my decorating tips for renters is to ensure that any changes you make to the décor can be taken away with you. That means using textiles such as curtains, which can dramatically change the look of a room, or bringing in your own items wherever possible. Then when you next move home, you can take everything with you.

Pictures are an excellent way of changing the look of a rented home. There are so many different ways of using pictures. You can group together lots of small prints in a theme, frame your own photos, or use random pictures picked up from a flea market. Or make a statement with a single, large dramatic piece. You could even unleash your artistic side and paint a plain canvas – it doesn’t have to be great art!

Textiles are absolutely brilliant for giving your rented home a new look. If you’re good with a needle, then you can make some bespoke soft furnishings. If you’re not so creative, then you can still make a big difference with purchased items. A lovely bedspread will revamp your bedroom, and throws are excellent for covering a sofa that you don’t like. Curtains, cushions and other textiles are an easy and quick method of decorating a rented home, and can all be taken with you.

If you have rented an unfurnished home, and brought in your own furniture, it may still feel as though it’s not your home. Your furniture may have been inherited or donated to you. A great method of making it more personalised is to paint or decorate it. There are lots of techniques you can use, such as decoupage, and having some unique pieces in your home will help diffuse the “rented” feel.

A simple way of decorating a plain wall is to use a stencil to paint a contrast pattern. You’ll need to paint over the stencil when you move out, so it’s best to only use these on white walls. Then you’ll be able to paint over easily without worrying about the new paint not matching the old one.

Rugs can really personalise a rented home, and will make it more cosy if the floors are wooden or tiled. If you don’t have any, see if friends or family have any they want to get rid of. It can also be a lot of fun to make your own – try making a rag rug, or fixing together some coloured carpet tiles for a chequered effect.

Before wallpaper was invented, walls were usually covered with fabric. So why not revive this old tradition to decorate your rented home? It’s not as fiddly as it sounds, and won’t cause any damage. Fabric is easily attached with a staple gun. Obviously you’ll need quite a lot, but there are some lovely cheap fabrics (check out market stalls for bargains).

Living in a rented home doesn’t have to mean being stuck with someone else’s taste. There are lots of ways of making it feel more like your own place, without spending a fortune or taking a long time. The key is to use tricks that allow a quick change. How do you feel about living in a rented home – can you make it “your” home, or are you always conscious that it belongs to someone else?