4 Interior Design Secrets that Will Make Your Rental Apartment Feel like Home
Designing a beautiful and functioning small space can be difficult. I’ve been a city apartment renter for the past 6 years and it took me a long time to get the space looking and feeling how I want it. I had to get creative with how to make the small space work for me and my busy family.
In this blog post, I’m sharing my top renter-friendly design secrets with you. You can get your place feeling and looking its best! I’m going to cover:
How to add Flair to your Bathroom Tile Without Construction
How to Choose the Perfect Bedding to Make your Bedroom an Oasis
Where and When to Use Removable Wallpaper
The Best Lighting Solutions for a Small Space
I know designing a rental space can be overwhelming, but I’m confident with a few selective and specific design choices, you can have your space looking custom and in your style! You are in the right place and I’m excited to share my top secrets with you.
Secret #1: Peel and Stick Tile - How to Add Flair to your Bathroom Tile Without Construction
If you’re looking at your rental bathroom tile and thinking, “how long ago did they install this” you are not alone. A lot of rental apartments never feel 100% clean because there is only so much you can scrub 20-year-old grout.
Peel and stick tile is the perfect solution, it not only saves me from looking at old tile grout but also adds fun to my bathroom floor! These are so quick to install and come in so many cute patterns. I have shared a few of my favorites below and if you’re interested in reading more tips on freshening up your bathroom, I’ve laid out my ideas in this post, How to Give your Rental Bathroom a Makeover with Zero Construction.
Secret #2: Bright Bedding - How to Choose the Perfect Bedding to Make your Bedroom an Oasis
Our bedrooms are arguably the most important room of our house/apartment. It is where we go at the end of the day to rest for the next busy day. This is why it’s so important to make your bedroom a peaceful space that leaves you feeling recharged. I spent so much time looking for the perfect bedding.
I finally landed on fun bright prints that give me energy when I enter the room. I also switch out our bedding depending on the season so I never get tired of the prints. I’m sharing my favorites with you below. Don’t be afraid to use color and mix patterns in this space! A few throw pillows can also go a long way to make the space feel complete. For a deeper dive into throw pillows, check out my post, A Guide to All the Different Kinds of Throw Pillows.
For more throw pillow ideas check out our post on The Most Stylish Throw Pillows On Amazon - For Under $30
Secret #3: Removable Wallpaper - Accent Wall or Full Room Makeover
Ok seriously, removable wallpaper may be my favorite design discovery I have made in the past 5 years. I love it so much I wrote a whole post about it that you can read here, Top 3 Design Hacks on How and Where to Use Removable Wallpaper.
Removable wallpaper has become such a popular design trend because of its flexible nature. Because it’s removable, you can swap it out whenever you feel like a change in look. This has made me make bold print choices that have brought so much fun to my apartment. You can also use removable wallpaper in so many spaces, as an accent wall, in your bathroom, or as art on your walls to name a few.
You can find so many prints that fit your own style and it will change the vibe of your apartment to make it feel more custom. Like it was made for you! I’m sharing links to some of my favorites below:
Secret #4: Good Light - The Best Lighting Solutions for a Small Space
My apartment came with horrible overhead lighting. All of the light fixtures are the same and very likely from the 80’s. I needed to find a way to light the space without the bright overhead lights. If you’re living in a rented apartment there’s a good chance you’re in the same boat, or the chosen lighting fixtures are new but not to your taste.
My husband and I came up with the great idea to install a hanging light in our living room. It was relatively inexpensive and made the space look so much more sophisticated. We also got a statement floor lamp which livens up the corner it’s in.
Fun tip - there are lightbulbs that change color with a remote - it’s so fun to change the color based on your mood or the time of day. Check out some fun hanging lights as well as statement floor lamps below:
The best way to make your rental apartment feel like home is to make choices that reflect your personal style and bring fun to your space. I’m confident that with my 4 secrets, you will be able to transform your rental into a place you love to come home to! If you want to get new tips on Interior Design and maximizing your space potential, sign up for my newsletter below.
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