Express yourself and transform your rented home into a chic space that feels like you, without losing your deposit
Feature Anna-Lisa De’Athz
THROW IN SOME SHADES
Inject some personality by getting creative with colourful furniture and accessories. If your rental is already furnished and you can’t swap out items such as the sofa or bed, you can still liven up the room with bedding and throws, bold cushions and smaller items of occasional furniture, such as side tables, which you can easily take with you if you move.
Choose wheeled options for extra flexibility.
CREATE A MOVEABLE ‘WALL’
Want to zone your home office space but not allowed to paint or paper the wall? Paint or wallpaper a large sheet of MDF instead and stand it against the wall behind your desk. If you’re worried about marking the wall, pop some self-adhesive cork picture frame bumpers on the back so the painted area doesn’t touch the wall. It will create a useful place to attach your calendar and post-its, too.
STAGE A COVER UP
If you can’t change the sofa, drape a few colourful throws across it to give your couch a mini makeover. Or, bring back a 90s classic and try putting a new slipcover on top.
WARM UP COLD TOES
Love the softness of carpet underfoot, but your landlord prefers hard flooring? Try laying carpet tiles on top. They’re really quick and easy to lay, and you can use a mix of different coloured tiles to create patterns on your floor, depending on how you lay them. When it’s time to move, you can simply lift them up and take them with you.
GO FOR A FAUX STOVE
Add the cosiness of a wood-burner to your rental, without the hassle of installation, with a plug-in electric model instead. This free-standing design has an LED flame effect, to create that classic rustic look. It’s two power settings of 900W and 1850W can heat rooms
