Even though she was moving into a rental apartment, Alexa D’Arges was eager to put her personal stamp on it.
“Loving my place is more important to me than the security deposit. So I just went for it to upgrade the paint, shelves, window treatments, and medicine cabinets,” says D’Argens, who as a senior designer at Bar Architects in San Francisco set about creating a stylish space. knows something.
“My landlord really appreciated the improvements. I would say, consider changes that add value, and they won’t be removed if you move out,” she says.
Non-designers may not feel comfortable doing this, as most rental agreements stipulate that you cannot change anything permanently. Another way: Start a conversation with your landlord to talk about possible changes, and maybe even offer to pay the bill.
Or, just make a few temporary changes, small personal touches that can make Blend and Basic look hip and homey with just a trip to the hardware store.
“It is really easy to personalize rentals these days; “There are a lot of great accents designed to be temporary,” says Jessica Dodell-Feder, executive editor of HGTV Magazine.
walls
Jessica Shaw, interior design director at The Turret Collaborative in New York, is a fan of removable wallpaper. “I used it in my home. Etsy, where I found mine, has prints, murals, and custom options. When your lease expires, you can gently remove it without any residue,” she says.
And don’t forget the roof. On one project, she created a wow factor by applying colorful, removable geometries from Flavor Paper to the ceiling of the bedroom. Night sky patterns or photomurals of forests can be especially good for city dwellers.
Denver designer Rachel Hoback applied an eye-catching star-mosaic wallpaper to her stair risers. “It was a very quick and inexpensive project that made a huge difference in the look of our staircase,” she says.
Removable wallpaper can also add pizzazz to kitchen backsplashes, bathroom walls and cabinetry. Taper, for one, offers a variety of designs, ranging from looks like painted ceramic tile, terrazzo, marble or embossed metal.
Liz Morrow of Tacoma, Washington, temporarily papers her refrigerator.
“A fridge can be ugly or boring, but removable wallpaper can easily turn it into the most interesting part of the entire kitchen,” she says.
Dodel-Feder agrees: “It’s a non-committal, fun solution for a blah kitchen.”
storage
“We don’t consider optimizing our rental storage spaces,” Shaw says, “but there are ways to improve their aesthetics and functionality.”
Install custom organizers in cupboards to efficiently store closets and household items. (Container stores and California closets are among the larger retailers with options.) Coordinating bins and baskets are affordable and ubiquitous in home decor stores.
Or build a huge closet against the wall. You can take clothes to rack with you when you walk. For example, Rebrilliant’s Lidl heavy-duty adjustable rack has rubber feet that anchor against the floor and ceiling
In a small kitchen, shelf risers and slide-in bins that pop over cabinet cabinets increase your storage capacity. And the adhesive hooks are good for hanging not only artwork but pans and pots.
Metal utility carts come in many colors; If you can paint, stencil or decoupage yourself. They are handy for frequently used cooking items, or bar gear.
Upholstery
Geeta Mirchandani, a public relations executive in New York City, has slowly added colorful and meaningful pieces from her favorite designers to her all-white apartment. Eames chairs, a George Nelson bench, a Jonathan Adler screen, and Philippe Starck dining chairs. “Each one serves as an important milestone for moments in my life,” she says.
She has also personalized her bedroom, and honors her heritage. “My headboard is a colorful, hand-painted Indian screen that reminds me of my eye-catching background every day,” she says.
Convertible furniture lets you create defined spaces that weren’t there. Murphy-style beds transform into a cabinet with options such as an attached sofa or table. Resource furniture-like tables transform into dining, office or coffee tables or consoles.
And a simple room screen can be a workhorse. There are rigid framed panels and folding screens in colored canvas, woven, paper, metal and wooden slats.
Windows
Curtains or blinds can bring texture, color and privacy.
If no rods are already installed, spring-tensioned or twist-and-fit rods adjust to various window sizes and have protective rubber ends. Kwik-Hang’s brackets can be tapped into window trim without a drill. Or look for ready-shade peel-and-stick window treatments; Some even offer advanced lighting controls.
finishing touches
Paint — especially spray paint — is an affordable way to upgrade a space. Can be used on decorative fabrics, on certain types of rugs, and on furniture or curtains.
Buy some builder-basic cabinet hardware or switch plate covers from the hardware store and paint them your favorite colors. Follow product directions on preparing and testing surfaces before painting.
Changing knobs and handles is another easy way to change the feel of a room, and there are many creative options out there.
Jazz up your bathroom by turning your showerhead into something colorful, or a showerhead that sprays like rain or shades.
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