How to Make a Rental Feel Like Home

Right now I’m in peak redecorating mode. The one catch? I live in a rented flat that’s full of furniture hat belongs to the landlord. So, I’ve been getting thrifty and finding ways to make a rental feel like home. It’s so important to have a space that feels more like you, even if you can’t afford to buy anything yet. These are my top five tips to transform a generic rented flat into a home:

ONE: Plants and flowers.

They are the easiest way to transform make a rental feel more lived in. Plants liven it up, but they also just fundamentally change the space. It starts to look more alive and really connects you with the room. So, while you’re misting your leaves and rearranging how it sits to get enough sun, you see the area in a different way, and you’ll find ways to move things around to suit you better.

TWO: Bring in elements of a style you love.

Usually, rented flats are bland, boring, empty slates. If you’re lucky, maybe everything will be grey. This means you can bring in styles you love by adding knick knacks and soft furnishings that reflect that. For example, I’m all about nordic interiors. I can’t replace sofas, or bed fames, or mirrors as I don’t have the budget and I can’t get rid of my landlord’s stuff. But, I’ve bought nordic vases, blankets, prints and even skincare! All of these little bits make the flat feel more mine. If you like antiques, fill the place with little things like sugar pots, wall hangings, mugs and books from thrift shops, which brings me to….

THREE: Antique shops are your new best friend.

I’m talking Kijiji, Gumtree, Facebook marketplace and Depop. This is where to go when your place feels like a complete bland and empty place. Or, when you just don’t like any of the furniture your rental came with. You’ll be able to fund affordable things, like lamps, mirrors and chairs that aren’t too expensive but bring personality to your space. When I lived in a student flat with all white furnishings, and I hated my tiny white chair, it was all so clinical and boring. I found a wicker chair on marketplace and it made my workspace look like someone’s rather than anyone’s. If you’re looking to make your rental feel more like home, head to the nearest charity shop (or website) and pick some things that you’d like to see every day.

FOUR: Soft furnishings.

Use soft furnishings to the nines to trick the space into looking more you without painting. If you don’t like the colour of your sofas, cover them with blankets (faux fur ones look fab). It makes it cosier and changes the look to be more you. One of the first things I did in my current flat was change all the cushion covers in our sitting room to have muted tones. Such a small change was a very affordable way to make it feel more me! And, changing my curtains from the green hospital curtains that came with the flat to some grey ones was such a simple change that made a massive difference. Duvet covers, cushions, blankets and curtains are all budget friendly ways to make your flat look the way you want it to.

FIVE: Make your own normal.

Just because the kettle is where it is, doesn’t mean it needs to stay there. If you’re in a rut, take everything out of the room and start again. Try things out and change them around until you like them, don’t just settle for the status quo! For example, I always move the bed to face the window… it’s just where the bed should be! It makes a huge difference, don’t fight me on this. Try moving things around, if you don’t like if you can always move it back, but you might just find something that makes more sense to you.

Pro tips:

Get the sticky backs to put up your own prints if you can’t make holes in the wall.

If you’re moving out for the first time, bring photos from home.

Buy things for your home while you’re travelling.

When in doubt, fill a vase with flowers. When that doesn’t work, buy a new plant.

Now that you have my top five tips to make a rental feel like home, here are some other blogs you might be interested in:

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