Some of you know that Michael is in the Navy. And what this means is he has moved around a ton in the past two and a half years! With each move, he’s always rented apartments or houses because it’s just too short of a time to buy a house. With each place he’s moved to I’ve helped him decorate. And then finally this January I moved down with him and could really go to town decorating our little town house 😉
Over the years I’ve noticed a few big decorating obstacles with rental homes (at least with the kind we rent on a newlywed budget…). The walls are always a very boring cream color. The floors in the bathroom and kitchen are probably outdated linoleum. On top of all that the floor plans are usually unimaginative. But have no fear! Your rental can still feel elegant and charming with a few little tricks.
I’m going to share with you all my favorite ways to spruce up rentals! All these photos are from my guest bedroom/home office. I swear the cream colored walls have some sort of yellow base because we have tried to take pictures in this room and they always turn out a little off…bear with me.
Creating Space
Typically, every room is going to be a square or rectangle. So, no built in book shelves or cool angles. To create interesting space I framed one of the corners with a neat folded wooden screen and stool. I also have a traditional book case in the office. It’s really more of a decorative piece though and only holds my favorite books and momentos. Since this bedroom is so small, I did not want to clutter it with anything. The rest of our books, documents, and paperwork are hidden in the closet 😉 I also added a wardrobe to the office that holds my most beloved clothing (including my wedding dress!). This is another great way to add space (especially if you’re a fashionista) and create a really cool fashion-editorial office vibe.
Curtains
Curtains are a must. When I moved down here to Mississippi I picked up 12 packs of the same curtain (same curtain in every room). I know that may seem a little crazy to some of you, but it really simplifies everything when you know you’ll be moving again soon! I went with a long sheer white curtain. They were super inexpensive but make every room feel polished.
Bedding
Since there won’t be any pops of color coming from the walls, using your bedding as a way to add color to the room is a great idea. Adding plush fabrics (like these pillows) will help the room feel more glam!
Gallery Wall
Gallery walls are an AMAZING way to add tons of drama for a fraction of the price. For this gallery wall, most of the items I already had laying around. The Chanel box came with a Chanel nail polish. The hashtag cork board was only a few dollars. The shadow box (on the right) was nearly free to create. I love gallery walls because they really tell a story and help make a place feel like home!
Bathroom Decor
There are no gorgeous white marble countertops happening in this bathroom (LOL). Since the countertop is not that pretty, I covered it up a little with the decorative flower pieces (pictured above^^). The floor linoleum has a lot to be desired so of course I had to get a pretty blush rug in there!! The shower curtain adds some much needed glam to this space. With rental bathrooms, using rugs and other pieces to trick the eye can work wonders! The shower curtain is a focal point, so make sure it’s giving off the vibe you want (glam, boho, chic, or rustic, etc…)
I love sharing my life with you all and I love hearing about yours!! I would love to hear your favorite ways to decorate rental homes in the comments. Have the best week!
Leave a Reply