Adding character and personality to your rental home is not an easy task! In a rental, you don’t have the luxury of altering the physical space to create your dream home and your options may feel limited when it comes to interior design. In today’s post, I am talking about 10 different ways you can easily add character and personality to your rental home.  

The majority of my clients have reached out to me because they have a design challenge in their rental home that’s debilitated their ability to make any design decisions. Most of them have an idea of what they want, but they’re hung up on something that is completely out of their control. Maybe you got lucky and scored the perfect rental home of your dreams that ticks all of your boxes, but how often does that really happen? The truth is, 99.947% of us will have to make some sort of comprise when moving into a rental property (a completely real, not made-up statistic). You may be sacrificing location for more living space, dealing with a strange layout for a killer view, or just moving into an apartment you don’t love because it’s what’s available and affordable at the time (most of the apartments in my life have been the latter). Whatever obstacle you're facing with your rental property, don’t give up on your interior design because of features you may not love in your rental home - EMBRACE THE CHALLENGE! The sooner you can embrace your rental home’s quirks, the sooner you will realize that there are a million ways to work with them, and living in a well-designed rental home is not only 100% attainable but will also drastically change the way you experience your life. 

Now that I’ve gotten that PSA out of the way, let’s get down to what we really came here to discuss: how do you add personality to your rental home? Well, depending on your unique living situation, this can be accomplished in a myriad of ways. So before you begin reading my list of suggestions, I want you to do the following:  

Evaluate your space and determine exactly what it is you're working with: Are there any characteristics worth highlighting (high ceilings, original molding, a spectacular view, built-in shelving, fireplace, etc.)? Are there design features you’d like to mask (undesirable carpeting, low ceilings, cracked walls, a direct view into a neighbor’s home, no natural lighting, etc.)? As humans, we will naturally judge a space when we enter it, but I want you to take it a step further and critically think about your rental home’s interior. Make a list of the pros and cons and write down your findings. It is so important that you acknowledge your home’s pre-existing features, especially in rentals! Taking note of what’s already working and what isn’t will help to guide you when you're making design decisions. 

Okay, so maybe that was a second PSA, sue me, but I promise it helps to think about these things! So, without further ado, here they are: 

10 Ways To Add Character & Personality To Your Rental Home

1. PAINT YOUR WALLS - I know this seems obvious, but paint has the ability to dramatically transform a space with little effort and money. There are infinite possibilities with paint (I’ll probably do a dedicated paint blog down the road, so stay tuned for that!). Paint can create focal points, mask undesirable architectural features, have an effect on your mood, and can quite literally change your perception of a room’s size. You’ve probably moved into a white-walled rental and perhaps you desire a bright-white airy feel, but even the white spectrum has A TON of variety and should be carefully selected. 98.89% of the time your landlord did not think critically about the white paint they selected to cover your walls (another real, not made-up statistic). They bought the cheapest white paint they could find at the local hardware store and covered every inch of every room with it. Great! They have now primed your walls for you and you get to select the perfect shade of white paint (try to think of this as a positive!).

If you haven’t heard the term LRV (or light reflectance value), I recommend doing a little research into this very important pain term. In short, LRV measures how much light a paint color will reflect - essentially how dark or light a paint color will appear in your room. Depending on how much natural light each room receives, you might opt to paint them all different shades of white to better reflect light and make the space feel larger. I know what you’re thinking… “white is white”, “no one will notice the difference between this white and that white”, but I promise they will notice the difference! Purchasing a higher quality paint and finding the right paint shade for your room can completely transform an interior and should be carefully considered.

2. ADD SOME WALLPAPER - Just like paint, wallpaper can instantly transform a room. You can add texture, dimension, pattern, and color to a room just by adding wallpaper. It’s a great tool for creating a layered effect and doesn’t have to be applied directly to walls. Try using wallpaper on your ceilings, inside a bookshelf, inside a closet, etc. to add visual interest and personality to your home’s interior.

3. TRY REMOVABLE DECALS - So your landlord informed you that under no circumstance can you change the cheap white paint they selected for your walls. FINE. Removable wallpaper or sticker decals will do the trick! I do not mean live, laugh, love decals (those should be banished from all interiors IMO), they make decals for floors (like in the photo above), window privacy, and even kitchen backsplashes. They’re a great tool to completely transform a space without being dinged financially when you move out. Decals come in a variety of high-end finishes and materials, so you don’t have to have the “sticker” look finish. Quadrostyle and Etsy are my go-to sources for removable wallpapers and decals.

4. SWAP OUT YOUR FINISHES - This is SO easy and SO affordable. Chances are that you're moving into a rental with builder-grade finishes that feel underwhelming and blah. Swap out your cabinet hardware, door handles, switch plates, upgrade your shower head, and add in a luxurious toilet seat cover! You can save all the original finishes and pop them back in when you’re moving out - your landlord doesn’t have to know. This is a small, but effective way to make your rental feel like it was custom-built just for you.

5. OPT FOR STATEMENT LIGHTING - In Switzerland, typically rentals aren’t fitted with overhead lighting fixtures, so we have to purchase our own. Use this opportunity to add some style to your space! Please don’t buy a basic Ikea lighting fixture because it’s easy and cheap. Maybe you don’t have tons of money to splurge on decor, that’s okay - there are plenty of ways to create a high-end interior design without breaking the bank. Be intentional with your purchase and instead of the basic Ikea light, create a focal point with an oversized lantern pendant from Ikea, like this one. Both options will roughly cost you the same amount, except the lantern will add personality and make a bold statement, while the basic light… well, I’ll stop before I say something rude, but I think you get my point. For renters that have undesirable lighting already installed (like the dreaded nipple light) - swap it out with a statement fixture and you will instantly transform your interior! When you move, simply put the old one back in. If you don’t have an overhead light outlet, you can buy a plug-in pendant light to create a similar effect. For more tips on lighting, check out my blog Lighting Your Home.

6. DECORATE WITH RUGS - Carpet in a rental is a hard no for me. I would rather live in a studio with hardwood floors than a carpeted 3-bedroom house, but that’s just me. Sometimes undesirable preexisting flooring is unavoidable, but you can mask ugly floors with decorative area rugs. Make sure you are selecting a rug that works with the color and texture of the preexisting floor (if the floor is still visible). If you are like me and prefer hardwood floors, but you’re stuck with carpet in your rental, a jute area rug can do the trick. They are not wood, but the flat natural fiber gives the essence of a solid floor. Maybe you have great hardwood floors that you want to show off, but you should still consider adding some rugs into the mix. Using rugs is an easy and effective way to define zones, add texture, pattern, color, and comfort into a room. They also help to absorb sound, so if you’re in an apartment building, adding some rugs will help to reduce your noise (I sing a lot - rugs are an absolute necessity in our flat {if you’re my neighbor and reading this - you have my sincerest apologies}). Decorative rugs are a great way to add character to your rental home without altering any physical space.

7. UP YOUR FURNITURE GAME - I think it goes without saying that furniture will transform your room, duh, but if you’re moving into a white box with zero character and the landlord has informed you that you can’t touch the walls, you are going to rely on your furniture selections to transform your space. Say, for example, you’ve evaluated this white box and decided to lean into the minimal vibe (see what I did there? Evaluate your space!!!). Now, opt to splurge on a designer sofa, coffee table, and lighting fixture because a) that’s all you're adding to the room/those furnishings need to bring the design together, and b) choosing designer furniture is going to make the minimal vibe feel intentional - which is essential for good interior design. Perhaps you’ve evaluated (see, again…) the space, you HATE the minimal white box vibe, and you want a full-blown maximalist design. Guess what? You can do that too! In this instance, selecting bold, bespoke furniture shapes, textiles, and accessories will completely distract from the fact that you are standing in a basic white room. The point I am trying to drive home is that no matter which design direction you go in, your furniture selections are a great tool to bring personality into your rental home. Really take the time to think about what suits your lifestyle (functionality) and also what is going to bring you joy when you’re looking at it (aesthetics).

8. BRING NATURE INSIDE - I think plants should be required in homes. They not only elevate your interior, but they also make you happier (I think there is some science on this?)! You don’t need to have a home jungle, like Hilton Carter, although if that’s what floats your boat, by all means, do it. Having one or two large-scale plants in your room is an easy way to add personality and LITERAL LIFE into your interior. The other day a client asked me about using a faux tree instead of the living one that we were considering. I told them that if that’s what works on a practical level, then so be it, but nothing really compares to having a living plant in your home. Maybe it’s just me, but I carry a sense of pride around each plant that has survived my green (maybe we should call it black) thumb. I genuinely want people to admire my plants and ask me about them, which is what good interior design should do - spark conversation. If you don’t want a faux plant AND you don’t want to care for a plant, try branches in a vessel - same vibe, less maintenance (check out this blog from EyeSwoon for some tips on selecting vessels & branches).

9. ART. ART. ART. - There is really no better way to showcase your personality in your home design than through art. You can add a gallery wall, oversized art, tiny art on a huge wall, sculptures, or a mural - however the art is configured, it will certainly help to add character to your space. Art doesn’t have to be framed and on a wall, a stone column displaying pottery or a sculpture will add personality AND architectural interest to a space that feels lackluster. You don’t have to have a huge budget for art either - you can make it yourself or scavenge your local thrift shop for bargain deals. I have been purchasing most of my art from Saatchi Art, The Poster Club, and Etsy (check out my Etsy Blog for some more ideas).

10. HANG CURTAINS - Hanging curtains is an easy way to add character to your rental home. Just like hardware and lighting fixtures, if you’ve moved into a rental that has unsightly blinds, you can swap them out for something better! Curtains are an automatic focal point in a room and a great opportunity to transform a space. They can help to make low ceilings feel high and can help to introduce color, pattern, and texture into your rental home. The shape of a curtain should also be considered. For example, a linen roman shade might add a subtle touch of relaxed elegance, or a dramatic floor-to-ceiling double-pleat velvet curtain can add drama and glamour. The options are pretty limitless! If your room is feeling unfinished or boring, look into updating your curtains.

Living in a rental home doesn’t mean you can’t have a high-end or bespoke interior design. As I said, there are a million ways to make a boring rental home come to life, but you have to first accept what you can’t change and then go all in! Hopefully, this list of suggestions will help give you some ideas and inspiration to elevate your rental home. If you’re struggling with your interior design and want to work with me, check out my design services or feel free to contact me.

x
Zac