1. Revive a kitchen with peel-off vinyl: If your kitchen has seen better days, then sticky-back plastic is your bestie. Self-adhesive vinyl comes in lots of colours and effects, such as wood, marble and hi-gloss. It covers dated cabinet doors, disguises ugly worktops and even hides tatty tiles.
2. Create a 'movable' 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.
3. 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.
4. Use portable bathroom storage: Drilling into tiles is generally a rental no-no, so choose free-standing bathroom storage instead. Shelves or racks which attach using suction cups are an ideal in-shower solution, while lean-to ladder racks are a stylish and practical way to store towels.
5. Zone with furniture: If you need to divide open-plan spaces or kids’ bedrooms and you’re not able to build stud walls, then try free-standing shelving units. Keep the shelves clear to allow light through if you wish, or fill them with books to create a solid screen for more privacy. Choose an option that can be easily disassembled, so you can pack it away and transport.
6. Wake up your walls: When you’re not allowed to paint or wallpaper the walls in your rental, consider hanging a self-adhesive mural instead. They come in a huge range of designs and are made to fit your wall dimensions perfectly. When it’s time to leave, simply peel it off carefully, leaving your wall as it was before.
7. Fake glamorous tiling: Transform less-than-lovely kitchen, bathroom or hallway floors by covering them with self-adhesive vinyl tiles, which are simple to lay over existing tiled floors. Carefully lift them off again when you come to the end of your lease.
8. Throw in some shade: 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.
9. Give radiators a glow-up: Dated radiators can drag down the look of a room. While you can’t remove them, you can hide them with attractive radiator covers, which have the added benefit of giving you extra display space on top for your favourite accessories. Look for adjustable designs that can slide in and out sideways to fit different-sized radiators, so you can take the cover with you if you move out.
10. No-drill, no problem: If you can’t screw or drill into the walls but want to add privacy, look for blinds that don’t require any tools. Brands including Blinds 2go now offer no-drill blinds that slot right into your window frame in seconds.
11. Add pattern and texture with fabric: If you long for some pattern on your walls but can’t hang wallpaper, stretch a patterned fabric over a wooden frame which you can place against the wall. You can make a frame from wooden battens, then pull your fabric taut over the frame and staple gun it in place. You can also use a similar technique to make a headboard.
12. Carpet tiles for cosy 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.
13. Show off your arty side: A gallery wall is the ideal solution for personalising your space and adding some colour without paint or wallpaper. Use Command hooks to hang your art as these can simply be peeled away from the wall without leaving any damage.
14. Add personality with rugs: Rugs are a renter’s friend. They’re the quickest and most affordable way to disguise an old floor, or create zones in an open-plan space. A general rule is to choose the largest size possible, to make it seem more spacious - check out the seven rules of decorating with rugs here.
15. DIY a trendy splashback: Rather than replacing a splashback, which is often costly, simply cover up an outdated one with vinyl tile stickers. The Quadrostyle designs below are made from water-resistant, heavyweight vinyl and will withstand everyday wear and tear. The low tack adhesive backing means they peel off without any residue. Get more fabulous splashback ideas here.
16. Opt for a faux stove: Add the cosiness of a wood-burner to your rental without the hassle of installation, by going for a plug-in electric model with an LED flame effect, to create that classic rustic look.
17. Spruce up hard floors: Love the look of parquet or floorboards? Consider covering up unloved flooring with loose-lay laminate planks instead. The floor you’re laying the laminate over must be level, so this does rule out brick, carpet and natural stone floors, but it’s well suited to vinyl or any other flat surface. These wide herringbone-effect planks are ideal for DIY installation, and can even be used with underfloor heating!
Why not make your rental even cosier with our tips for making a rented property feel like home?
