One of the advantages of renting is its allowance of personal space without all of the responsibilities of home ownership. However, some landlords may forbid any significant changes, and the temporary nature of renting may make you weary of making any major investments in decorating. To help renters overcome the nothingness of “white wall syndrome,” we have developed some tips for decorating without the hassles of paint.
Wall Treatments
The obvious alternative to paint is wallpaper, but it can be just as expensive and cumbersome as paint. A better option may be fabric wallpaper or wall decals. Fabric and starch wallpaper is a simple solution that is easily removable and reusable. Pricing will vary greatly based on the fabric, but affordable fabric is plentiful. Wall decals – adhesives that stick to your walls but can be easily removed without damage – are another choice for faux wall color. They can be purchased in simple solid-color squares (or other common shapes), in patterns or in more elaborate schemes and designs. Available designs include landscapes, flowers, symbols, words/quotes and even cityscapes. These decals can become intricate but remain generally less expensive and time consuming that painted murals or designs, particularly because of the easy removal and clean up.
If wall adhesives still seem like too much work, try centering each room on a single piece of art – and you don’t need the original “Starry Night” to make the room sparkle. At your local craft or home décor store, find a single large print or poster that speaks to you, preferably something with bright, bold or interesting color to contrast the white or beige walls. If the picture doesn’t have enough color, consider mounting it on top of a colored mat board. Frame it. (Stores should be able to do this for you at a reasonable price.) Mount it. And watch your room transform.
If neither of these options appeals to you, try creating a collage of personal pictures to act as the centerpiece of a room. You could either gather multiple picture frames (again, brighter and bolder will negate the white best) and create a mounting pattern, giving the room both color and design detail. Or, you could mount pictures onto a large board and frame the board with colored ribbon.
Lighting
Good lighting can save any room. (Bad lighting can ruin it.) Don’t inundate your room with unnecessary lamps, but let those you do have accent your bigger pieces of furniture. And if you have plain walls, don’t be afraid to pick something eccentric. If you want more color, consider colored lamp shades, and to bring the room together, pick a lamp shade in an understated color from your print centerpiece. Even without a main piece of art or decoration, lampshades with bold colors or intricate designs can give your white walls detail and life. Similarly, curtains control the amount of light in a room and can alter the color of the light, so vibrant ones can add excellent color to your white room.
Shelving
Shelves can deflect attention from bare walls in two ways: bookcases or other separate shelving can block chunks of the whiteness while adding a complimentary color, as most are either black or brown. Shelving can also be attached directly to the walls, acting as a wall treatment and centerpiece of a room itself.