8 Easy Decorating Projects for Your Rental Home
Trying to change up how your home looks but don’t have a lot of time or energy to do so? Start with some of these easy decorating projects and see how much of a difference some small things can make.
1. Use furniture with multiple purposes
One of the best things you can do, for many reasons, is to get furniture with multiple uses. A small Ottoman can serve as decoration (especially if it’s an interesting color), seating in a crowded room, and some storage space. A bookshelf can show off your books and make the room look better. The more it does, the more you can use it to make your home look and feel unique.
2. Temporary decorations
Rather than taking up all the time of a big, permanent project, try some temporary things instead. Rather than painting a wall or putting up a permanent fixture (assuming it’s allowed in your lease), start with something that can be taped to the wall or already has some adhesive on the back. At best, you decide you like it enough to keep it and at worst, it helps you decide if you’d like a more permanent decoration later.
3. Get colorful furniture
If you can’t paint the walls, you can add some color with your furniture. A chair or table that’s a different color than everything else can be cheap and easy to put in place while still making your place look much different and much more you.
4. Fix the lighting
A lot of the issues with how your home looks can come down to lighting. If things aren’t well lit, then you won’t be able to bring out the better aspects of your home. Try adding in more light sources, like floor and table lamps, rather than just relying on the overhead light that comes in most rooms.
5. Add your own window treatments
If your standard blinds aren’t serving you well, try adding your own curtains or other window treatments. Find a color or pattern that works for you and add them to the window. You don’t even need to take the blinds down at first. It might look good enough with the blinds still there that you decide to keep it that way.
6. Add plants to the room
Plants are pretty simple to add, so long as you buy them planted in a good pot. Put them around your home, especially near the exit or entrance, and see how much you can change the feel of the room with so little additional work.
7. Swap out some pieces
Is all of your furniture in the right rooms? Not necessarily the big stuff - the dresser probably goes in the bedroom no matter what - but what about the little things? Does that side table work best next to the couch or next to your bed? Would the dining room chairs also look good in the living room when they’re not used for eating? Moving around a couple of little things can make a bigger change in the look of your home than you’d expect from such small things.
8. Hang pots/pans in the kitchen
While it does involve adding in somewhere to hang them, this can make a striking difference in the look of your kitchen. Having your pots and pans hanging from the wall changes the look greatly, along with giving you some extra storage space in your cabinets.
Next time you’re looking to make a change to how your home feels, try one of these easy decorating projects. You might be surprised how much of a difference such simple things can make.
