How To Personalise A Rented Apartment

When you live in a rented apartment it can be tough to make it feel like a home. You probably aren't allowed to change much and if it's furnished it may not be quite to your taste. There are a few easy ways that you can add your own touches and personalise a rented apartment or house without risking upsetting your landlord.

Add Art & Personal Items

Adding personal touches like art and personal mementoes are one of the easiest and quickest ways to change the feel of any space and make it feel more personal and more like a home.

It's likely that you'll not be allowed to drill holes into the walls, so make the most out of the ones you already have. Switch generic art for some of your own, add frames that you can stand rather than have to hang on walls and dot personal items around your rental home.

Plants are another great way of adding some personality to a space. Greenery will make your home feel more lived in and can also be used to detract from features you're not happy with like unattractive built-in cupboards or ugly furniture. A terrarium can be a great alternative to traditional plants as they're easy and very low maintenance to keep.

Update Soft Furnishings

Soft furnishings are easy to update and change without being permanent. Add a rug, some cushions or switch out curtains.

These little additions will add colour, pattern and texture to your home and will enable you to create a home that more in keeping with your own personal style. The best thing about these updates is that they're all yours to keep and can easily come with you when you decide to move home.

Add removable wallpaper or paint a wall (if you're allowed to)

Colour is always one of the best ways to quickly make a space feel completely different. Importantly it's a very cheap and easy update to do, so you’ll not be wasting any money on an apartment or house that isn't yours. (Just make sure that your landlord gives his approval before you get out your paintbrush!)

If you're not allowed to paint anything, you could think about adding wallpaper. There are some clever new products available that are completely temporary and don't damage the wall beneath.

Work with what you have and add things you need.

Switch things around. Add more furniture even if it's a fully furnished apartment. Adding a small sideboard or table that's yours can make your home feel more personal.

If your home has furniture you don't like you can give it a quick update by hiding it. A throw is a great way to hide an ugly sofa or armchair, cover an unattractive table with a cloth and distract from an ugly kitchen with beautiful accessories.

Talk to your landlord

You may be able to update your rented home so it's a good idea to speak to your landlord if you would like to make any changes.

If your improvement is a real upgrade it's likely that they will be happy for you to update something, especially if you'll be leaving it behind. Point out the benefits and work with them. Even if they're not keen on you doing any permanent upgrades, they may let you paint your space or carry out other temporary changes if you promise to turn it back to the original state when you move out.

Sources: Front + Main / Topista / Apartment Therapy / Etsy / Pop Sugar / Little House On The Corner