How Can I Add Character to My Rental Home?

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The place that you live is still your home- regardless of whether you’re still with parents, if you rent from a landlord or if you’ve purchased a property yourself. You still need the space to feel like your own, and be a welcoming and pleasant place to come back to each day- lets face it, life can be tough at times and relaxing at home is one way to recover and recuperate. There are lots of great benefits to renting a home- you’re only tied down for the length of your contract and after that, you’re free to move if you want to with no stress of waiting to sell. If anything goes wrong, providing it’s not your fault then it’s not your job or expense to fix which can be reassuring. While getting on the property ladder is fantastic, most people will benefit from renting for a few years first even if it’s just to decide on the kind of home they want. One of the main issues when it comes to renting is being able to transform the space into something that feels like your own, you still want it to feel like home but without breaking the terms of your tenancy. Of course, you won’t be able to make any kinds of structural changes but in some cases, you won’t even be allowed to hang wallpaper or paint the walls. If this is the situation you’re in, here’s how you can add character to your rental home in other ways.

Add Color and Interest with Accessories--

Most landlords choose plain, light neutral walls to decorate their properties. This is great as it gives you a blank canvas and creates an airy and spacious looking home, it can be a little bland. If you’re not able to add wallpaper or paint to the walls then you can easily add color using accessories. A rug, curtains, cushions, throws, vases and art are all ways to add color, pattern, texture and personality to a room without changing the wall color.

Choose Statement Pieces--

When the rest of your home is a little plainer, you have the ability to add some fun statement pieces without it looking too over the top. This could be a unique light fitting, sites like Sunpan have lots of these. Or it could be an interesting coffee table, a patterned statement chair or an upcycled sideboard. Pick one or two pieces in the room that you really want to stand out, and then make everything else work around these.

Add Plants--

Plants work well in any home, in any style or color scheme. They add color and texture to the space without looking fussy and as a bonus, plants have even been shown to make us happier too. You could add a large potted plant next to a sofa or side table, or dot around a couple of smaller varieties. Cacti and succulents have plenty of interesting varieties, and as a bonus they don’t even need much care.