If you’re like me (aka a millennial, though gen zs also feel my pain) and you live in a big city, odds are you’re a renter.
Renters know the pain of wanting to personalize their homes without losing their security deposits. As a longtime renter, I have THE best tips to help you make your place look like your landlord doesn’t have the worst taste in the world!
Need more counter space?
Get an island on wheels. Carts are the BEST way to add space to any room, because you can simply roll them away when you don’t need them anymore. IKEA has tons of great rolling island options!
Put up some removable wallpaper.
This is a tried and true way to make sure you don’t destroy your walls, but still get to personalize your place! Removable wallpaper comes in tons of colors and styles. My fave? Tropical prints !
And if you’re scared of damaging your walls…
Another option is to put the wallpaper on cardboard sheets and use command strips to adhere them to your walls. This is definitely a more extreme measure, but it’ll definitely pass inspection from the pickiest of landlords.
Peel-and-stick backsplash is a must.
Ugly backsplashes are all part of the renter experience. If you’re like me and can’t stand to see ugly brown tile, pick up some peel-and-stick tile and change the whole look of your kitchen!
Hang lights up with command hooks.
We wanted to put festive lights up in our house, but we also didn’t want to nail hooks into the wall. Enter: These tiny Command hooks that adhere to the wall and hold our string lights up for us!
Use a cord wrap to organize your cables.
A lot of cord organizers require you to adhere the organizer to the wall. That’s not exactly an option for renters, so why not get one of these wraps instead? No drywall will be harmed in the organization of your cables.
Get a full-length mirror.
Not only do mirrors add lots of light and dimension to your room, they’re also stylish af! Get a freestanding one and skip mounting it to the wall. Your IG pics are about to get a major upgrade.
Swap out your ugly blinds without installing any new hardware.
This is one of the greatest inventions I’ve ever seen. Ditch your ugly, renter-standard blinds by installing one of these brackets right on top of your existing rod! Finally, freedom from those AWFUL plastic blinds.
Cover ugly flooring with layered rugs.
Got ugly floors? Not a problem. You can get large-sized rugs for a great price at places like Target and Wayfair. Layer them up for maximum coverage!
Cover ugly floor tile with adhesive tiles.
You can lay down any adhesive tile over existing tile — even wood-looking panels! These marble-looking panels would look amazing in a bathroom, or even a kitchen. You don’t have to live with your landlord’s awful floor taste!
Give yourself some more shower storage.
Believe it or not, these adhesive wall shelves for your shower work WONDERS. The adhesive is nice and strong, and they hold a ton of product! This is the best way to add more shower storage and get your stuff up off the shower floor.
Plug in sconces are life savers.
A lot of new build apartments don’t come with overhead lighting, which confuses the hell out of me. Luckily, plug-in sconces exist ! You might have to nail these ones in, but a few holes won’t kill you.
Drywall. Putty.
When you’re done with your place, make sure do get a drywall repair patch kit. This will save you hundreds of dollars (you know how landlords are). Fill those holes in and don’t half-ass the job!