How To Decorate Your Rental (And Still Get Your Bond Back!)

Renters often have it tough because they are unable to make permanent changes to a property. But, it is a common myth that because you live in a rental you are unable to get creative with your living space. With small or semi-permanent changes, you can create a space that you look forward to coming home to every night. 

Artwork Doesn't Just Belong On The Wall

Drilling into walls is a big no no when renting. But you don't necessarily need to hang your artwork on a wall. Displaying frames on shelving or even on the floor creates a nice decorative feature when placed with other accessories like vases or candles. You can even buy a pinboard or metal grid that allows you to display multiple items on a wall without leaving a mark.

Bring Your Room To Life

Plants are a great way to add vibrancy to a dull room. Orchids, Cacti, Spider plants and Boston Ferns are just some of the plants that fare well indoors. Choose to display them in multiple pots around a room, on a shelf or even in an old fish tank. And if you have a hard time keeping plants alive there are great fake plants on the market now ... and we promise we won't tell.

No Colour, No Problem

Rentals are usually kept neutral to appeal to many different types of people and painting walls can be a massive hassle especially if you have to paint them back to the original colour at the end of your lease. Save yourself the pain and decorate with rugs instead. Choosing a brightly coloured rug can have the same effect as a coloured wall. Have fun with shapes and textures and don't be afraid to layer them. The best thing about rugs? You can roll them up and take them with you when you move. 

Be Smart With Your Furniture

And we aren't just talking about furniture that is easy to move, although that is a very handy tip. We are talking about furniture that is adaptable to any living space. The sizes and storage levels or rentals change so you need furniture that can have multiple uses and be used in different rooms. Choose furniture with built-in storage and that can be moved to different rooms for different purposes. 

Light up Your Life

Lights tend to be permanent fixtures in rentals and a hassle to change but you definitely still have options. Sometimes just a simple light bulb change will completely change the feeling of a room. Choose a decorative bulb such as this LED Diamond Light Bulb for exposed lights to add another decorative feature to the room. Why not hang Festoon Lights over windows and doors for a fun and quirky lighting option. Table and floor lamps are always safe options for rentals. If you want to recreate the pendant look without an electrician try our DIY Pendant Converter that can turn any ceiling batten into a pendant! 

So there you go. There is no reason you can't create a beautiful looking rental without losing your bond, you just need to get creative.  For more rental decorating ideas check out our Pinterest Board.