15 Home Decor Tips For Renters

From Redditor u/Not_a_throwaway_acnt:

Decorate it!

• Art on walls is an easy way to bring in your personality. You can find some really cool stuff at HomeGoods for cheap, or flea markets.

• A rug! My apartment has a typical beige carpet in the living room so I've added a colorful rug with a nice texture.

• Pillows and throws! I change colors based on the season but it adds a pop of color and makes me feel comfortable!

• Plants and flowers! Having something green in my place is nice - but you can also get plants that filter the air! Double win!

• Non-IKEA furniture! It's harder to find great deals but having furniture that is unique really makes it feel like my own place.

• Clean up! Make your bed, wipe counters, keep it looking nice.

I love interior design and also browse blogs like Apartment Therapy for inspiration.

From Redditor u/shinykungfumonkey:

If you're a fan of wood planks you might wanna look into [Stikwood]. It's a peel-and-stick reclaimed wood planking that you could use on your walls and ceiling. Since it's a rental you might need to use primed plywood to stick it on so you don't have to worry about removing the adhesive or damaging the paint when it's time to move again. I would only use it for a focal wall or something. For other styles and options, there are wall decals.

From Redditor u/NewRomantic10:

When I had my first student apartment, I bought a reasonably priced new bedspread and a bright throw blanket to liven up the bedroom and added my own knick-knacks and decorations around the rest of the apartment. I find small, personal touches like that make a huge difference when you're trying to make a space feel more like home.

From Redditor u/GrandpaNipples:

Go to a fabric store and look through the clearance bin. Buy whatever looks nice to you. My store usually has plenty of choices for $1/yard.

Cover a wall with the fabric. You can attach it with spray starch or staples. Neither will do damage and you can remove it easily when you move.

From Redditor u/raspberryseltzer:

I'm not sure of your design aesthetic, but if I was in your spot I'd go to the closest thrift store/hit up Craigslist and get:

Furniture (wooden, plastic, etc., but solid) that is so hideous it's dirt cheap BUT the form of it is fine. Think scratched-up tables, etc.

China with chips, etc., that also make it cheap. Pick colors, designs, etc., that you like but that also complement each other.

Then, make mosaic furniture/pieces - you can do tiles to hang on the wall, fancy up a tabletop, etc.

Essentially, you just get some stress relief from banging china into pieces with a hammer (put that stuff in a towel, please!) and then glue and grout it. There are plenty of examples on Google. This can be as frilly or modern or whatever as you want.

Another idea is to turn things into lamps. Lamp thingies (I don't know the name - but the cord + thing that holds the bulb with the switch) are like $2 at big box hardware stores. You can make anything from a jar to a bottle to a bunch of old ink cartridges into lamps.

If you're looking into stuff to hang on the wall, start with old books or magazines (Cooks Illustrated, for example, has some gorgeous back covers). Get cheap frames, get almost free art.

From Redditor u/octoberness:

(1) Art. Hang up art that you really love. Put out photographs of friends, travel, family, favorite places.

(2) Plants.

(3) Really declutter and find "homes" for things. I feel a lot more relaxed and calm when the surfaces are clear.

(4) Go through and make sure that, where possible, your stuff fits the room and "goes" together. This doesn't have to mean spending a lot of money. It might mean painting some things so that they are the same color, or trolling Craigslist to find the table that actually fits the room, etc.