The other week I was round at my sister’s rented apartment admiring the decor. Their flat forms part of a converted youth club (imagine if they had turned Byker Grove into fancy flats) with stunning wooden chevron floors and an impressive staircase flooded with natural light.

My sister and brother-in-law are keen to get on the property ladder very soon and have spent the last few years saving for a hefty deposit. While they may not have invested in furniture, they have well and truly made the flat their own and have stamped their style all over the two-bed dwelling.

RMW’s Becky recently moved to a new rented pad and had commented that some advice on making a home-that-isn’t-your-own more homely would be helpful. Inspired by the trip to my sister’s gaff here are my top tips.

Get Out Your Paintbrush

As we all know the general rule when you rent a property is that you return it in the same condition you found it. In properties I have rented the contract specifically stated that there was to be strictly no tampering with the magnolia walls. However I know friends and family who have whipped the roller out on moving day after striking up an agreement with their landlord. Sometimes permission has been granted on the understanding the walls will be returned to their more neutral state on moving out. I really feel if I had been allowed to paint some of my previous flats that I might have been compelled to stay there longer rather than scarpering after six months. Is anyone with me on this?

Hang Some Wallpaper

So if the landlord hasn’t agreed to you getting out your own tin of Dulux, they’re unlikely to take kindly to a pasting table and wallpaper. However I have seen a few flats (admittedly just on the internet, not in real life) where renters have put up lengths of wallpaper secured with glorified double sided sticky tape, and even ones with removable wallpaper. Wall decals and stickers are also worth a look too.

Invest In Pieces That You Will Keep

While you’re not going to be able to buy yourself a new carpet and take it with you to your first bought house, you can invest in sumptuous rugs, atmospheric lamps and patterned cushions. On this note, I would love to know people’s experiences with window treatments and if you’ve decided to invest in curtains and blinds too?

Add Art and Photos

With gallery walls all the rage right now there’s no reason for renters not to miss out on the trend. My past landlords seemed okay with my toothpaste-filled tack holes but it would have been easier if I had used photo strips and hooks instead. 3M do a rather impressive selection that I’ve found are great for my wonky period house too. They peel of the wall leaving no damage and can carry a fairly decent amount of weight.
I have photos of my family and friends emblazoned all over my walls and have had many comments that this really adds to the homely atmosphere too.

Replace The Toilet Seats

I really don’t feel like this needs any explanation.

Bring In The Florals

What a surprise, here at RMS we’re talking about flowers and plants again! For me though nothing says ‘home’ like seeing a beautiful bunch of blooms when you walk in the room. I have never had a great relationship with houseplants but I’m sure others have been far more successful at keeping them alive.

Cover Up Ugly Fixtures

The worse thing I found when renting was that I was stuck with odd ‘features’ that I couldn’t replace or box-in. I became the queen of disguise, propping pictures over fuse boxes, putting furniture in strategic positions and even made a fabric cover to hide my kitchen boiler. (Don’t worry I made sure it was safe!)

As always I am very keen to hear your thoughts too. What tips can you offer for making a rental property feel more like home? Also has anyone managed to keep a houseplant alive longer than a few weeks?

Image sources | Removable wallpaper | Bright and bold furnishings | Gallery wall | Peonies | Tulips