Renting has its perks. Got a leak? Call the landlord. No hot water? Call the landlord. Broken coffee table? Sure, it might be your fault for dancing on it but still, call the landlord. However, the one thing that frustrates us is, unless you have the landlord of dreams, you are limited to what you can do in terms of decorating.
You just have to make your stuff fit in with whatever style you have inherited. Lino flooring, dated bathroom, odd bits of plywood furniture that don’t match in the slightest, magnolia-blah on every wall. Buuut, don’t despair! There are so many ways you can make a rented place feel like your own and who knows maybe you will come to love that brown tiled bathroom?
John Lewis & Partners have loads of gorgeous, renter friendly pieces, so we’ve rounded up some of our fave bits and ideas that are both affordable and stylish...
1. Bring light into your space with mirrors
It’s interior design 101 that mirrors will bring light and the feeling of space into your room, so get them up in your rented space! Stick them in your hallway, above your bed, in your living room, the more the merrier, we say. And if you are worried about hammering holes in your walls, hello Command Hooks. This round mirror from John Lewis & Partners is light enough to be held up by Command Hooks (just double check the ones you buy can hold 3.4kg). If you want to go for a larger mirror you can always lean it against a wall, it will still have a magic light bouncing, room enlargening effect.
2. Mix in some of your own furniture
Unless you have been blessed with an unfurnished rented flat, chances are you have been stuck with some pieces of furniture you wouldn’t necessarily choose. But while you might have to live with that brown leather corner sofa, you can improve the situation by adding a few bits of your own furniture.
John Lewis & Partners have some really lovely, affordable pieces that won’t take up a ton of space and will just add a bit of personality to your place. This armchair being a case in point. And this super cute side table would also slide in and give all that brown furniture a lift.
3. Create a gallery wall (with no nails)
Command Hooks to the rescue yet again. Gallery walls are probably our favourite way to pretty quickly and easily make a space feel like your own. You can frame pictures, posters, postcards, receipts from your first date, tickets from the Spice World tour, whatever is going to make your rented flat feel more like home. Check out these adorable frames from John Lewis & Partners, they come in grey, navy or sulphur (a gorgeous mustard yellow) and are just £5 each.
4. Improve your lighting situation
You don’t have to live your life under a strip light or a single bare bulb that’s as bright as a very cool toned sun. Most landlords won't have a problem with you adding a lampshade or switching out the one that is already there. This mustard lamp shade is really affordable at just 15 quid and would give off a really nice warm light.
5. Use your bedding to add some style
Bedding is such a cheap, easy way to add some personality to your rented room. Our favourite from John Lewis & Partners has got to be this cheetah print set(we adore the matching lamp too. OMG, we’ve also just seen the matching shower curtain)!
This set starts from just £25 so it’s a really affordable way to update your space and make it feel a bit more like your own.
