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Renovate a rental: Expert decorating tips to give your home a new lease

September 23, 2016 1 Comment

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By Kerenaย Berry

Threeย decadesย ago,ย finance punditsย and advisersย were starting to offer a concept that seemed audacious:ย peopleย whoย rent propertiesย mayย be betterย off than homeowners. There were, and still are,ย aย multitudeย ofย factorsย contributing to the notion (farย too manyย to list here) but suffice to say thatย ifย youโ€™reย sickย ofย hearing yourย friendsย brag about theirย propertyย investments, stop rolling your eyesย becauseย youย justย might be the smartest person in the room. Withย risingย prices,ย theย weight of responsibilityย and limitationsย on lifestyle, leasesย are looking betterย thanย mortgages.ย The best part? Renting a propertyย certainlyย doesn’t exclude you from the mostย enjoyableย partย ofย owning a home: renovating! In fact, the keyย phrase to remember when livingย anywhereย longย termย isย the Designbxย slogan: roomย to be you. You mayย not own it, but itโ€™s yourย home,ย andย yourย home should reflect yourย style and personality. So start getting to know your landlord and build a relationship that will make some of these handyย hintsย a reality.

Getย theย bonesย right

Areย thoseย wallsย closingย inย on you are theyย the backdrop to yourย life? It mayย be time to paint, especiallyย ifย youโ€™reย looking at a long lease. In most casesย when you are adding value to property,ย theย landlordย orย agent will be open to change (often theyย mayย payย if you organise trades orย itย mayย beย aย 50/50ย split). But be mindful of yourย colourย proposition. You mayย be facing an uphill battleย ifย youย proposeย olive green polka dotsย on a pinkย background. A neutral tone mayย be easier toย getย approvalย for.ย Warmย greysย offset with white isย a fantasticย base for almost anyย style.

designbx_a
Image courtesy of My Domaine Home
designbx_h
Image courtesy of Coco Lapine Design

Adding Storage

One of the most annoying aspect of rentals is the lack of storage. Owners and agents are selling space, first and foremost, so size matters, often at the cost of practical storage space. Thankfully the aesthetic appeal of dual purpose furniture and clever storage units is on the rise. Often the items are so cleverly designed that they go beyond what youโ€™d consider visually acceptable to become a roomโ€™s key feature (and youโ€™ll have room for whatever youโ€™re addicted to collecting!).

designbx_q
Image courtesy of Bloglovin

Windowย treatments

Thouย shaltย notย doย vertical blinds! If youโ€™re standing in front of your window with your handsย on yourย hips,ย frowningย atย theย window treatments, chancesย are you have to act, otherwise the look willย annoyย youย forย theย entire duration of yourย life in that space. Letโ€™sย remove that uglinessย but not getย ridย ofย itย (youโ€™llย needย toย reinstall it when you move out). Once those windowsย are bare, the skyโ€™sย theย limit.ย Layerย yourย window treatmentsย to help create a more opulent and personalized space.

designbx_l
Image courtesy of My Domaine Home

Changingย hardware

Rentalย hardwareย isย oftenย durable and not aestheticallyย pleasing. Swap out existing hardware withย somethingย thatย screamsย yourย style. While itโ€™sย a more considerable investment, your personalย hardwareย isย just like yourย furniture: it goesย where you go and instantlyย makesย anyย new propertyย feelย likeย home.ย Once again, rememberย to keep old hardware to swap backย when movingย outย (readyย forย the next leaseholdersย who will probablyย remove it and store it in the garage!).

whiting-achitects
Image courtesy of Made Measure

Rugย up!

Thereย mayย beย aย lotย ofย thingsย in life weโ€™d like to sweep underย the rug, but the most obviousย isย an unattractive,ย damagedย or stained floor! Rugsย are also the groundworkย for your design. Thereโ€™s nothingย likeย anย additional layerย to spice up a room, especiallyย if youโ€™re struggling to fill a space, orย wantย someย colour.ย Butย letโ€™sย not go overboard and certainlyย not completelyย fill the whole floorspace.ย Ifย youโ€™veย gotย that manyย stainsย to cover, you need a new property. Also, statistically, peopleย whoย ownย moreย than seven large rugsย are more likelyย to become hermitsย or old cat ladies (okay,ย thatย wasย aย lie).

designbx_d
Image courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Light up your life!

Lighting is a fundamental element to any design phase. Functional and aesthetic, this is one design element that can often be a cinch to add. Play with scale to create wow focal points throughout your home. Use colour to brighten neutral spaces or go wild and string lights like itโ€™s the P&O Fairstar. Let your style sing! Using lighting behind furniture items like bookcases or open shelving allows you to use bare bulbs (cheap and affordable) but creates a custom lighting solution for your home.

designbx_m
Image courtesy of Residence Style
designbx_b
Image courtesy of Style Caster

Somethingย toย leanย on

Notย allย landlordsย areย open to adding hooksย to the wallsย forย artwork. In fact, most property managersย probablyย haveย nightmaresย about hooksย and nails. Donโ€™t worryอพ there isย alwaysย a way! Getย yourย leanย on.ย Useย furniture surface, furniture tops, floors, window sills, open shelves…anythingย toย getย yourย art out there. We recommend odd numbersย where possibleยญยญpart ofย designย 1:01. Atย theย endย ofย theย day,ย whoโ€™sย house do you want to live in? You can live a space that feelsย like a demonstrationย modelย orย one that reflectsย the style (orย design sins) of the owner. Contractually, itโ€™sย yourย homeย forย theย duration of the lease, so make it feel that way. Build strong relationships withย theย landlordย andย estate agent, preferablyย early, and make sure your rental home hasย โ€˜room toย beย youโ€™.

designbx_o
Image courtesy of Design Love Fest
designbx_n
Image courtesy of My Domaine Home

Kerenaย Berryย isย anย interiorย designerย and Cofounderย of Designbx, Australiaโ€™sย online interior designย solution.

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Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
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  1. Avatarkerena berry says

    September 24, 2016 at 8:12 am

    A huge thanks for featuring our article!

    Reply

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