Finding a lead fabric that married the existing wall color and the sofa helped unify this small space and introduced a springboard for accent shades. (Courtesy Marni Jameson)
“Ugh,” came the text from my daughter, “I’m not used to having a landlord.” When I called, she unleashed a litany of frustrations: a towel bar falling off the wall, a ceiling fan not working, windows that won’t open, unsightly nail holes from the prior tenant. She moved in a month ago, and these issues still hadn’t been addressed.
“I’m just used to handling everything myself,” she said, which was true. My 27-year-old daughter had just moved from a condo in Nashville that my husband and I owned to a rental townhome in Boston. Her prior place was in a 70-year-old building, so often needed repairs. If she couldn’t fix something, she handily found the appropriate repair person.
She also could make interior improvements — painting walls, replacing light fixtures — without jumping through hoops.
“Welcome to the world of renting,” I said. Most of us have been there. More than 35 percent of U.S. residents lives in a rental property, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In the under 35 age group, that number jumps to nearly 65 percent.
While the repairs are slowly being addressed, my daughter is forging ahead and doing what she can to decorate and improve the place without risking her deposit or her relationship with the new landlord.
Renters typically must work with existing tiles, counters, cabinets, flooring, fixtures, appliances and, usually, wall color. Though some landlords are more flexible than others, most don’t want you to make changes without their approval. And you may not want to sink money into a home you don’t own or an improvement you can’t take with you.
That said, renters can — within limits — make some decorating moves that shift the focus away from what they don’t like, direct attention where they want it and make a rented home look pulled together and feel like theirs.
Here are a few tricks we used to create a pulled-together look:
Unify the floors: One way she quickly made the place hers was by putting sisal and vintage area rugs over the wood floors in the living room, eating area and bedroom. The rugs don’t match, but they go together, unify the small apartment and create a base to work from.
Find a lead fabric: Because the cool gray walls and dark gray kitchen counters were a given, she switched out her warmer colored accessories (yellow throw pillows, tangerine seat covers on the kitchen chairs) with fabrics that worked in the new space. We found a pretty botanical print fabric that tied the wall color and the gray-blue sofas together. I sewed three large sofa pillows out of this lead fabric, which introduced accents of navy and emerald that we could build on. She recovered the orange kitchen chairs in a textured navy canvas and filled areas near the ample windows with deep green plants. Weaving the navy and green into the space helped the whole place click.
Organize the closet: Most renters don’t want to invest in custom closet built-ins, but they can maximize closet space with over-the-door organizers, hanging shelves and shoe racks. Trading bulky plastic hangers for thin velvet ones instantly provides more breathing room and looks nicer.
Get the light right: Most landlords (or prior tenants) don’t pay attention to whether their lightbulbs match in color temperature. As a result, some rooms skew blue, others yellow. Ick. Having lights that match in color temperature matters and gives homes a sure hand. If lights are different colors, replace outliers with LED bulbs, which will outlive your lease, of the same temperature. I like warmer white lighting in the 2700-3000 range.
Layer in you: Accessorize by putting a well-edited selection of hardcover books, photos, art objects and artwork on display. To avoid putting holes in walls, which your landlord might forbid, prop art on mantels or built-in ledges or use Command Strips.
Get permission: My daughter learned this lesson the hard way. The landlord suggested she call a local repairman to provide an estimate for two repairs. The repairs were so easy, the repairman said he could fix them on the spot. Because his minimum fee, even just to give an estimate, was $150, she told him to go ahead. She thought the landlord would be pleased with her efficient and economical handling of two problems. Instead, he asked her to please not have any more “unauthorized” repairs done going forward. Renting. It’s a learning experience.
Marni Jameson is the author of six home and lifestyle books, including “Downsizing the Family Home – What to Save, What to Let Go.” Reach her at www.marnijameson.com.
Originally published at Marni Jameson