When moving into a new apartment, most people are hesitant about decorating since too much customization runs the risk of dipping into their deposit. The lack of personal touch is what makes most apartments bland and hard to tell apart.
Even though some landlords disapprove of permanent changes, they might welcome the idea of improving and decorating the apartment if it will increase the value of the home. The only downside to making drastic adjustments to an apartment is that you would have to leave them behind if you ever decide to move.
This is one of the reasons why most people find moving into a new apartment for work, among other reasons, very difficult. Luckily, there are various budget-friendly, DIY decorating ideas that will help you spruce up your space without compromising your deposit. If you’ve been holding out on relocating, providing a free apartment finding service is an interesting idea from UMoveFree that gives renters access to updated apartment listings, making your search for a new home easier.
How Can You Decorate Your Apartment Without Losing Your Deposit
Use Temporary Wallpaper
Creating a statement with bold and patterned wallpaper is among the latest decorating trends. Temporary wallpaper is perfect for people living in an apartment, as there is a variety of eye-catching patterns and colors to use for one wall or the entire room to highlight your space.
Before sticking removable wallpaper to the walls of your apartment, make sure they are not heavily textured or covered in loose plaster to avoid the occurrence of air pockets while you install it. Air pockets will make the wallpaper look bubbly and unprofessional, interfering with the stylish and sleek look you were going for. Applying your wallpaper to a wall suited for it guarantees that your apartment looks great and makes it easier to remove.
Revamp Your Light Fixtures
If you have light fixtures that fit into the holes already drilled into your apartment’s ceiling, installing them will be easy. If not, you should consult with your landlord about adding more complicated light fixtures. Since deposits are meant to prevent tenants from destroying the property, there shouldn’t be an issue if you are making it better – as long as you leave them when you move out.
Art Display
Since hanging framed pieces of art on the walls with nails will jeopardize your deposit, you should look for flat surfaces around your apartment to place your art that would be as effective as hanging it on a wall. Large window sills, desks, built-in shelving, tabletops, and empty countertops are great areas to place a few art pieces. This is the best way to personalize your apartment with your unique tastes.
If you don’t have viable options, consider investing in bookshelves or decorative ladders that serve as impromptu galleries for your pieces. Some people opt for propping up larger art pieces on the floor, a minimalist style statement.
Invent a Radiator Cover
Old properties usually have metal radiators that are used to heat the house. If you move into such an apartment, you can use wooden radiator covers to conceal the exposed metal radiators.
Most of these radiator covers look rather luxurious and would make a great addition to your apartment. Avoid using radiator covers that consist of flammable materials that could present a fire hazard.
Upgrade Your Tiles With Stickers
Installing new tiles in your kitchen or bathroom in a rental home is out of the question. So if the tiles that are in place don’t tickle your fancy, get some tile stickers to fit over them. These decals come in a variety of colors and patterns and are easy to peel off with no damage to the existing tiles.
Outdoor Flooring For Your Balcony or Patio
Most outdoor balconies and patio floors are usually concrete-based, which means they become worn down and unappealing over the years. Installing removable wooden tiles is a great solution that’ll result in a luxurious and stylish balcony or patio.
Augment a Mural
When decorating a rental, it can be challenging to add character to your child’s room. Your children might nag you to paint their room with their favorite color or ask for a theme scheme of their favorite cartoon character.
Instead of painting or getting wallpaper, you can customize their bedroom walls with wall stickers or washi tape. They are easy to remove and don’t cause any damage to the walls. Since they come in various styles, you can use them for any room.
Enhancing Your Existing Furniture
Splurging on a new set of furniture for your apartment is almost impossible when you are on a budget. Instead, you can upholster or paint your existing furniture to suit the theme of your apartment. If this is not something you would opt for, you can still freshen things up by putting contact paper on your table and countertops.
Developing an Indoor Garden
If you have an apartment with a private outdoor space, you can decorate it with hanging potted plants. If not, you should consider developing an indoor garden along your window sills or have a few houseplants carefully scattered throughout your living space. Luckily, houseplants don’t take up a lot of space, and you can use different colored pots to achieve the same vibrance you would get from flowers.
Create Wallpaper Panels
When you can’t put up wallpaper in your home, you can improvise by adding wallpaper to plywood panels and place them against your apartment walls. This decoration strategy is perfect for apartments since it adds color to a room, they are very affordable, you can change your home’s scheme as frequently as you want, and you can use them to create zones within your bedroom to separate your workstation from your resting area.
Find a DIY Decoration Technique That Works For You
Although the nature of a traditional lease may limit your decoration options, there are plenty of ways to accentuate your apartment if you are willing to think outside the box. Stylish decorating goes far beyond what’s on your walls; all you need is a little creativity.
If the ideas outlined above don’t work for you and you cannot come up with ideas of your own, you could always spruce up your apartment with some distinct curtains, area rugs, and a few well-chosen throw pillows. And if that doesn’t work for you either, your last resort would be to ask your landlord if you can drill holes in the wall for your pictures or paint over that truly outrageous wall color.
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