10 Affordable Ways to Make a Rental Feel Like a Home

Although you are renting a space, that doesn’t mean you can’t make it cozy. We have rented an apartment for a little over two years now, and have found ways to make a rental feel like a home.

One of the cons of renting an apartment or home is what you are limited to what you can change, but over the past several years (plus the additional years living in an apartment in college), we have collected a list of 10 affordable ways to make your rental feel like a home.

You may be asking yourself these questions about your rental space:

These are such great questions to ask about your rental space, because at the end of the day, you are working with a space that has been carbon copied hundreds of times over. It can be hard to look at such a sterile space and know what to do with it.

There are so many creative ways to transform your space and make it feel more inviting and cozy for friends and family.

10 Ways to Make a Rental Feel Like Home

1. Find Comfortable Furniture for Your Space

One of our first priorities when we moved into our rental apartment, was to find comfortable furniture for the space. Sitting and living with furniture that is not comfortable to sit in can make you not want to spend time in your space—further taking away from the homey feel.

Before we moved into our apartment, we searched Facebook Market Place for furniture. We were able to find a super comfortable couch (all our friends rave about how cozy it is), a dining room table and chairs.

We recommend checking with the seller about comfortability of the pieces they are selling. Facebook Marketplace is a great way to find some adorable and unique pieces.

If you want to buy new and affordable furniture for your space, we recommend looking at Walmart, Target or Rooms to Go! These places always have great deals and such amazing quality furniture.

Cozy, comfortable furniture is the first step to making your rental space feel like home. Once you have purchased the bigger, necessary items for your space, you can start adding the smaller details.

Shop comfortable furniture options we love:

2. Add Texture with Rugs, Blankets and Pillows

Textiles are the best way to add texture to your space. The amazing thing about adding a rug, or a throw blanket and pillows to your space, is that it adds texture and interest that wasn’t there before.

Chunky knit blankets, woven rugs and patterned pillows are cozy elements that make a space more inviting.

These are all affordable ways to add your own unique style to a space as well. There are endless options to how you can do this in your space, but we recommend looking for items that add visual interest and different textures.

We wrote a post about the most affordable area rugs for your space. This could make your search for the perfect area rug easier than you thought!

Shop items that will add texture:

3. Paint the Walls

Some landlords or apartment complexes may allow you to paint the walls in your rental. If they give you permission to do so, this is a super simple way to add “your touch” to the space.

Try painting an accent wall in a light color. Most rental properties don’t allow dark colors that will be hard to paint over before new renters come in.

You could also paint the walls in your space a bright white color. Our favorite color from Benjamin Moore is “Swiss Coffee”. If your space is small and doesn’t bring in a lot of light, painting your space a brighter white color will make your space appear so much brighter.

4. Peel and Stick Wallpaper

Have you heard of peel and stick wallpaper? It’s honestly one of our favorite, renter-friendly design hacks! You get the look and feel of real wallpaper, but it’s a temporary option and is super renter friendly.

It’s like a giant sticker sheet on your wall. It comes in wallpaper rolls, which you will then roll out and apply to the wall. Take a look at our aesthetic home office here, to see how we used wall paper in our apartment.

We now swear by using peel and stick wallpaper, because of how simple it is to install and how it looks in any space. We installed peel and stick wallpaper in our office/dining space several months ago. Every time we have people over at our house, they all say how much they love the room, because it’s out of the box and unique for a rented space.

Shop peel and stick wallpaper options that are warm and cozy:

5. Transform Generic Lighting

Check out this lighting hack! If you have generic lighting fixtures in your apartment and don’t necessarily like the look of them, you can completely transform them with these basket shades.

We think this a genius and beautiful way to transform your generic lighting and make your apartment feel like a home. 

Shop the affordable basket shades we recommend:

6. Hang Curtains

Hanging curtains is a simple way to add dimension, texture and privacy to your space. This is another one of the first things we did in our apartment to make it feel more like a home.

Hanging your curtains is such a simple and inexpensive way to personalize your space. We recommend using white or neutral colored curtains in your rental space—especially if you have a small space. 

When hanging your curtains, install your curtain rod a 4-5 inches from your ceiling. The higher your curtain rod hangs, the more it creates an illusion to make your room look taller.

Shop the neutral curtains we love:

7. Easily Install Wall Art

 Another great way to personalize your space and make it feel more homey is installing wall art. It’s a super simple way to add some character too.

Wall art can be expensive, but you just have to know where to look. There are some gorgeous, affordable prints on Etsy and Target. Once you have found a print you want for your space, you’ll need to find an inexpensive frame. There are so many great, affordable options on Amazon.

PRO TIP: When it comes to wall art , finding a frame that fits your style is important. Remember, your wall art is there to make a statement, so you’ll want a frame to match the aesthetic you’re trying to achieve. If you have a more modern style, look for a sleek, straight edge frame, if you have a more traditional, vintage style, look for an antique gold frame.

Shop affordable artwork we're loving:

8. Add Wall Lighting or Wall Sconces

Installing cute wall sconces in your rental to add character and elegance to your space. Wall sconces look beautiful above night stands and couches in a living room. You can find some adorable renter-friendly options on Amazon. Not only do wall sconces add an elegant design moment, but they add dimension as well. 

Shop renter-friendly sconces:

9. Install Sticker Tiles

We love this renter friendly hack! Installing sticker tiles is such a genius and beautiful way to transform your bathroom or kitchen.

There are two ways to install your sticker tiles:

This process does take some time, but it’s so worth it! Sticker tiles add a unique design element to your rental space. 

PRO TIP: If you are installing the tiles in your bathroom, you’ll have to measure and cut precisely around the toilet and cabinets. However, once you are done with the installation, you’ll love the way these tiles look.

Shop renter-friendly tiles and backsplash:

10. Use Contact Paper to Transform Your Kitchen

Lastly, you can transform your kitchen with contact paper. Yes, we said contact paper! If you’re unhappy with the look of your counter tops, contact paper is a great solution. Similar to the sticker tiles, contact paper does take some time to install.

When installing your contact paper, you’ll need a straight edge scraper or card to flatten out the bubbles that form. To achieve the best look, watch this tutorial.

There are different types of contact paper to choose from, but some of our favorites are the variety of marble contact paper. We love the bright white marble and the tan marble contact paper.

Shop renter-friendly contact paper:

That’s all for the 10 affordable ways to make a rental feel like home. We know temporary living can make it difficult to create a cozy space, but hopefully with the tips above, you feel inspired to make your rental feel homey and inviting.

Let us know in the comments below if you have any questions about any of these tips!

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