HGTV's Nate Berkus Reveals His Top Tips For Making A Rental Space Feel Like Home
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No matter where you live, you should want to make your home a space that is not only comfortable but also a reflection of you. We often think that if we are renting a home or an apartment, we can't make it our own. Further, with renter rules in place like not being able to paint or put holes in the walls, it can be hard to figure out how to design the space to our liking. HGTV's Nate Berkus knows the struggle — in fact, he mentions in an Instagram video that he has friends who have rented their home for over 25 years. However, he also knows that just because you rent, that doesn't mean the space can't feel like home.
To combat the renter-fatigue that comes with drab, white walls and a lack of spark, Berkus recommends painting or opting for temporary wallpaper. He also suggests investing in decorative pieces or furniture items that you love and always focusing on organization to let your design, no matter how simple, stand out. If you want to turn your rented space into a home that feels like it's actually yours, follow these three tips from Berkus.
Add paint and temporary wallpaper
You may be cringing at the idea of painting your rental space. In fact, it is often seen as a big no-no when renting. But, before you completely disregard this idea, take a look at your renter agreement. Most places allow you to paint as long as you paint the walls back to the original color before you move out. If you plan to stay in the space long-term, painting can be worth the hassle, and Nate Berkus agrees. "Selecting your own palette and painting the walls and committing to it, even if you have to paint them back," is the first top tip he gives on his Instagram for making a rental feel like home. "White walls feel automatically like it's not really your space."
If paint feels like too much work or you don't plan to stay very long, you can still change up your white walls by opting for temporary wallpaper. "Temporary wallpaper is a huge, huge thing," says Berkus. "There's wood grain out there, there's stripes, there's patterns, and do the whole room, don't just do an accent wall — instant personalization." The key is to choose types that are peel and stick, as they're easy to both install and remove. You can find beautiful floral patterns on Rifle Paper Co., but if you want a unique design, options can also be found for cheaper at other retailers. For instance, you could buy a wood grain wallpaper on Amazon.
Invest in pieces you love
Renters often assume that because they don't own a home, they can't spend money on things for their space. Forget this mindset entirely and help your rental feel like it's yours by investing in items that you love. "Buy things — furniture and decorative objects and vintage lighting — that you are going to take with you when you build a home or buy a home," Nate Berkus says on Instagram. "Just because you are renting, that doesn't mean that you can't own beautiful things."
This could mean investing in the couch of your dreams, purchasing a dining table that you can picture your family around for generations, or buying beautiful artwork to hang on the walls. According to 59% of House Digest readers, the best furniture piece to splurge on is your bed. A high-quality mattress is the ultimate thing to spend your money on, even if you're just renting. Another tip is that, if you're not a huge fan of the floors, try covering them up with large area rugs that you know you'll love for years. Spending some cash on pieces that will last will go a long way to personalizing your rental. This will also help you avoid wasting tons of money on temporary items you'll want to replace when you move.
Keep things organized
Organization is key for any home, but you may be surprised just how much the right organization can make a rental truly feel customized. "Make sure it's organized," Nate Berkus says on Instagram. "Just because it's a rental, you don't have to have custom millwork and custom closets, you can buy store-bought cabinets and bins to organize everything." There are plenty of renter-friendly items at IKEA that would be perfect for a small apartment, including the SKUBB storage case, which allows you to use your under-bed space for storage. Since you're in a rental, you may not have tons of square footage for storing all your items, so this could be the ideal option for saving space. The skinny VESKEN cart could also be used to keep your small bathroom organized.
Overall, the most important thing when it comes to storage is knowing where things are. "For me, knowing what's behind every door or every drawer or every cabinet is something that definitely makes me feel at home," says Berkus. Opt for vertical storage solutions if you have a smaller space or invest in some great stand alone cabinets to organize everything from coats and shoes to kids toys and miscellaneous kitchen items. As is the case with your other furniture items, try to invest in pieces you love, even when it comes to items that are purely for storage purposes.
More ways to make a rental space feel like home
If Nate Berkus has caused you to catch the decorating bug, don't fret. Beyond investing in furniture and adding wallpaper, there are a plethora of ways to make a rental space feel like you without jeopardizing your deposit. You can jump on the DIY bandwagon and add peel-and stick tiles to create a backsplash you love or even use them to give your flooring an instant upgrade. For your artwork, consider using command strips to avoid putting holes in the wall and use command hooks for organization purposes or to hang free-standing art.
Other ways to liven up the space include taking down the cheap blinds that many rentals come with. Either keep them open if you don't have to worry about privacy or sunlight creeping in when trying to sleep or replace them with curtains, which can instantly class up a space. Use a tension rod to hang the curtains so you don't cause any lasting damage to the walls around the window. Adding plants, sentimental items like framed photographs, and your own personal touch to every corner of the space, no matter how big or small, can truly make your rental feel like a home.