Try Dramatic Home Trends Risk-Free With This Renter-Friendly Design Hack

Sometimes, when you're a renter, you don't get to have the decorating freedom that you may want. Aware of permanent damage and the potential loss of that security deposit, many renters are dissuaded from renovation projects. But the good news is nowadays, there are so many renter-friendly DIY decor tricks that will beautify your home and make your space feel like it reflects you. One major way of updating your rental space is to upgrade the tile or surfaces around your house — your kitchen backsplash, bathroom walls, and even perhaps cabin fronts. That may sound invasive, but with a contact paper trick, you can mount your new tile or surface material in a way that makes it easily removable. Inspired by DIY designer Julie Sousa (@the_avantgarde) on TikTok, we realized you can essentially turn your chosen tile or material into a sort-of wallpaper by using contact paper as a barrier between the new surface material and the home surface. 

Contact paper, as a whole, works some great DIY renter-friendly magic to change up your home's accents. And it's also a budget-friendly method where homeowners can experiment with different looks without committing to something you may hate. Grab ample contact paper, the new surface material you want to install, a paper smoother, and a precision knife, and you'll be on your way to "renovating" your home. And when you move out, you can easily rip off the contact paper, and leave the old surface; no one will be the wiser.

For Sousa's particular DIY hack, you first need to prep your space and materials for smooth installation. Clean the old surface you want to cover to make sure there aren't any problem spots. Then mount the contact paper straight onto the old surface, using the paper smoother to push out any air bubbles. As an installation tip, cut the size of your contact paper to be at least 3 inches larger than what the surface area calls for. Trim off the excess with your precision knife after the new surface material is installed. This will help with any alignment issues and will ensure that the contact paper is hidden well beneath your upgraded surface. Remember, if you want to simulate a real backsplash or bathroom wall, you'll need to caulk in between the tiles. 

Contact paper is a waterproof, flexible material with adhesive backing that comes in a variety of colors and sizes. It has all sorts of uses beyond Sousa's hack to help you achieve your dream home aesthetic but with renter-friendly removal and minimal intervention. Countertops are a popular spot to instantly upgrade your home with contact paper because it's waterproof, is simple to clean, and can easily removable. You can also upcycle furniture pieces with contact paper, breathing new life into that old dresser. Simply install the paper onto flat surfaces like on drawers or table tops or legs to bring a new pop to an old staple. 

For Sousa's DIY, it won't matter much what kind of contact paper you choose. While contact paper is an easy decorating hack that will liven up your space, it's not the star of this mini-upgrade. Instead, focus your aesthetic attention to the material you want to lay over the contact paper, whether it's tile for a backsplash or fabric, or wallpaper as a pop of color on kitchen cabinet fronts. Simulated vinyl tiles, like this Metro Green option from Home Depot, works well to cover larger areas while this removable grass cloth from Pottery Barn is a great accent option for furniture pieces and drawer fronts.

Now you may wonder why you don't just use peel-and-stick tiles directly onto the old surface in the first place. While this is a viable option, using contact paper provides that extra level of assurance that you won't damage the old surface. Self-stick tiles are extremely strong, and you run the risk of pulling up or wearing down the original surface underneath. You can also remove larger swaths of the new material faster since you can peel entire chunks off at once.

For a glue-less project, opt for peel-and-stick materials like sheets of tile or linen-textured wallpaper to simulate fabric. If you've fallen in love with a material that doesn't have adhesive already on it, however, be prepared with a mounting agent, like construction adhesive. And just like that, you have a renter-friendly upgrade!