Tips For Home Renters

Dear Natalie,
    I know you give advice to homeowners, but I’m a renter. I have a lease and don’t plan to move anytime soon, so what tips can you give me to make my place feel like home?
Amanda M.

Dear Amanda,
    Your place should and can feel like home – because it is!  When renting, the focus of where you choose to spend your money is slightly different from owning your home.
    Even though you live in a rental, you can still start with what’s going on the floor to help you decorate easily.  Spending money on replacing less than attractive floors in a rental doesn’t make much sense since you can’t take it with you.  However, you can take a good quality area rug with you if you move, whether used in the same room or another, and it can cover a multitude of sins.  Even if there is a neutral and uninteresting broadloom already in the space, by placing an area rug on top, you can jazz up the color scheme and create “islands” for your furniture.
    Speaking of color – if your landlord will let you paint (perhaps you have to agree to return the walls to white when you leave) go for it!  Whether bold or vibrant or soft and sensuous, color creates the mood and is the backdrop for good design.  Pull colors from your rug and keep fabrics neutral and you’ll have a great look.
    Next, furniture shop for good quality pieces, with floor plan in hand, so you stick to your plan. However, you may want to think about buying on a slightly smaller scale so that if you move, you don’t run into the problem of your furniture not fitting into a new space.  Remember to measure the size of the elevator or stairs before making your purchases!
    Look for ways to create multi-functional space, i.e. your home office doubling as a guest or exercise room when needed.  Wall units that are made in components that can feel like built-ins, encompassing library bookshelves, files and clothing drawers as well as a computer work station can help and can be easily assembled and re-located should you move.
    Consider a queen size bed, rather than a king so that any master bedroom you inhabit will feel more spacious.  In the bedroom, you may want to splurge on good quality bedding that will dress up the room, and should you move, you can pack it up and take it with you.
    The good news of renting is you’re not bearing the expense of renovating kitchens and baths.  The bad news is you can’t renovate these areas no matter how awful you think they are.  But, you can camouflage even the worst offenders, by making sure they’re scrupulously clean, organized and accessorized.  If you are signing a new lease, you might even negotiate and get the landlord to repair flooring, a counter top, cabinets or a backsplash. If not, you could get permission to cover some of the areas with paint or wallpaper.
    Accessories are the final decorator’s touch in any home, but in a rental, this is even more important. You can use accessories such as framed photos, books, plants, china and glassware on shelves and mirrors and art on walls to create focal points, hide imperfections and give any room a finished look.
    The most important thing to remember, Amanda, is that your home should be a place you love and want to share with family and friends.  Entertain as often as you like and make sure when you come home at the end of a long hard day that you can say, when you open the front door, I’m so happy to be home!"