When you’re renting a place, it can be easy to forget all the ways you can make it feel like a home and less like a rental. Whether you will be renting short term or long term, there are many ways you can make your rental feel cozier. Even if your space is small, adding the extra touches below will make it feel warmer, more inviting and more like your home.

Paint

Check your lease to see what restrictions you have when it comes to painting your rental. If you are able to paint, add a warm or trendy color to your walls. If you don’t want to paint your walls in their entirety, paint the wall trims a different color or stencil a pattern around the center or top of your walls. If you are not allowed to paint at all, check your local home improvement store or visit websites for temporary wallpaper or decals.

Decorate the Walls

While paint, wallpaper and decals can give your room more style, color, and textures, you still want to decorate your walls. You can use artwork and framed photos to create focal points that will make your rental feel more personalized and cozier. Your wall décor can be large or small; just make sure scale matches the size of the room.

Add Natural Elements

Adding a touch of nature to any room will make it feel more like a true home. You can do this by decorating with items found in nature like placing beautiful stones in a decorative bowl or filling a vase with twigs and branches. You can also buy art that depicts nature such as a photograph of a forest or a painting of a landscape. If you have a green thumb, you can place plants on shelves, create a windowsill garden or bring in fresh and dried flowers arrangements.

Buy Window Treatments

Many rentals come with inexpensive white or off-white blinds. While they do the job of creating privacy, they are not particularly decorative. A simple way to make your rental feel cozier is to install a rod and hang single or double paned curtains. The curtains will add a pop of color to your room, will allow you greater control of incoming light, will help keep cold air out and can help muffle outside noise. If curtains aren’t your first pick, opt for higher-end blinds that come in different colors, textures and materials other that the standard plastic or metal.

Buy Comfortable Seating

Sometimes when you select seating for a rental property, your primary focus is size and scale. While you do want your seating to be size-appropriate for your room, you also want it to be livable. When picking seating, make sure it is something comfortable and inviting: something that you would want to curl up in or sit in for long periods of time. To make less comfortable seating more comfortable, add throw pillows, throw blankets or chair cushions for hardwood seating.

All of the ideas above are easy ways to make your rental feel warm, cozy and inviting. By adding a few extra touches, you will express your personality and sense of style, and you will create a space that you’ll enjoy spending time in.

This article was provided by Chase Roberts, home & garden expert and current apartment dweller. If you’re renting your place and were looking for ways to keep your belongings safe and secure, Chase recommends Protectyourbubble.com renters insurance.

Looking to spice up your walls with a new coat of paint and live in the Westchester NY area?  Give us a call and take advantage of our 10% discount for all painting projects scheduled for the month of September! ~Gary B.