7 Ways to make your rental feel like a Home

by : Jessica McSorley | Interior Designer, Tailored HQ

For many Australians (my Husband and I included), the possibility of owning their own home feels a distant dream. Rentals can often feel temporary and uninspiring, but they don’t have to! Renting doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice the idea of injecting your own style and personality into your home. Here are 7 of my top tips to make your rental you own.


1.Work with the existing style of your home

Once you move in it’s important to pay attention to your homes existing style and features.
What colour are the walls? Does your home have plenty of natural light? What is the flooring situation and what sort of fixtures are in place. Once you’ve taken stock of your surrounds, I suggest doing some research into interior trends and see which style your home lends itself to. Do you have cold grey tiles and white walls?


Focusing on a natural palette of materials will bring some much needed warmth to the space. Are you working with a retro palette? Good news! We’re seeing a resurgence in Seventies styling which means that a relaxed bohemian aesthetic could be just what you’re after. There will always be a trend / style to suit your home that you can mix and match with your own personal style to create a space as unique as you.

You can check here for inspiration in styling your home.


2. Don’t be afraid to ask your Landlord

This is something that I encourage all renters to do. If there is something about the home that you feel could be improved, put the question to your landlord.

Afterall, the worst they can say is no.

In our case, our home had a purple feature wall in the living room that I could only describe as ‘awful’. I submitted a request to re-paint the wall and sent along a sample swatch of my suggested colour and the owner loved it! (I chose Dulux Domino). Your request might be something along the lines of shelving or hooks for some artwork. Whatever the request, there’s no harm in putting it out there.

3. Dress those Windows


Awful curtains are one of the easiest and simplest things to replace and yet they so often remain in place and neglected throughout endless tenancies. Take down the existing curtains and store them in a safe place (so that you can rehang them at the end of your tenancy). Replace them with brand new curtains to elevate your home. A crisp white linen look will suit just about any space, but any simple, neutral colour is generally a safe bet. Pop into Tailored HQ and ask about how we can help you out!

We’ve got several pieces of Artwork that you might be interested in.


4. Art & Mirrors

Nothing shows your personality and style quite like art. If you’re anything like me, you have an assortment of photographs and framed pieces that each tell a story. Obviously, when in a rental it’s not possible to drill holes into the walls at your own whim to place your art. But you can use removable hooks or simply rest your artwork and photos on top of existing shelving or furniture.
As well as art, mirrors make a great addition to any home. They are a great, inexpensive way to add depth to a room and bounce light around to brighten up any dark room.

We’ve got several pieces of Artwork that you might be interested in.


5. Replace the Lampshades

Lampshades are another way to instantly elevate a space. While I don’t advise replacing the fixtures themselves (unless you have express permission from your Landlord), you can change out the shades for the duration of your tenancy. This is exactly what I plan to do in my Living Room.

I would describe the current shades on my pendant lights to look like UFO’S, so I’m tucking them away at the back of a cupboard and replacing them with the rattan shades pictured below. If you’re after a custom shade feel free to drop by the showroom and we can walk you through creating a unique look just for you.