Interior Design for Renters: Making a Space Feel Like Home
Let’s face it - renting can sometimes feel like living in limbo. You’re in a space that’s yours… but not really. You might not be able to paint the walls, change the flooring or even hang things without risking your deposit. And yet, you still want to feel proud of where you live. You want your home to reflect you, your style and your life, not the choices of the landlord who last redecorated in 2009.
But here’s the good news: you can create a beautiful, functional and meaningful space as a renter. It just takes a bit of creativity, clever styling and smart investments. In this post, we’ll explore the key challenges renters face when decorating and share the best ways to overcome them without losing your deposit (or your mind).
The Renter’s Dilemma: Decorating With Limits
The core challenge of designing a rental home is working within limitations. Some landlords are happy for you to make minor changes, as long as you restore them before you move out. Others? Not so much.
Here's what most renters are typically up against:
No painting or wallpapering
No permanent installations (lighting fixtures or shelving)
Restricted use of nails or screws in walls
Often dated, mismatched finishes or fixtures
Spaces that aren’t tailored to your lifestyle or aesthetic
But even within those boundaries, there’s a surprising amount of freedom. Interior design for renters is all about embracing the temporary, focusing on the flexible and finding non-permanent ways to inject personality and style.
The Joy of Renting: Why It’s Not All Bad News
Before we dive into solutions, let’s give a little love to renting. Yes, it comes with limitations, but there are definite upsides that actually encourage creativity:
Freedom to experiment: Since you’re not investing in permanent changes, there’s less pressure to get everything “just right.” You can play around with colour, layout, and styling in ways that homeowners often can’t.
Low commitment: Your style will evolve—and so will your address. Renting lets you try out different looks in different spaces without the weight of long-term permanence.
Cost-effective styling: Because major renovations are off the table, your money can go towards beautiful pieces that you can take with you, rather than expensive building work.
Now let’s talk about how to work with your rental, not against it.
Start with the Bones You Can’t Change (But Can Distract From)
When you’re dealing with dated cabinetry, beige walls or less-than-stylish flooring, the trick is not to fight them - it's to distract from them.
Cover the floor: If the flooring is uninspiring, a good rug can work miracles. Large area rugs not only cover up what’s beneath they also define zones in open-plan spaces and add instant softness and warmth.
Hide ugly tiles: Peel-and-stick backsplash tiles or adhesive vinyl floor tiles are renter-friendly solutions that can disguise dated finishes without damaging the original surfaces.
Tone down wall colours: If you’re stuck with wall colours you don’t love, work with them rather than against them. Use art, mirrors or fabric wall hangings to cover large areas of wall. If you can’t change the paint, you can definitely distract from it.
Get Clever with Colour (Even If You Can’t Paint)
Yes, you can have colour in your rental even if every wall is a builder’s beige or off-white. The secret? Bring colour in through textiles, accessories and art.
Cushions and throws: These are low-cost, high-impact ways to inject colour, texture and pattern into a space.
Curtains and blinds: Swap out bland window treatments (store the originals safely) and replace them with something that adds character.
Artwork and wall decor: Adhesive hooks, picture ledges or leaning large prints against the wall are all renter-approved strategies.
Choose a palette that complements (or at least coexists with) your existing finishes and then layer it in through your decor. Think of your walls as a neutral canvas and paint the picture on top.
Invest in the Right Furniture
When you’re renting, your furniture needs to do a little more heavy lifting.
It should be:
Flexible: Can it adapt to different layouts in future homes?
Portable: Will it survive a move without damage?
Beautiful: Does it make you feel good to look at and use every day?
Opt for pieces that serve multiple purposes like a storage ottoman, a sofa bed or a dining table that doubles as a desk. And when in doubt, go for quality over quantity. A beautiful, well-made coffee table you love is a better investment than five generic ones that fall apart after a year.
Use Lighting to Transform the Mood
Lighting is one of the biggest game-changers in any space and most rental lighting is… not great. Harsh ceiling lights, outdated fixtures, or worse, a single bare bulb, can really create a cold, uninviting glare that flattens all of the warmth out of your space.
The solution? Layer your lighting.
Table lamps and floor lamps: These instantly add warmth and ambience and they don’t require any installation.
Plug-in sconces: These mimic the look of wall lights but can be installed without hardwiring.
Smart bulbs or dimmers: Control brightness and mood with your phone or a remote, no rewiring needed.
You can even replace light shades or pendant fittings (just keep the originals safe to reinstall later).
Make the Most of Walls - Without Drilling
Yes, it’s possible to decorate your walls without making holes (or at least, not permanent ones).
Command strips and hooks: Ideal for hanging art, mirrors or wall organisers without damaging the plaster.
Leaning art and mirrors: A stylish and relaxed look, especially effective on mantels, shelves or even the floor.
Temporary wallpaper or decals: Many brands now offer removable wallpapers in stunning designs. They're a perfect way to add personality to a feature wall or alcove.
Shelving units that lean against the wall (like ladder shelves) can also give you vertical storage and styling space without mounting anything.
Add Personality Through Texture and Pattern
Even the plainest space can come to life with a good mix of textures and patterns. This is especially powerful in rentals, where you often can’t make architectural changes.
Try mixing:
Natural materials like wood, linen, jute or rattan
Soft elements like velvet cushions, woven throws and plush rugs
Patterned accents like striped curtains, botanical prints or geometric cushions
Layering these elements helps a room feel curated, warm, and yours, without a single permanent change.
Don’t Forget the Little Things
Sometimes the smallest touches have the biggest emotional impact.
Think about the things that make a space feel like home:
A vase of fresh flowers or a thriving houseplant
Scented candles or diffusers that signal “relaxation mode”
A gallery of personal photos in coordinated frames
Stylish storage baskets that make clutter look intentional
These are all things you can take with you when you move but while you’re there, they do so much to personalise your space.
Stay Organised and Clutter-Free
Rentals often lack built-in storage, which can lead to piles of “stuff” creeping into every corner. A cluttered space feels less peaceful, less stylish, and definitely less like a sanctuary.
Invest in attractive, movable storage:
Sideboards or storage benches
Shelving units and bookcases
Under-bed storage boxes
Baskets and bins that fit within your colour scheme
The goal is to give everything a place, especially the things that don't contribute to your aesthetic. Nothing ruins a beautiful space faster than having nowhere to put your stuff.
Final Thoughts: Your Home, Your Way
Just because you don’t own the walls around you doesn’t mean you can’t love the life you live inside them. Renting might come with rules and restrictions, but it also brings opportunities to experiment, to edit and to create a home that evolves with you.
Whether you’re renting for six months or six years, it’s worth making your space feel like a true reflection of who you are. Because at the end of the day, interior design isn’t about ownership, it’s about intention. And there’s something incredibly empowering about choosing to love where you live, even if it’s not forever.
