6 ways to spruce up your apartment or rental
By Carla Snuggs
Just because you rent and not own, doesn’t mean you have to give up style and great design. Posh Beauty Blog sourced interior designer and home staging expert Cathy Hobbs* to learn the best ways to spruce up your rental and keep your rental deposit. “The key when decorating your rental dwelling is what I call “portable design”. In a nutshell, items that you can take with you when you move out!” says Cathy.
Here are Cathy’s top tips:
1. Replace hardware pulls on kitchen and bathroom cabinets
Replacing cabinet knobs can not only add a sense of style put can go a long way to creating a fresher, updated look. All you need is your new knobs and a screwdriver. Keep the old ones, and just swap out when you move out. (Source)
2. Prime/paint cabinets
This is one that you will want to run by your landlord first, but painting cabinets can truly transform a space without having to replace cabinets.
3. Paint walls
This is an easy one! Nothing helps to make a space your own more than your own individual colors! When you are done, all you have to do is grab a gallon of white paint! (Source)
4. Add attractive sheet vinyl flooring
When I moved into my first rental in NYC, this was one of my first upgrades! When living in a rental, re-tiling is typically not an option, adding vinyl flooring can be the perfect simple, affordable upgrade. I suggest adding large rectangular shaped tiles (more elegant than squares).
5. Replace an old sink with a new one such as pedestal sink
Want a fresh look in your bathroom? Consider purchasing bathroom sinks with large countertops from nuformcabinetry.com that are aesthetically pleasing and easy to clean. You could swap your old one back in or leave it behind. Your landlord may even be willing to purchase it back from you!
6. Replace light fixtures such as wall sconces and pendants
Many rental residences have light fixtures that are bare and basic. I suggest purchasing attractive, affordable fixtures from a big box store and installing them using a professional electrician. When you are done, just swap the old ones back in. (Source)
*Cathy Hobbs, ASID is the owner of Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes, an interior design and home staging firm based in New York City.
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How do you spruce up your rental? Leave your comments below!
