Your home is where you should feel safe and secure—your refuge away from the world and your sanctuary to recharge your batteries. Decorating is a key way that we all turn a house into a home, as it allows you to create a space where your personality can flourish. Sometimes, we must redecorate our bedrooms to match our changing tastes and ensure our bedroom is still our safe haven!
For many people, a whole redecoration project can be almost impossible due to renting their homes. While those with a mortgage or who own their homes outright can paint, wallpaper, and even hammer away to their delight, renters are more limited in what they can do.
Some landlords might allow you to make small changes, some might allow you to redecorate your home entirely to your tastes, and others will not allow any permanent changes. With just over a third (35%) of UK households renting in 2023, making your décor rent-friendly is more important than ever!
Thankfully, we've got 10 easy decorating hacks that aren't permanent and won't cause any damage, making them necessities for renters!
10 rent-friendly bedroom hacks
1. Use your bed for extra storage
Whether you're renting a terraced house or a flat, a bungalow or a detached house, the one thing we all need more of in our lives is storage space. This is especially true if you're running a little short on room, and there's a quick solution! One thing every home will have is a bed, so why not make your bed work for you and increase how much space you have to store things away?
Storage beds are designed to offer innovative space inside the bed frame for plenty of items, reducing the need for extra furniture. Different storage beds are available, from ottoman beds with hidden space inside the frame to storage beds with drawers if you'd rather compartmentalise your items. If a storage bed isn't your thing, you could always use plastic tubs that can be pushed underneath your bed so they're out of sight!
2. Vary your lighting options
The days of being stuck with just the big light are long gone, and there's no better way to create a cosy atmosphere than by embracing the joy of warm lighting. Plenty of lighting options are available that don't require any physical changes to your bedroom, making them particularly ideal for those who are renting.
Add eye-catching lamps with unusual designs or patterns to your bedside table to illuminate your bed or give your bedroom a whimsical look with delicate fairy lights. If you're looking for something more high-tech, add an LED strip to the back of your headboard to give your bedroom a hotel feel!
3. Create an indoor jungle
Indoor plants are a great way to add a tranquil feel to your bedroom. If you're stuck in a no-pet rented home, they allow you to care for something without breaking any rules. They also have the added benefit of improving your well-being, with a better mood and reduced stress levels, increased pain tolerance, and reduced blood pressure.
Not only do they look beautiful, but they also have plenty of health benefits! Our article on the best plants for bedrooms showcases all the best types of plants, from an air-purifying snake plant to a soothing lavender plant!
4. Make your room seem bigger with a mirror
A mirror is a must-have if you're struggling with a small bedroom or want to make a space seem brighter. If you're renting, we'd recommend choosing a wall-leaning mirror, as you can rest it on the floor against the wall instead of hanging it up and potentially causing damage. The mirror will reflect your room, and the light will make your room appear even bigger! It's a quick and easy way to make a space seem larger; even better, you can incorporate your tastes with the mirror design!
5. Utilise your door
Make your door more than it is by adding storage to the back or using it for non-permanent decoration to bring your bedroom to life. From removable Command strips to specially designed hangers that hang over the top of the door. So whether you want extra space to hold coats or shoes, your door offers plenty of space you might not have thought about.
Alternatively, you could decorate your door with temporary posters or decals, giving it personality to match the rest of your bedroom! Explore all the various hand-crafted decorations available on sites such as Etsy to find ways to spruce up your boring door!
6. Jazz up your bed
Bedding isn't just to keep you warm and cosy at night (though that's always a benefit!) but also the easiest way to showcase your personality in your bedroom. Given the restrictions on decorating in a rented home, your bed is something that you can change up when you feel like it!
Choose light-coloured bedding to brighten up a small space, or opt for a textured duvet cover to make getting into bed blissful. With so many bedding options available, from cute floral to comfy teddy bear fabric, you can swap it whenever your mood changes to jazz up your bedroom décor!
7. Add style with a rug
With many rented homes, you're often stuck with whatever carpet or flooring was already in before you moved in. Sometimes, this might have unsightly stains or scuffs that you won't be able to get rid of without permission from the homeowner. A quick way to disguise these issues is to add a stylish rug to your bedroom.
This will cover up any ugly flooring problems and give you something lush to sink your toes into while making your space come to life. So whether you want a stylised rug with patterns or an impossibly thick, shaggy rug, don't forget about your floor when decorating your rented bedroom!
8. Create a personalised nook
Unlike an owned home, a rented house can often suffer from the problem of never truly feeling like your space, as you might not be able to decorate or renovate as you'd like. An easy way to resolve this issue is to create a personalised nook in your bedroom that's solely yours. You could use a stylish divider to separate a small corner of your bedroom or create a cosy space with floor pillows or a comfy bedroom chair to give you somewhere to relax in peace.
Add a small bookcase or free-standing shelving unit to store your books or give you space to display figurines, plants and more! This will provide you with a small area of calm and peace in your bedroom, which you can decorate to your heart's content without worrying about causing any permanent damage!
9. Incorporate enticing scents
Scent is one of our most important senses, and a nice-smelling bedroom makes it feel cosy and welcoming. Thankfully, for renters, there are plenty of ways to make their bedroom smell like a haven, from scented candles to reed diffusers to wax melts. We'd recommend a scented candle for added cosiness, thanks to the flickering flame!
You can also use a candle as a decoration, as scented candles are available in hundreds of sizes, shapes, and scents! If you're not feeling one of these methods, you could always opt for a plug-in or automatic air freshener. If you're looking for better sleep in your rented home, pick a scent that will help you sleep, such as lavender or peppermint.
10. Customise with a headboard
Not feeling like buying a completely new bed? How about updating the headboard with a new one? If your bed can change the headboard, such as with a divan bed, you could buy a new headboard to match your new style to make your rented bedroom come to life. Whether it's just updating the colour, changing the fabric type or even choosing an entirely new shape, headboards are a cheap and quick way to change up a rented bedroom.
Alternatively, you could try to upcycle your current headboard if you're feeling creative or don't have the money to spare for a new one. Plenty of fantastic online and social media guides will walk you through the process, and you can truly personalise your headboard!