How Can You Decorate Your Rental Into Your Dream Home (#2 Creating a Cosy Living Room!)

How Can You Decorate Your Rental Into Your Dream Home? (#2 Creating a Cosy Living Room!)

As mentioned in the previous blog post (view how to decorate your kitchen if you haven’t read already!), never judge a property based on its current cosmetic features. There will always be options to turn your rental property into your dream home, many of which won’t even break the bank!

In order to avoid the horror stories you may hear of tenants never seeing their deposit again, always remember to check your tenancy agreement and discuss with your landlord before making changes. However, in most cases, provided the property is in an appealing state for future tenants, landlords are likely to be in favour of some nice changes. You could be saving them a future job!

The most important room of the house

The living room is arguably the most important room of the house. It is where you will entertain your guests and, more importantly, where you can lounge out after a tough day! As the room you’re likely to spend the majority of your free time in, the living room should be a place where you feel most comfortable and cosy.

The design of your living room is the best reflection of yourself in the house so never let anyone tell you how it should look! Provided you have permissions from your landlord, the living room can be decorated in any manner you desire; this blog will aim to provide you inspiration for creating the most comfortable room possible!

Adding Some Life (Literally!) With Houseplants

Having indoor plants is a win-win for your living room; not only do they look great but studies have found that indoor plants are good for your health by removing toxins and freshen up the air around you (find out more about the health benefits here). House plants don’t always have to be expensive too, Ikea have a great range of house plants of varying sizes and management levels so there is something to suit everyone!

@Thehappynesst – Instagram

If real houseplants are too much maintenance or mess for you, fake plants can look just as good and are also available for low prices! It’s your space, put in there whatever suits you best!

Tip: If larger house plants are too expensive, fill the space with multiple smaller and cheaper plants; it may even end up looking better!

Using Lighting to Make it Cosy

Noone likes having the main overhead lights on in any room, it’s too bright and makes the room feel like an over-lit operating theatre. Floor or table lamps can change this. Layering light and creating a cosy atmosphere doesn’t have to be expensive at all. With a wide range of styles or sizes available for different purposes (browse them at The Range here). Always remember to check the energy rating for lamps or bulbs used so you are not hit with unexpected costs.

Lights are a great way to change the mood of any room meaning you can easily make your living room the perfect relaxing room to retreat to after a stressful day!

@theweeneutralhoose- Instagram

Using Mirrors or Artwork to Break up Blank Walls

Adding a mirror to your living room is not only an aesthetic choice, it’s a practical one too which can work wonders for the proportions of the space. By breaking up large blank walls with mirrors, it can make your smaller living room look bigger, whilst also hiding the larger, more boring blank spaces! Don’t worry, putting up a mirror or artwork won’t require you to drill holes in the walls; as mentioned in the decorate your kitchen blog, command strips are your best friend for rental renovations, use them for any wall-based decorations to avoid a DIY job when you leave!

@ourhomecrowmere- Instagram

Mirrors and artwork can be expensive in some places, however shops like Home Bargains and The Range sell a wide range of options which can still make your room look luxurious without having to break the bank!

Adding Colours and Comfort using Cushions

The sofa is a staple of all living rooms. As one of the few guaranteed higher value items it cannot be changed or replaced to suit colour schemes or present designs. This does not mean that your design should revolve around the colours of your existing furniture. Instead, use cushions to add new life and a splash of colour to the room. Who really cares about what colours match anyway!

@Ellephoebe- Instagram

Get yourself down to stores like B&M or Home Bargains to find your range of colourful cushions (browse B&M and Home Bargains), experiment with colours or designs to find your perfect feature cushions to bring life to that ageing sofa!

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