You Don’t Own It, But You Can Make It Your Own

With housing prices continuing to soar, many of us have chosen to rent. But the downside to this is that it’s much more difficult to make a leased space your home haven. Or is it?

Your Home, Your Way

Before you can create a beautiful place to call your own, you have to decide exactly what you want, what style you’re going for and know how you’re going to use your space. A few of the most common activities that take place in the home are working, entertaining, spending time with family, and (when time permits) relaxing.

A Functional Home Office

If you’ve recently transitioned to a remote work situation, either by your job or as the result of starting your own business, you’ve probably already found out that working from home is distracting. But you can redesign your home office so that your working hours are more efficient, as suggested by Zenbusiness. Start by eliminating distractions. If your walls or shelves are cluttered, for example, your eye might be drawn to them more than your computer screen. You also want to make sure that your desk and chair are conducive to a comfortable working environment.

An Entertainer’s Dream

When it’s time to have friends and family over, make sure that your rental is inviting. Start by paying attention to the layout of your common areas. Houzz offers several suggestions, including creating a circulation path (a path where people will walk around) and placing furniture close enough so that you can enjoy intimate conversations. If you plan to have a dining event at your home, look for a table with a drop leaf or removable leaf that can expand to accommodate a crowd.

Family Time

Family time is the most important function of a home, whether your name is on the deed or the lease. Your design should include things that keep you and your family on the same page. For example, make sure that your couch is not too far from the television. The Furnishing Tips offers advice on this and notes that your seating area should be 1 foot away from your television for every inch in screen size. You can plan to add blackout curtains from Kotton Culture so that you and your family can enjoy privacy, which is particularly hard to come by in an apartment or townhouse community.

A Relaxing Retreat

When you’re busy working and raising a family, relaxation comes much less often than you’d like. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a spot ready for when the urge to meditate, read, or engage in your favorite hobby comes to call. Consider using room partitions to block off a small section of your main living area, and then use beautiful curtains and pillow shams to make the space your own. You might also add ambient lighting to the bedroom using LED light strips. Other ideas to create a place to unwind include utilizing a smart speaker and adding acoustic panels to common walls to reduce noise from the neighbors.

Non-Permanent Personalization Tips

Chances are, you can’t make any major changes to your rented space. But there are lots of things you can do that won’t force you to lose your deposit. These include:

• Add a peel and stick backsplash for an instant update to the kitchen or bathroom

• Use self-adhesive wallpaper to change the color of any room or hallway

• Install a second layer of sheer curtains so that you can let light in without sacrificing privacy during the day

• Change out the cabinet hardware

• Use large rugs on hardwood floors

Home is where the heart is, but you can’t always pour your heart and soul into a rented space. Fortunately, you don’t have to live in whatever humdrum design your landlord left you with. With a bit of creativity, you can have a haven to call home until you’re ready to buy something more permanent.