Top 8+ Simple Ways to Make a Rental Feel Like Home

Claim Your Walls With Removable Wallpaper Magic

Picture this: you walk into someone else's beige box and within hours, it's screaming your name from every corner. That's the power of removable wallpaper - you can apply peel-and-stick wallpaper or decals to add color and patterns without damaging the walls, and there are great resources available for paste-and-stick removable papers.

But here's the insider secret most people miss - maybe not for the whole space, but accent walls, backsplashes etc. Think of it like makeup for your walls: you don't need full coverage to make a stunning impact.

One statement wall behind your bed or a geometric pattern in your entryway can completely shift the energy of your space. Removable wallpaper is an easy and budget-friendly way to bring some attitude to any room in your apartment, adding color and pattern with a botanical print.

The key is choosing patterns that speak to your soul - whether that's moody florals, bold stripes, or modern geometric designs that make your heart skip a beat.

Transform Dead Space With Strategic Lighting

Based on emerging trends, 2025 will have statement lighting with organic shapes, with round glass pendant lights and squiggly floor lamps, and use warm bulbs for your statement lighting to create a cozy atmosphere in the evening. But let's talk about the game-changer most renters overlook: Add some depth to each room by lighting up dark corners.

This will help draw the eye across the room and help it feel larger. That awkward corner that's been collecting dust?

It's about to become your favorite reading nook with a sculptural floor lamp. Stick with LED lights, and choose bulbs with a color temperature of 2700k.

This will give you that warm light that flatters everyone. The psychology here is brilliant - when you illuminate previously dark spaces, your brain perceives the room as significantly larger and more inviting.

Who needs a chandelier for their apartment when oversized arc floor lamps work beautifully as statement pieces? Any floor lamp will enhance your apartment lighting — you can go big and bold or opt for a petite and elegant option that blends into the background.

Place your favorite overhead floor lamp over an accent chair to create a cozy yet sophisticated reading nook.

Create Instant Architecture With Area Rugs

Apartments often come with cold, uninviting, and boring floors. An area rug can add warmth and be used to create different areas within your home.

It is an easy and affordable way to bring in colors and patterns that tie your home's energy together. But here's where most people get it wrong - they buy rugs that are too small.

A properly sized rug should extend at least 18 inches beyond your sofa on all sides, creating what designers call a "furniture grouping." A great tip for choosing a rug or carpet is to choose something that has at least two colours that are part of the colour scheme used in the room. Think of your rug as the foundation that anchors everything else - it's not just decoration, it's architecture for your floor.

They add softness, define spaces, and even protect floors (which is excellent for renters). Plus, you can take it with you when you move!

The emotional impact is immediate: suddenly that generic apartment becomes YOUR space with boundaries and purpose.

Master the Art of Temporary Window Treatments

Your windows are crying out for personality, and those standard-issue blinds aren't doing anyone any favors. Add luxury to a rental with gorgeous draperies.

Hanging several sets of draperies along a wall is an apartment-approved way to give your space personality without the permanence of wallpaper or paint. The secret sauce?

It also gives the illusion that windows are hidden behind the draperies rather than just an expanse of blank walls. Install curtain rods that extend 6-8 inches beyond your actual window frame - this makes your windows appear larger and lets in maximum natural light when open.

The best way to light a room without overhead lighting is to leverage the windows you already have in your apartment. Switch out thick drapes for light, breezy curtains that allow light to pour in.

Choose fabrics that move with air currents - linen, cotton, or lightweight polyester blends that dance rather than hang lifelessly. The psychological effect is profound: flowing curtains create movement and life in static rental spaces.

Unleash Your Personality Through Gallery Walls

Art is one of the best methods of achieving the elegant and modern look of a house. Showcasing art can be one of the best rental apartment décor ideas.

Adding wall art or artwork to a room creates a focal point for the design and art of the room. But forget everything you think you know about hanging art - Drilling holes in the walls is a definite way to lose a deposit, but command hooks are an excellent alternative.

The magic happens when you create a gallery wall that tells your story. In a small space, a large piece of art or wall decor rather than a bunch of smaller pieces can have an outsize impact.

Start with one anchor piece - something that makes you smile every time you see it - then build around it with varying sizes and frames. Gallery lighting will instantly make your artwork look luxurious and can be super affordable.

A gallery wall with the right lighting can create a dramatic and elegant look in your apartment. The key is mixing mediums: photographs, prints, small mirrors, and even textural elements like small floating shelves with objects.

Multiply Your Space With Strategic Mirror Placement

Decorating with mirrors is an easy way to make any space feel larger and more luminous. In this New York City apartment, a pair of tall mirrors on either side of the bed reflect and bounce around available light, while doubling views and making the room feel larger than it is.

But the real genius lies in understanding light behavior - If your floor lamps aren't providing enough light, try pointing the light toward a decorative mirror. This trick also works if you hang a mirror across from a window.

It'll mimic the look of additional windows and natural light. Position mirrors to catch and bounce natural light from windows, creating what interior designers call "borrowed light." Look for mirrors in secondhand and vintage stores with interesting frames or a bit of crackling in the glass for an apartment decorating idea that adds character, and make mirrors your artwork of choice to bounce the light everywhere.

The psychological impact is instant: mirrors don't just reflect light, they reflect possibility, making your rental feel twice as spacious and infinitely more interesting.

Build Vertical Drama With Floating Shelves

A floating shelf arrangement is an affordable apartment living room decorating idea for showing off collectible objects and mementos. But here's the styling secret that separates amateur from pro: create visual triangles with your objects.

Group items in odd numbers, vary heights, and mix textures - a ceramic vase next to a small plant next to a stack of books creates visual interest that draws the eye upward. Maximize vertical space to take advantage of every inch of kitchen storage.

If your setup includes open shelves, place several stacks of dishes on each shelf, arranging like items together. Use the upper shelves for lesser-used items you don't need to access as often.

Think beyond books - floating shelves become your personal museum for travel souvenirs, vintage finds, and meaningful objects that spark conversations. The beauty lies in their flexibility: you can rearrange, add, or subtract elements as your style evolves, without committing to permanent built-ins.

Infuse Life With Plants and Natural Elements

Biophilia, translating to "love of life" in Greek, approaches interior decorating with the intent to connect people with nature. Biophilic design focuses on earthy colors, natural lighting, natural shapes and patterns, and plants.

But let's get practical - not everyone has a green thumb, and that's perfectly fine. Start with nearly indestructible plants like snake plants, pothos, or ZZ plants that thrive on neglect.

Apartment herb gardens are simple to start, easy to maintain, and don't require a lot of space to cultivate. Use our step-by-step guide to creating your own balcony herb garden.

The magic isn't just in the greenery - it's in the containers you choose. Woven baskets, ceramic planters, or even repurposed vintage containers add texture and personality beyond the plants themselves.

Artificial grass is an excellent option for people who have a balcony on their rental property. Decorating a rental apartment with artificial grass can fulfil your desire to bring in nature.

The psychological benefits are immediate: plants purify air, reduce stress, and create a sense of nurturing that transforms any space from house to home. Every rental has the potential to become a reflection of who you are - it just takes the right combination of creativity, strategy, and courage to claim your space.

These eight approaches work because they respect the temporary nature of rental living while creating lasting emotional connections to your environment. The beauty of rental decorating isn't in the permanence of your changes, but in the immediate transformation of how your space makes you feel every single day.

What story will your walls tell about the person who lives there?