It’s a truth universally acknowledged that landlords don’t do interior design. With a penchant for magnolia and seriously questionable taste in bathroom tiles, there’s no escaping the fact that if you’re renting in London, living with this particular kind of landlord design blunder is a way of life. But with a few decorating smoke-and-mirrors, it’s possible to lessen the impact of these assaults on good taste and put your own stamp on your space in the process. Of course, making permanent changes and improvements are a no-go (and would be wasted on your landlord anyway), so we’ve rounded up some easy and transformative decor tricks to beautify your flat or house without breaking the bank. Because quite frankly, your rent is too high not to make the most of the place you call Home-For-Now.
Take to the floor
What is it with landlords and flooring choices? For them, cheap lino, laminate and doctor’s waiting room-grade carpet seems to be irresistible. If you’re lucky enough to have landed a flat with floorboards, good for you. For the rest of us, there is only one way around this problem – a huge, wall-to-wall rug. Not only will it cover all manner of flooring sins, but you can take it with you when you move on, too. Bonus. Try Ikea or Habitat for flat weave designs in generous sizes.
Ikea
Wonder walls
Artwork and wall hangings are your friends in a rented property. Aside from giving bare walls colour and pizazz, they’re an opportunity to show visitors and housemates how cultured and creative you are. To avoid the mid-A Level-art-project look, frame your posters, prints and wall art, either hanging them (so grown up!) or leaning them against the wall. Failing that, use Washi tape. Lots and lots of Washi tape. John Lewis’ House range does a good line of affordable frames in an array of sizes and styles.
John Lewis
Brush up
The single most transformative change you can make in your own space is obvious, but not to be underestimated – hello paint. Nobody wants to live with slightly yellowing magnolia walls, sullied by the last occupant’s Blue-tac marks, so a lick of emulsion will instantly make your place feel smarter. And cleaner. As for the colour choice, go as wild as you dare – as long as you paint it back before you move on (minus the Blue-tac marks), your landlord shouldn’t object.
Dulux
Green fingered
Unsightly skirting boards? Nowhere to hide your mass of cables and Wifi box? Enter the humble houseplant. Currently the home’s must-have accessory, the benefits of indoor greenery are three-fold. One, they can be used to hide all manner of less than good-looking elements in your rental. Two, they’re cheap, and three, they’re mood-enhancing, transforming your London basement flat into a happy, tropical oasis. Succulents, cacti, palms and ferns are best, not least because they’re virtually un-killable. Phew.
Urban Outfitters
On reflection
If your rooms aren’t on the, er, roomy side, or lack natural light, you might need to deploy a clever tactic to make your spaces feel larger and brighter. Hanging a collection of wall mirrors will do the trick nicely, reflecting light around the space and so creating the illusion of a larger room. This is especially effective in a window-less bathroom or a long corridor. Head to Graham & Green for a lust-able selection, from contemporary mirrored tiles to full on Venetian-style grandeur.
Graham & Green
Get a handle on it
Let’s face facts. You’re probably not living in your dream kitchen right now. But that’s ok. Take a leaf out of genius Swedish company Superfront’s book – they’ve created a whole range of handles, legs and fronts that are compatible with Ikea’s basic flat-pack cabinet ranges – and swap your dated cupboard handles for a chic brass number (Anthropologie and Zara Home do the best selection closer to home). One baby-step closer to a cooler kitchen with minimum effort. In fact, you can apply this logic to wardrobes, sideboards and any other dull looking storage, too.
Superfront
Fridge benefits
Nobody loves white goods. Especially white goods that you don’t actually own. However, there’s no getting away from the fact that they’re staying put whether you like it or not. Give your ugly fridge an upgrade with tapes, vinyl, and decals and your kitchen will be transformed before your very eyes. This can also be applied to the washing machine, dryer and that weird box on the wall that the boiler lives in.
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