Whenever the debate of renting versus owning comes up, one of the biggest points of differentiation is how much you can do with your home -- home owners LOVE to remind renters of what they can't do to elevate the design in their rental. As a lifelong renter, I promise you there are so many options available to you, if you know where to look.

Good interior design isn't limited to home renovations, so let's talk about 5 quick and easy ways you can step it up in your rental. 

Wall Decor

Usually you'll hear people say you have to get artwork but to be honest, art isn't the only way to dress up your walls. This can come in the form of a well executed photo gallery wall featuring your friends, family, and favorite selfies; or photo ledges that house your Disney figurine collection. You want your space to feel personable and tell a story and so look for artwork and other decor pieces that reflect your style. To that end, don't be afraid to leave some white space so that your eyes can have a place to rest when scanning the room.

Lighting

So many of us either live in these older than dirt apartments that come with the most awful recessed lighting OR these new fangled units with no lighting. I mean really. But guess what?! I’ve got you covered either way.   

I’m absolutely OBSESSED with screw in pendant lights. So wait, I can convert recessed lights to stylish pendants without hiring an electrician or spending a buttload of money? Yes ma’am! Literally, switch out your lights as easily as you would switch out a bulb.

And for where you have little to no lighting, layer in lights with lamps. If you don’t have to surface or floor space to spare on table & floor lamps, plug in wall sconces are as easy as mounting your tv. Again... no busting through walls & hiring electricians; and something you can easily unplug and patch up once it’s time to turn over your keys to the landlord.

Rugs

Whether your apartment has wall to wall carpeting or beautiful hard wood flooring, you can benefit from the greatness that is a good area rug. Not only can they define an area and/or create zones, they're great for pulling a look together & adding visual interest. You ever get dressed and think, "hmm, something's missing"? You can't quite put your finger on it but you just know. So you layer with a cardigan, tie a shirt around your waist, etc. until you look/feel "complete". Your outfit was just fine before but now it's exactly how you need it to feel. That's what a rug does for a room!

Wallpaper 

C’mon now, fix your face! It amazes me how many people still cringe at the mere mention of wallpaper because they’re so traumatized by the wallpaperings of a time long ago. Wallpaper has come SO FAR & is a great way to bring new life to walls & add visual depth to a space. This can come in the form of creating an accent wall or using it to section off open spaces. And because we are no longer hostage to paste wallpapers, you can easily put em up and take em down. There’s textured wallpaper, paintable wallpaper, “3-d” wallpaper... endless possibilities with little commitment on your end.

Plants

Real or fake, there’s no other instant facelift like bringing in some plants. You’re adding color, texture, and life to your space without doing a single thing to the actual structure. This can be a statement floor plant or tree nestled in a corner; or tabletop flowers throughout each room. I had a co worker who, every couple of days after work, would stop into the flower shop around the corner to bring flowers home & switch out in every room. And she would choose the most gorgeous bouquets that would immediately elevate the look & feel; very simple vases so that the flowers were the star!

I Wanna Know...

Do you own or rent? What easy, peasy upgrades have you done? Have you tried any of these?