Designer tenants: How I make my rental house a home

We ask interior design professionals who are long-term renters to share their secrets

Mon, 01 May, 2023 - 20:11

Carol O’Callaghan

Anyone with a love of interiors will know this quote by William Morris, leading light of the Arts and Crafts movement: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

It’s a tall order for any of us but might seem impossible to achieve if you don’t own your home and have to contend with a lumpen sofa liberally styled with stains, set against walls finished in the rental special, magnolia.

In an unfurnished rental, especially smaller accommodation, a compact sofa in a neutral colour is practical for adding colour with accessories and will make the transition when you move to a new place (EZ Living Interiors, €1,399).

On the other hand, there are plenty of landlords only too happy, and probably relieved, to have landed themselves a tenant with high standards who, if allowed to input on the space, are likely to stay longer.

But bear in mind if the landlord had a tenant or a frequency of tenants who wrecked the gaff, you might just have to start small with any request to make changes and let them see the results and what a gem of a tenant they have.

Amara Hasham of The Pajaama Hub on Instagram is a serial renter and poster girl for decorating and styling her home.

Being married to a pilot they’re always on the move, although she’s been in her current home in Berkshire, England for the last 10 years where she’s put her individual stamp.

“You have to respect the limitations but that doesn’t mean you have to live in a magnolia box,” she explains. “I call myself a considered maximalist. I love eclectic style and colour but I don’t want it to be just another maximalist home. I want every piece to mean something to me, to us, as a family.”

Vinyl splashbacks for kitchens and bathrooms are easy to apply and remove, and deal with the aesthetic eye-sore of dated tiling (Maroc kitchen splashback, €152.57 at www.limelace.co.uk).

Stick-and-remove wallpaper means her colour-filled home is, she says, “a fusion of my personality and my beliefs and our family jokes, and things that are very personal to us.”

She’s even achieved what seems like the impossible using sticky back plastic to cover up tired and dated bathroom wall tiles.

“It cost about £30 and then I painted a mural on top in acrylic paint, and with three children and all the vandalism and steam and baths, it has stayed there for about three years now.”

There’s a reason to start small, too, according to New York-based Chelsey Brown, author of Rental Style: The Ultimate Guide to Decorating Your Apartment or Small Home, who practises what she preaches as a renter and self-declared lover of deco-vintage-boho style.

“A small, colourful ottoman, side table or chair can instantly give your space the flair it needs,” she says. “This can be the statement your bedroom or living space is craving. If you’re living in a super-tiny home, I recommend just sticking with a small piece of furniture versus something like a sofa as a colourful sofa might trick the eye into making your space feel smaller. When in doubt, always start small.”

Another trick she proposes is investing in an area rug, “especially to add contrast to neutral furniture,” she says. “Make sure that it complements the carpet or wood flooring underneath.”

Area rugs add contrast and interest to neutral furniture and an opportunity to add your favourite colour to a room scheme (Gosford Cranberry rug from €739 at Rugs.ie).

Cork-based interior architect Ger Cooney is another experienced renter and takes the long view when enhancing your rental, advising to buy for yourself in the longer term rather than specifically the place you currently rent.

“It will also help you settle in when you decide to move again,” he says. “Investing in good quality pieces as well as bedding, towels, dinner and service ware can enhance your comfort as well as style. I feel like I’ve been collecting for years for a house I am not yet in. These elements will help make you feel at home which is what everyone wants wherever they are staying.”

Collecting good tablewares reflecting your personal taste helps you settle into your rented home and provides familiarity and continuity when you move (serving boards and platters, €15-€49.95 at Meadows & Byrne).

Showing an interest in the property by proposing to paint and a willingness to change it back when you leave tends to make landlords more open to the idea, according to Ger.

“I’ve been fortunate in that I have been allowed to put my own stamp on properties in the past,” he says. “Perhaps due in part to my job being a designer, but I have friends and clients who have also been given greater scope because they were willing to put [in] the investment themselves.

"If you are willing to invest in the property in terms of decoration it also shows that you are looking at a longer-term view which can appeal to landlords.”

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