Don’t worry, they’re landlord-approved and won’t cost a fortune.

Everyone dreams of owning a place that we can call home. But before we have the financial means to buy property and leap into the next stage of adulthood, we first have to settle for something a little less — renting, though that does not mean that your home will be any less awesome.
When it comes to renting, it’s really important to check off certain criteria on the list. We want a place that not only offers convenience – with easy access to public transportation, close proximity to both the office and malls – but also a place that we can feel truly comfortable living in.
As tenants, we often face restrictions when it comes to adding personal flair in the rented space. Nevertheless, there are tips and tricks you can use to beautify your rental without the wrath of a landlord or worse, getting kicked out.
“You may not be able to afford your dream home yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make your rental home feel like one.”
Choose the right artwork

If you are a photography aficionado, accessorise a bare wall with landscape photographs. Choose frames with minimalist design to avoid making your wall look cluttered. Also, you want the focus to be on the art, not on the frame. If you’re looking for an alternative, canvas frames work too.
In a rental, it’s a good idea to avoid drilling holes in the walls. Buy wall hooks that come with a flat back and double-sided tape attached. That’s how you can hang anything on the walls without busting a hole with a nail. Wall hooks with double-sided tape are easy to stick on and easy to remove.
Add a touch of nature

Maintaining good health goes beyond diet and exercise – mental health is influenced by your surroundings, especially at home. Adorning your home with a couple of house plants will give your brain a mental reprieve from daily house chores and brighten up your mood. Let them work their miracles as you go about your day-to-day routine.
Plants like lavender are gorgeous to look at and well known for its stress-relieving benefits, used often in spa products such as bath salts, soap and candles. You can also try adding snake plants into the mix. It makes a great plant for the bedroom as it improves indoor air quality by absorbing all sorts of toxins from the air including trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, toluene, benzene and xylene. More importantly, it helps supply more fresh air into the atmosphere. That’s one of its many functions, in addition to converting carbon dioxide into oxygen!
Add some character with modern wallpaper designs

Here’s a problem all tenants face: Trying to live in a space with dull and stained white walls. But fret not, here’s something you can do to help to refresh your rented space without repainting it.
A simple solution to this is applying removable wallpaper. Currently one of the top home design trends, having wallpaper helps to overhaul the entire look and feel of the space. With wallpaper, you can really make your wall pop with different textures and patterns. If you are unsure which design suits the style of your home, start by using it as an accent before plastering it all over your home.
Floral and geometric prints are all the rage now. Bold, bright and edgy, geometrical patterns help create the illusion of depth and it’s perfect for any room in need of an interior designers’ touch. If you’re looking for something more subtle, consider going for floral prints – not the ones you see in old Hollywood movies, but a more voguish design with soft colours and minimalist prints.
Create a feature wall

Not a fan of wallpaper but still want to spruce up that white wall or paint over a mould stain that’s been bothering you? Ask your landlord for permission to create a feature wall and agree to repaint it to its original state when your lease is up.
To the lucky few who are given the freedom to spruce up your wall, here are some handy tips:
- Create a focal point. The wall you choose should be the first thing you see when you enter the room.
- Next, pick a colour of your choice. If you’re looking to jazz up the space, go for brighter and warmer tone like red, orange or yellow. Reserve cooler hues for a calming and tranquil ambience.
- If you have a small living area, go for the lighter shades as it helps create the illusion of space.
Get a Rug

Rug selection goes beyond its design. What you should look for is how comfortable your feet feel when stepping on it. If it feels like you’re stepping on a cloud, then congratulations, you’ve just found yourself the perfect rug.
Having said that, it’s highly recommended to put rug shopping at the very end of your shopping list – buy it only after you’re done purchasing all the furniture you need – so you can measure the exact width and length the space requires. One common mistake people make is getting it too early only to realise that it doesn’t fit – in size or in theme.