Whether you’re settling into your first apartment or refreshing a rental you’ve called home for several years, you’re in the right place. Today I’m sharing five renter friendly decor ideas to add a cosy, traditional feel, without the need to pick up a drill or lose your security deposit.
1. Add Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper
A classic cottage-style look often starts with warm, textured walls – think florals, stripes or soft neutrals, and there are many peel-and-stick wallpaper options available on the market at different price points. Modern wallpaper products are evolving with the rental market, as more people are priced out of the property market on an international scale, tenants are increasingly demanding better ways to personalise rental properties without upsetting the landlord. Easily removable peel-and-stick wallpapers are completely renter-friendly, can usually be installed in 1-2 days and is a suitable project for beginner DIYers. Don’t forget to purchase enough paper from the same batch to complete the project, to avoid a potential colour mismatch. Do ensure your walls are correctly cleaned and prepared beforehand according to the instructions from the wallpaper manufacturer, and test a small patch of wallpaper before applying a full panel.
This CiCiwind Self Adhesive Wallpaper in green botanical, available at http://www.amazon.co.uk, £11.99/sqm, gives a dramatic but feminine contrast to a clean white kitchen.
Peel and Paper ‘Audrey’ pinstripe wallpaper £32.00sqm, www.peelandpaper.co.uk, is available in a number of different shade combinations as well as in three different materials and installation types depending on the walls in your room. Choose the peel and stick option for most walls, the (easily removable) paste the wall option for textured walls, or the waterproof and washable peel and stick vinyl for wet areas such as bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms.
American wallpaper and textile company Spoon and Flower, www.spoonflower.com, offers an extensive and delightful catalogue of wallpaper and fabric designs, including William Morris prints. My pick is French Country Floral in the peel-and-stick option with a repositionable self adhesive backing and premium thick linen texture. This paper is a little more expensive but it’s worth paying a little more if your budget allows it. Prices range from $39USD – $129USD per panel, plus shipping from the USA.
2. Style with Layered Textiles for Instant Warmth
Nothing says “traditional cottage charm” like layered throws, pillows and vintage-inspired fabrics. Try using floral or ticking stripe cushion and pillow covers. Ticking stripe – a tightly-woven cotton or linen striped cloth that is traditionally used in mattresses and bed pillows – is a stalwart of traditional home textiles. The tight weave of the fabric makes it hard wearing and durable, so it’s perfect for furnishings in high traffic areas like the living room or for covers on dining chairs, particularly if you have children.
These ticking chair covers in moss green, available at www.amazon.co.uk £12.77, are a great way to change up your dining chairs on a budget. Not only do these chair covers look great but they are removable and washable.
Soften your living room with some extra large ticking fabric cushions, www.amazon.co.uk £19.95, and they will also double as extra seating for children and teens.
Ticking fabric curtains in white and indigo, Martha Stewart available at www.amazon.co.uk from £60.71, will bring a soft English country vibe to your living space.
Linen table cloths, runners, napkins and place mats are the epitome of timeless, traditional style and will instantly elevate your table scape. Find similar on Amazon.
Knitted blankets, throws and cushions will make your space homely and inviting. Products like this chunky-knit throw that are made from natural fibres like wool, cotton or bamboo are environmentally friendly and feel much more luxurious to the touch than man-made fibres. You could even try knitting or crocheting your own blankets and cushions! Chunky knits are a very easy project for beginners, buy this King Cole blanket knitting pattern from Amazon.
3. Use Command Strips for Gallery Walls and Mirrors
Don’t let blank walls bring you down! Just because you’re a renter doesn’t mean you can’t personalise your space with beautiful wall decor. Command strips and hooks are a renter’s best friend for damage-free hanging your framed vintage art prints, thrifted oil paintings, antique mirrors or printable wall art. Create the gallery wall of your dreams by Choosing a variety of frames for mix and match style, or choose a single frame colour to carry through a room or even through the whole house.
Buy Command Damage-Free Picture Hanging Hooks at www.amazon.co.uk.
4. Upgrade Curtains for a Softer Look
Swap basic blinds for flowy, light filtering curtains in sheer white or floral voile panels, linen fabrics in warm or neutral tones, or try heavy damask for floral designs with blackout fabric backing for rooms that need heavy duty day-to-night block out. Try a double curtain rod to create a layered effect with different textiles. Using a voile inner panel will allow light to shine through while also maintaining privacy. Pencil pleat, box pleat or pinch pleat style curtains on rings give a soft gathered look to your curtains, and also consider securing your curtain rod a little higher than the window frame to give the impression of a larger space. For no-drill options choose tension rods or no-drill brackets that will work wonders in your rental home.
Purchase similar from www.amazon.co.uk.
5. Bring Nature Indoors
Plants, both real and faux, bring life and calm into a space. Whenever I bring home a bouquet of flowers, my mood is instantly lifted! Plants are basically compulsory in cottage-core living, and there are various alternatives to living indoor plants available if you’re not green fingered. The viral Amazon faux olive tree is really having a moment, check it out here. Faux eucalyptus garlands also look amazing draped over fireplace mantels, staircase bannisters, windows, mirrors and shelves without any messy foliage to clean up. Buying faux flowers and plants also gives you the ability to change out your decor with the seasons. Try this eucalyptus garland for an instant faux greenery update to your home decor. I personally prefer living greenery, although I do have a mixture of both faux and live plants in my house. Kitchen herbs or lavender in small pots or planters on a window sill make for an easy, low maintenance greenery upgrade; as do small plug flowers such as violas, pansies and petunias.
You don’t need to own your home to love it – and you don’t need nails, tools or a massive budget to make it beautiful. These renter-friendly traditional decor ideas prove that even temporary spaces can feel timeless.
RENTER FRIENDLY DECORATING 
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