If you’re looking for apartment decorating ideas on a budget or inexpensive design ideas for your rental home, you’ve come to the right place! Making your apartment or rental home feel like your own space is important, but that doesn’t mean you need to break the bank. There are many ways to incorporate your design ideas on a budget.
The design ideas below work equally well for small apartments and large rental houses. Adding personal touches that reflect your personality can make a world of difference. Here are 7 budget friendly decorating ideas for making your rental feel like home.
1. Window Boxes
Window boxes, or flower boxes, hold flowers or plants on the outside of your window’s edge. They can be as small as 7 inches to as long as 4 feet! Window boxes can be placed directly on large window sills or several attachment options exist for windows with little or no sill.
Additionally, hanging window boxes exist for use on your balcony railing or patio wall. Inexpensive window boxes are a great way add color and style to the outside of your home and can be used as a small garden for growing herbs and other edible plants.
Many window box designs exist for all budgets with some as little as $15. You’ll also find several ways to hang a window box with minimal work and no damage to the exterior structure. For example, these railing clamps with brackets to hold the window box are perfect for most window installations. If your exterior has siding, you’ll want to use siding clips instead.
Alternatively, you can use a few of 3Ms outdoor hooks to hang your window box. Use as many hooks as needed to handle the total weight of your window box. Here’s an example. Let’s say your box will weigh 10 pounds (a bit more than a gallon of milk). I would suggest using 3 of the 5-lbs rated hooks. This allows for up to 15 pounds of hanging weight, which you shouldn’t exceed even when watering your window box.
2. Window Treatments
Dozens of window sheers are available online for less than $15. These inexpensive window treatments are a great way to bring more of your favorite color and style to your apartment rental home. If your property came with mini-blinds, you can easily add sheer fabric over them, as shown in the photo above. Thrift stores and garage sales are another a great way to pick up inexpensive sheers and curtains or drapes.
For shorter windows or to create an inexpensive gathered valance, consider fabric table skirts! Yes, you read that right. Table skirts are fabric attached to elastic, so they’re perfectly gathered and ready to hang. Simply cut the skirts into the widths you require for each window. Use Stitch Witchery to iron (no sew) hem the freshly cut sides. And then attach the fabric directly to the wall using 3M’s velcro strips. They’re advertised for hanging pictures, but they hold light fabrics just as well!
To mount window dressings within the window frame itself, use a simple tension curtain rod. These are also called spring rods and are commonly used to hang shower curtains. They allow you to hang curtains without drilling curtain rod hardware into the walls.
Still, there are many adhesive solutions for hanging curtain rods above teh window without drilling into the wall. One of my favorites is the 3M large utility hook. These hooks can hold 5 lbs each and the hook opening is about 1″ deep – plenty of room for most curtain rods.
With these, you can hang almost any decorative window curtain or treatment you can imagine. If your feeling industrious, you can find many DIY window ideas such as these DIY Faux Roman shades. They’re one of many no-sew, no-rod, no drill window treatment solutions for renters.
3. Paint an Accent Wall or Two
A word of caution first: Be sure to check with your landlord and be prepared to lose some of your security deposit if you paint. Landlords plan repaint when you move out, but they only plan on a single coat of the same color. When you change the color, you set the landlord up for purchasing additional primer to hide your paint and additional time for multiple coats. Just be respectful and talk to your landlord in advance if you want to paint.
Even with the landlord’s permission, I recommend not going overboard with paint. Use it sparingly and don’t go too dark. An accent wall that is one or two shades darker than the original paint can add depth and warmth to large spaces.
Before you paint, you’ll need a variety of painting supplies. Brushes, roller handles, roller sleeves, and roller pans are a must. They’re available in kits for under $20. Also be sure to protect the floors and your furniture by using drop cloths and plastic sheeting. Expect to spend another $20 here.
There are many paint colors available from your local home improvement store or you can purchase them online and have them delivered to your door. Expect to spend $25 to $40 for a gallon of paint. Be sure to use a Latex based paint for easy clean up and choose the correct sheen (shininess) for the room you are painting.
Most interior walls should be painted in an eggshell sheen, except in kitchens and bathrooms. In these spaces you want a semi-gloss paint, which is more resistant to moisture damage. Home improvement stores often have a cart with “oops” paint – which are paints they accidentally mixed with the wrong colors. You can typical buy a gallon of oops paint at a 20-50% discount.
4. Removable Wallpaper
As a landlord and a former renter myself, I highly recommend removal wallpaper over painting. The wallpaper itself is more expensive than paint, but you don’t have to purchase the additional painting supplies and you’ll spend a lot less time for more of a wow-factor result.
There are many peel and stick wallpaper options available to create a vibe that you just can’t get from paint alone. You’ll find removable wallpaper available in abstract patterns, floral prints, and even patterns like the palm leaves you see above.
Still, removable wallpaper is on the higher side of inexpensive decorating ideas for apartments and rentals. Expect to spend $80 to $100 to cover a wall. If you want this look but need to save some cash, consider covering only part of a wall. For example, you can strategically place removable wall paper behind a faux built in!
If $100 is within your price your limit and you want to go for high wow factor, consider a wall mural decal.
You’ll find hundreds available online, including this Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh removable wall decal!
5. Vinyl Wall Art
Self adhesive vinyl wall art is one of many great apartment design ideas on a budget.
Vinyl wall art ranges from artistic designs to vinyl wall quotes. They offer very unique apartment decorating options on a budget. Which ever you choose, expect your guests to comment. They add design features to your walls that you couldn’t otherwise get except to pay an artist to paint them on the wall for your.
6. Floor and Area Rugs
Whether you prefer a floor rug that is bold or subtle, let it be a reflection of your personality in your rental home. A floor area rug incorporates the colors of your design, draws the eye into the space, and provides an anchor for furniture. Rugs can be expensive, but you don’t need to spend a fortune. There is a huge variety of eye catching budget rugs, in a range of sizes for any apartment rental, available online for under $50.
7. Kitchen Island
One of many great decorating ideas on a budget is a kitchen island. Islands bring an upscale feel to any kitchen and there are a variety of kitchen islands available online for under $100. Similarly, any counter height table with storage serves as a great kitchen island. Use peel and stick vinyl (in granite or butcher block) for an inexpensive upgrade that is sure to impress!