Easy decorating ideas for renters

With a little creativity, inspiration and Resene paint, there are many simple, budget-friendly ways to make your rental property feel more like home. These decorating ideas will help enhance the way you feel about where you live, but are completely short-term, zero-impact options perfect for renters.

Before you start

When it comes to any kind of decorating in your rental property (beyond moveable features like temporary accessories), make sure you know exactly what your landlord is happy with to reduce the chance of issues when getting your bond back. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so always run your plans past your landlord or property manager first.

According to Tenancy Services NZ, any changes you make to your rental property must be either in line with the tenancy agreement or have written approval of your landlord.

Some landlords will be happy for you to make changes like painting or wallpapering while others could be far stricter, and some might require you to remove any additions or changes at the end of your tenancy.

You will also need to be clear about what happens if there’s any damage when you remove your changes. Find out more on the Tenancy Services NZ website.

Accessorise

The easiest way to add a splash of customisable colour and energy to a space is with accessories like throws, rugs, cushions and bedding. A rug is the perfect finishing touch to add comfort and style to a room, and Resene Living Rugs are durable and super soft underfoot. This modern Halo design is inspired by colours Resene Madison, Resene Ricochet and Resene Copyrite and is available from selected Mitre10 MEGA stores.

New bedlinen can completely transform your bedroom and complement all kinds of design themes and aesthetics. Bring the beauty of nature into your home for the spring and summer months with this Resene Yvia duvet cover. Designed with Resene paint colours as inspiration, it makes a bold statement with a selection of rich tropical flora against a contrasting black base.

Resene colours Resene Madison, Resene Ricochet and Resene Copyrite were the inspiration for this cosy rug which can add texture and warm to your space.

The Resene Living Yvia duvet cover makes a bold statement to your bedroom. Available from Briscoes.

Privacy screen

Versatile furniture pieces like this cool privacy screen let you customise your outdoor space without being permanent, creating an outdoor room and extension of your home. Think of being curled up with a book in winter or enjoying a wine with friends on a summer evening. It provides an adjustable shade screen during sunny days, as well as protection from the wind, and thanks to its wheels, can be stored and secured swiftly when required.

It was made by Auckland-based photographer and artist Jae Frew, who crafted it from timber and gave it a lovely dark finish by staining it with Resene Waterborne Woodsman penetrating oil stain in Resene Pitch Black. The screen is anchored by a sturdy base, which ensures it’s well-balanced and won’t topple over, plus it has castors for seamless movability. If you’re choosing a dark colour outside, opt for the CoolColour version to help keep it cooler.

Innovative feature walls

It is worth a try asking your landlord if you’re able to paint or paper one or two feature walls in your rental, as this can modernise the look of the home in a super stylish way. If they’re not playing ball, instead create visual interest by finding a wallpaper pattern you love and treat it like art by simply wallpapering a canvas or a long piece of ply (make it the width of the wallpaper to keep things simple) that can hang or lean against the wall.

Privacy screen stained in Resene Waterborne Woodsman tinted to Resene Pitch Black.

Wallpaper panels make a simple but very effective art display that’s eye-catching but easily removable. These wallpaper panels and lampshade are Resene Amazonia Wallpaper Collection 91310, rear wall painted in Resene Woodland, left wall and floor in Resene Blanc and panel frames and sideboard in Resene Teak. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.

Work with what you’ve got

Give your bookshelves, drawers, cabinets or dining suite a makeover with a coat of paint or add wallpaper to the insides of drawers. A lot of rentals are often decorated in neutral colour schemes, so if you can’t paint the walls, you can make your own belongings the colour stars of the show.

On the shelf

Floating shelves are not just a practical addition to your walls for storage purposes. They can add a fun pop of colour to your room, they’re simple to hang and you can customise yours to suit your home and aesthetic – plus they can be removed easily when it’s time to move on. They negate the need for larger pieces of furniture that can potentially clutter up your home, as well as keeping the floor clear for easy access.

Floating shelves can be easily painted or stained with your favourite Resene colour, with Resene testpots providing the perfect amount of paint for the job.

These ones are ideal for kids’ rooms – they can use the shelves for their favourite books and soft toys, and the coat rack is perfect for hanging school bags and jackets. Having shelves and hooks at a lower height will help your kids find their things easily and encourage them to put them away each day.

Check out more floating shelf ideas here and here.

Drawers painted in Resene Lustacryl in Resene Turtle Green and Resene Nirvana, top stained in Resene Colorwood Deep Oak and drawer lined with Resene Tropic Exotic Wallpaper Collection TP81204.

Shelves stained in Resene Colorwood Rock Salt and dowels painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Half Merino.

Removable feats

There are other removable or easily changeable features in a rental property that you can temporarily add to your space so it reflects your personality and design style. If you’re replacing something that belongs to the landlord as part of the property, just be sure to store it carefully so you can put it back when you leave.

Hunt out second-hand light fittings in op shops and paint them to suit your rental colour scheme, matching with duvets or artwork. You can also cover the shade of a table lamp or pendant light by simply attaching a piece of Resene wallpaper to the shade using hot glue or double-sided tape.

Shelves and stackable storage boxes are another way to create effective but moveable room dividers, as well as additional storage and fun colour features.

Whether you’re adding a small touch of colour, or repainting your whole rental, your local Resene ColorShop staff can help make the job easier with the right prep and products. Visit the Resene website for more project ideas.