Rented apartment comfort without renovation: ideas

Let’s say you’ve found your dream apartment. It is inexpensive, is located next to a convenient metro station, not far from work, and everything suits you, except for repairs … Suddenly it turns out that landlords are categorically against any, even cosmetic, interference and their heart is madly dear to shabby furniture and that “wonderful” burgundy carpet on the wall. This is not a reason to despair! Anastasia Mironova, architect, designer of the show “For Rent! Renovated! ” on the Domashny channel.

To begin with, remove from your eyes the master’s calendars, vases, tapestries and other things that do not fit into your idea of the ideal interior. Discuss the equipment of the wall cabinets with the owners – all the “legacy” can be added there. Pack old things in boxes and try to find a place for them in the mezzanine, in the closet or on the balcony. Another option: move the sofa half a meter away from the wall, put stacks of boxes along the back and cover this structure with a board – you get a comfortable tabletop. Pre-paint the boxes brightly or use decorative paper if desired.

The problem is unsightly walls

It is better to hang peeling walls and worn wallpaper as much as possible. Paintings, posters, travel photos, children’s crafts, mirrors – all these things will refresh the interior and hide all kinds of defects: cracks, potholes and scratches. You can go the simpler route: buy cotton fabric for drapery or vinyl decals. They are easy to attach, hold well and, most importantly, they are easy and simple to remove at any time without leaving any traces. You can use Japanese curtains, they will hide the imperfections of the walls, but will not reduce the space of the room.

Replace old curtains with modern curtains made from sustainable materials and be sure to place flower pots on the windowsill. They will create the feeling that you do not live in a stuffy metropolis, but in a villa in Provence. In addition, flowers produce oxygen, and in return require only regular watering. The main thing is not to overdo it, so that the rented accommodation does not turn into a greenhouse. But if you want to create a more contemporary style, you can use the windowsill as a library by purchasing a pair of beautiful book holders. Or put a desktop in front of the window, and the window sill will be part of your work area.

And don’t forget the blinds and roller blinds! It is not necessary to buy white, choose some bright option. They will help hide even the most unsightly view outside the window. Another option for solving this problem is to put a sofa with armchairs with your back to the window.

The problem is shabby furniture

Fittings are your everything: a banal replacement of handles can ennoble even the most hopeless wardrobe or headset. A beautiful blanket and decorative pillows, removable seats on chairs will help you hide the old upholstery of upholstered furniture, and a new bright tablecloth will help you hide the kitchen table. You can also take postcards or wrapping paper, put it on the table, and cover them on top with glass cut out in the shape of the tabletop – the original piece of furniture is ready. Sew or buy new cushion covers. The sofa itself can be covered with a beautiful blanket, and your living room will look fresh and bright.

The problem is unsightly floor

Carpet is a sure-fire way to transform a room. Better take a lint-free model – it is cheaper and is easy to vacuum and machine wash. Carpets in pastel shades will visually increase the size of the room, and the delicate color palette will create an atmosphere of lightness and serenity. At the same time, a large carpet with a bright print will immediately catch the eye and distract attention from the modest dimensions of the room. You can go a non-standard way and use many different shapes and colors of carpets – this will add originality to the interior.

The problem is a bathroom that you can’t look at without tears

Waterproof stickers will help to disguise tile imperfections, and when you move, they are very easy to remove and leave no marks at all. All kinds of drawers and cells will help organize the space, and each bathroom accessory will find its place. Do not be afraid of the consequences: there are entire shelf systems that can be fixed on silicone suction cups without damaging the tiles and walls. In general, give way to imagination: change the curtain, rug and towels, and your bathroom will sparkle with new colors.

You can update your kitchen using a few tricks. For example, covering the old kitchen apron (the section of the wall above the kitchen working area) with vinyl panels or colored plexiglass will immediately give the kitchen a fresh look. Buy new dishes, pots, pans, and other kitchen utensils. You don’t have to save money here, because when you move, you will take all this with you. Bright plates and wine glasses, colorful glasses, jars for spices and cereals – all this is an easy way to distract attention from old kitchen furniture. If you don’t want to put a tablecloth on the table, you can put colored cloth or vinyl napkins under the cutlery. Place a beautiful fruit vase or a flower vase on the table to add coziness.

The problem is a cluttered balcony

Talk to the owners, maybe you will be able to get rid of at least some of the lingering things. In any case, the balcony needs to be disassembled! Buy simple shelving after measuring the dimensions of the balcony. Then purchase plastic containers or cardboard storage boxes. Having laid out everything on the shelves, you will see how much space remains. You can put a tumble dryer on the balcony or use it for a summer breakfast. Put a small folding table and a chest-bench, such furniture will not block the space and add storage space.

Problem – non-functional hallway

If there is an empty wall in the hallway, buy narrow shoe racks, you can choose colored ones and hang them in a checkerboard pattern, which will add several shelves where you can throw keys, put a saucer for change, store sunglasses or insert a mirror at eye level between them and store part cosmetics. Think about the organization of the closet in the hallway, inside it you can put a frame with pull-out baskets and containers for storing bags and scarves. If you have an open wardrobe, you can hide it behind curtains or movable narrow curtains.

The problem is the small area of the apartment

You should not place all the furniture along the walls, it is better to try to highlight the zones. For example, the sofa in the living room can be placed across the room, and the dining table in the kitchen can be moved slightly away from the wall. And the easiest way to zoning a space is to use a screen. The advantage of this solution is that the area of the room can be expanded at any time by assembling the partition and without making a lot of effort. And behind it you can hide what you don’t want to look at, but you can’t throw it away.

Rented apartment comfort without renovation: ideas