Renters Solutions

This $50 Temporary Flooring Floats Right Over Rental Bathroom Tile
Renters rejoice.
Dabney Frake
May 3, 2019
Peel-and-Stick Tiles: A Cautionary Tale (Or, I Tried Peel-and-Stick Tiles and They Almost Drove Me Insane)
There’s a certain home blogger, who shall remain nameless, who has moved a bunch of times over the past few years — meaning the makeovers just kept coming. In one of her kitchens, she artfully laid faux marble adhesive tiles over an ugly linoleum floor. They weren’t exactly dead ringers for Kim K. solid calacatta marble or anything, but they made a big difference. “The best thing about it,” she wrote, “is that you just peel off the back and stick it down.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
Designer-Approved Strategies for Dealing with Dingy Carpet
Nothing is a bigger style bummer than dingy wall-to-wall carpeting. Don’t get me wrong—I love that cushy, soft feeling underfoot as much as the next girl. But when carpeting starts to look worse for wear, it becomes a bit of a design dilemma, especially if you’re in a rental and can’t just rip it up. First things first, spring for a professional carpet cleaning or ask your landlord for one.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
Two Savvy Solutions for Ugly Rental Kitchen Lights
Considering the amount of spectacularly hideous light fixtures in rental kitchens around the country, it’s almost as if installing the ugliest, most unflattering light fixture was at one time the law. That’s of course not true, but for anyone who’s ever walked into their rental kitchen, looked up at their light fixture and wondered “why that?,” this post’s for you.
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019
This Blogger Made Over Her Rental Laundry Room Using Only Dollar Store Items
Once in a blue super blood moon, a blogger comes along and from the first time you see them on video, you want them to move into your house and be your best friend. For me, that moment came this year when “meeting” delightful wish-she-would-adopt me mama Tonya Payne of Hey Tonya, whose YouTube tutorial documenting her complete overhaul of a tiny rental laundry room using only dollar store products is going viral. Because it’s genius — and she’s just plain adorable.
Melissa Massello
May 3, 2019
Is Paintable, Removable Wallpaper Too Good to Be True?
Certain landlords, and almost all dorms, have strict rules against painting the walls, which is a major bummer if you love color. So imagine my excitement when I learned about removable, paintable wallpaper — I shouted “hallelujah” and quickly ordered some to find out if it was the answer to all our rental wishes and dreams. So, is this product too good to be true? One thing to note is that it took awhile to find actual removable paintable wallpaper.
Ashley Poskin
May 3, 2019
Seriously Smart Rental Upgrades We Loved in 2017
Bland rental kitchens and bathrooms are about as common as noisy upstairs neighbors, but at least you can make small temporary fixes to transform your space. Take some serious inspiration from these clever renters, who invested a little bit of time and very little money to make changes they could live with, then reverse when they moved out. This awkward bathroom — with a seashell-shaped sink — got a weekend facelift that only cost $350 (also lead image above).
Dabney Frake
May 3, 2019
The One Thing I Always Do When I Move Into a New Rental
Earlier this week, we published an article that shared six stylish solutions for those (kind of awful) vertical blinds you so often see in rental apartments. Of course, they are incredibly practical, and if you’re all about privacy and so-so about aesthetics, then keep on keepin’ on I suppose. But me? I can’t stand them. They look so… institutional and devoid of any personality.
Arlyn Hernandez
May 3, 2019
Renter-Friendly Budget DIYs You Can Do This Long Weekend (That Actually Look Good)
Faced with a long weekend ahead of you, if you’ve got the itch to do a little DIY project to improve the way your rental home looks, this post’s for you. All from the same insanely stylish rental apartment in a basement, these two projects are fast, affordable and most of all… attractive enough you’d actually like to display. Hello trendy grid-patterned curtains that look like pricey versions you can buy at Urban Outfitters or Anthropologie. Well guess what?
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019
Before and After: This Small Balcony Was Turned into a $700 Second Living Room
When you live with four other people, you might need to escape the close quarters from time to time.
Tess Wilson
May 3, 2019
Before and After: This Rental Galley Kitchen Gets a Total Transformation for Just $400
This yellow and brown cooking area felt outdated and not aesthetically pleasing to tenant Gabrielle Delaney and her boyfriend Dan Scura, who share a one-bedroom apartment in New York. Although they are renters and therefore limited with what changes they can make, this didn’t stop Delaney from transforming the kitchen that made her “unhappy.
Nicoletta Richardson
May 3, 2019
Real Life Rental Challenge: How To Temporarily Wallpaper Staircase Risers
This week Camille is sharing her real life rental challenge and how she transformed her dingy carpeted entryway stairs (with her landlord’s permission!) into something more welcoming, yet still temporary. If you want to see the first post, check out the before photos here. Removing wallpaper can be a terrible task and it’s the last thing anyone wants to deal when they move. This tutorial uses a temporary adhesive that works well for wallpaper in smaller pieces.
Camille Simmons
Apr 30, 2019
No More Ugly Radiators: How To Buy (or DIY!) Your Way Around an Eyesore
While you may be grateful for it in the middle of a cold winter, an ugly heater can be an eyesore that you get tired of having to decorate around. Peeling or chipping paint, the wrong color or shape, or an awkward location can all make a radiator your least favorite piece of your home. Even if you don’t have a problem with how it looks, it may just be taking up valuable real estate that could be put to better use. But, don’t despair!
Rachel Jacks
Apr 30, 2019
Advice on Covering My Cabinets With Contact Paper?
Q: I Have just moved in to a new home and would love to change the kitchen but do not have the budget for it just now. I have been reading lots about contact paper and self adhesive vinyls but I’m not sure whether this would work on my cupboards because of their uneven surface? Also, has anybody used it on their work surface to great success? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Apr 30, 2019
The Genius Reason You Should Put Tape on All Your Hardware
Painter’s tape is a modern miracle isn’t it? I mean, sure, the Great Pyramids are cooler, but when it comes right down to it, there isn’t much the blue tape can’t do. We’ve used it to spruce up furniture, for child safety, and to pull off quick and easy design projects. But there’s another genius use for the stuff, and we wish we’d known about it sooner. There are a few things in life that make me cringe.
Sarah Rae Smith
Apr 30, 2019
The Most Colorful Rental-Friendly Apartment Renovation
Name: Cortney Moore and Tyler Moore Location: Studio City Neighborhood — Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Since getting married back in 2011, we’ve moved at least once a year. We hopped around Nashville for a few years before moving out to Los Angeles, and have moved twice since we’ve been here. We both love to go out and be social, but we cherish our time at home as well.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Apr 30, 2019
11 IKEA Products Every Renter Should Know About
I'm a lifelong renter and IKEA products have come to the rescue for many of my rental conundrums over the years.
Carrie McBride
Mar 29, 2019
Before and After: A Super Low ($150!) Budget Kitchen Spruce-Up
And it only took four hours.
Emily Shwake
Mar 1, 2019
5 Ways to Warm Up a Cold Entryway
Maybe the front door is drafty or the floor isn’t insulated. Maybe there’s a big window that’s always cold to the touch. Maybe you enter through a dark and damp basement. For whatever reason, your entryway is always freezing cold this time of year. As a renter, there are a few things you can do to warm up this high-traffic space in your home.
Taryn Williford
Feb 24, 2019
This Is What Your Credit Score Should Be to Rent an Apartment
In almost all circumstances, a landlord or property manager will run your credit before renting out a place to you. But, what credit score is ideal for tenants and what’s the lowest three-digit number landlords deem acceptable? The truth is, there’s some mystery shrouding this question. Unlike the home-buying process, where formal charts will help you figure out what rates you’ll qualify for based, in large part, on your credit score, landlords operate at their own discretion.
Brittany Anas
Jan 24, 2019
8 Renter Secrets You Can Learn from Resourceful Military Families
Imagine when you moved into your apartment, you knew you were going to be out of there in about a year, two at most. Same for the next place, and same for the place after that. For members of the military and their families, that’s often the reality. Moving around so frequently has its downfalls, but it also can serve as a kind of design bootcamp.
Jessica Dodell-Feder
Dec 21, 2018
The Frightening Reason You Shouldn’t Use Contact Paper in Your Kitchen Cabinets
An $8 roll of contact paper can do wonders for your home. You can use it to upgrade old furniture, modernize shelves, elevate countertops, or even forge a backsplash. For the budget-conscious, it’s almost too good to be true. And, as it turns out, some people say it just might be. Why? Apparently cockroaches love contact paper. “Cockroaches will eat almost anything, far beyond what we think of as food sources,” says Howard Bright, the owner of Anti-Pesto Bug Killers.
Brigitt Earley
Oct 18, 2018
Before and After: This $350 Kitchen Redo Is Filled with Smart Rental Tricks
You know the drill: Any improvements made to this rental kitchen needed to be affordable and reversible, so that the renter could get the security deposit back. With just $500 in upgrades and some very clever re-styling, this kitchen now looks like a million bucks. I was all ready to gush over this ridiculously adorable wallpaper, when I realized that it’s not wallpaper: It’s renter-friendly removable decals.
Tess Wilson
Oct 18, 2018
The Best $30 You’ll Ever Spend on Your Kitchen
When it comes to our kitchen cabinets, most of us are stuck with what we’ve got. Sure, if you own your place, you can do a full remodel — but even if you’re going the IKEA route, a renovation will easily cost you tens of thousands of dollars. And as anyone who’s ever done it knows, painting kitchen cabinets is an enormous pain. But there is one thing you can do for your kitchen cabinets that will keep them clean, preserve them long-term, and make them look better, too.
Ayn-Monique Klahre
Sep 10, 2018
Before and After: A Clever $400 Upgrade for Rental Bathroom Tiles
In today’s Before & After, a Berlin guest bath gets a six-hour, $400, low-key upgrade that’s sure to inspire even the least DIY-inclined among us. Here’s a hint: If you can operate a sticker, you can handle this project. Before we ooh and aah, let me just say that the bathroom is already pretty nice. It’s black and white, which is a great palette for a rental bathroom, and I love that little black stripe.
Tess Wilson
Sep 9, 2018
After 11 Homes in 17 Years, This Blogger Is a Rental Makeover Master
Name: Jewel Marlowe and family Location: Jamestown, Rhode Island Size: 3,000 square feet Years Lived In: 10 months, renting “As a military family, we have learned that even short-term rentals can have high style. This 10-month rental home is a prime example,” shares Jewel Marlowe, blogger, interior stylist, and frequent customizer of rental homes.
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 3, 2018
Before and After: This Son Gave His Dad’s Rental Kitchen A No-Reno Makeover
This kitchen was very nice—great cabinets, pretty paint, sleek black countertops, fantastic wood floors—but even very nice can use a little boost now and then. Peel-and-stick tiles to the rescue, for a polished, personal, and renter-friendly update. This looks so great! The mini subway tile from Home Depot is delightful, plus the color works well with the new appliances and looks amazing with the orange sink.
Tess Wilson
May 25, 2018
Would You Ever “Rent Blindly?” I Have—4 Times!
In the past seven years, my family and I have been through seven moves. That may seem like a lot, but as a former military spouse and sailor, I can tell you it’s normal for families like mine. You don’t just move—you move quickly: You only get 10 days after you transfer to a new duty station to find a house and move into it. Yeesh! Most of the time, families spend those first days in a hotel (which, thankfully, the military pays for), but I was rarely interested in this option.
Tara Glenn
May 20, 2018
7 Ideas to Steal From Rental Kitchens Rocking Their Oak Wood Cabinets
Because paint isn't the answer to everything.
Autumn Hachey
May 16, 2018
Before and After: A Bold $230 Rental Bathroom Redo
This rental powder room has bright white walls, interesting art, enviable jewelry displays, and very nice fixtures, but there’s just something missing. What could it be? STRIPES! The answer is stripes. This bathroom is now so bold and glamorous. I love the way the wallpaper highlights the interesting ceiling, and the way the lampshade echoes the shape of the skirt in the illustration.
Tess Wilson
Apr 11, 2018
Before and After: This $200 Peel-N-Stick Kitchen Redo is All Sorts of Amazing
This project has so much going for it: it was done for less than $200! It was done in a rental! It features faux DIY granite countertops and a covetable KitchenAid! (Mixer obviously not included in the $200 total.) Click through and get dangerously inspired. I love this! The pink + celadon + white + gold combination is comfortingly and charmingly vintage, but the clean lines of the cabinet doors, handles, and subway tiles keep things modern.
Tess Wilson
Mar 5, 2018
Why We’re Stealing the Pendant Lights from Mandy Moore’s Bedroom
And just like that, you can reclaim your nightstand.
Arlyn Hernandez
Feb 1, 2018
10 Smart Ways to Make the Most of a Studio with Room Dividers
One of the challenges of living in a studio apartment, or in any space short on interior walls, is separating a space into different uses: sleeping, cooking, dining, lounging. It’s possible to do this in more subtle ways, like with rugs, but if you prefer to create more concrete divisions, there are ways you can make room dividers work for you (even beyond how you think they can).
Nancy Mitchell
Jan 19, 2018
The Best Small Space Bedroom Solutions We Saw This Year
8 easy-to-execute ideas to maximize your limited bedroom floor plan.
Caroline Biggs
Dec 21, 2017
Before & After: A Subtle Yet Significant Bathroom Upgrade
About $100 can make a huge difference.
Dabney Frake
Nov 28, 2017
Real Life Rental Challenge: A Genius Update For A Bad ’80s Bathroom Light
There’s nothing worse than those builder grade vanity strips in bathrooms, the ones that absolutely scream “HI, I’M CHROME AND WAS SENT FROM THE ’80s TO DATE YOU!!” As a renter your options are limited, but I came up with a smart way to deal with these common eyesores. Instead of swapping it out with a new light fixture, I decided to instead embrace the challenge and work with what I had. I couldn’t paint it, because that was permanent.
Diana Paulson
Nov 9, 2017
10 Ways to Fall in Love with the Home You Live In Right Now
Most of us have complicated relationships with the places where we live. Unless you have unlimited amounts of money, there’s probably something about your home that you don’t like. Maybe you don’t like the place where you live much at all, and are stuck there because of circumstances or budget.
Nancy Mitchell
Oct 30, 2017
This Item is the Biggest Lifesaver in My Tiny Kitchen
When I started my hunt for the perfect tiny New York apartment, I knew that it would probably come with a tiny kitchen, too. I got lucky: my kitchen actually has a full-sized fridge, and it even has an oven. (Yes, there are people in New York who are paying lots and lots of money to rent apartments with no oven.) And while my kitchen is small—it only has two and a half feet of counter space—I saw others that were even smaller.
Nancy Mitchell
Oct 16, 2017
Style in a Flash: 12 Bold Entryway Projects to Try This Weekend
Entryway in need of some TLC? We have a dozen ideas to try on for size.
Michelle Gage
Sep 29, 2017
Small Details To Make You Really Love Your Rental Bathroom
It’s surprising what a difference a nice bathroom makes. Unfortunately, many renters (like myself), have to work with whatever setup our leased homes offer. Usually this is a very standard, neutral, easy-to-clean but very boring space, with minimal function — certainly nothing special. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to make a bathroom slightly more useful for your needs, and even slightly more stylish.
Brie Dyas
Sep 16, 2017
Before & After: A Blank 250 Square Foot Space Becomes a Cozy Home
"Every piece in my apartment has a double purpose."
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Sep 12, 2017
Make it Work: 8 Beautiful Bedrooms that Include Home Offices
If you’ve had it when it comes to dreary home office spaces, listen up. Those who are short on space or privacy (i.e. roommates) needn’t look further than the room you sleep in for home workspace, and while writing emails may not be high on your list of favorite bedroom activities, these nine bedroom office nooks are so good they’ll have you reducing your commute time in big way.
Jessica Isaac
Sep 12, 2017
Before & After: A Bland Rental Kitchen Gets a Personality-Packed Upgrade
Vi’s garden apartment came with a standard, if somewhat underwhelming kitchen. After getting their landlord’s blessing, they painted over the yellow cabinets that were giving the space a somewhat grimy patina and called in the help of one of our favorite renter friendly products…peel and stick tiles. From Vi: When we first rented this Brooklyn garden apartment, I absolutely was dreading the kitchen. It was dark and dull.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Aug 29, 2017
A Boring Rental Bathroom Gets a Totally Reversible Makeover
Ladies and gentlemen, here is what my boring bathroom looked like up until the other day. I’ve lived in my rental for just over two years, and this place looked the same as it did the day I moved in (with the addition of some hand soap, my toothbrush and a toilet paper roll) for far too long. Is it completely offensive? Nah, it’s pretty passable, but boy was it dull.
Arlyn Hernandez
Aug 15, 2017
It’s About Time: After 3 Years of Beige, My Bland Rental Bathroom Gets a Refresh
I have lived on my own for the last six years, slowly but surely acquiring furniture, art and decor that I really liked, which of course means that along the way, there were empty corners (and rooms) waiting to be filled. Finally, though, my apartment—which I’ve lived in for two years—has gotten to a place where I didn’t wonder if visitors thought I had just moved in. The guest bedroom has curtains (which I sewed and I’m quite proud of!
Arlyn Hernandez
Aug 14, 2017
Before & After: An Eyesore of a Closet Gets a Whole New Look
A tale as old as time: you move into a new space and have to live with the questionable design choices of the previous tenants. Medina inherited a built-in closet/ wardrobe that left more than a lot to be desired. She got rid of the ugliest aspect almost immediately and tried to make do, but eventually enough was simply enough and she gave the closet an easy and affordable DIY makeover. From Medina: The before is a picture of a built in wardrobe in our bedroom.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Aug 7, 2017
A “Genius” Rental Kitchen Solution That’s Actually Incredibly Simple
For most renters, all decorating efforts come to a screeching halt in the kitchen. Whether it’s dated countertops, offensive wood finishes, or lighting that you’re pretty sure was initially installed for a crime scene investigation, most kitchen eyesores require major permanent solutions — or so we thought.
Jessica Isaac
Aug 5, 2017
9 Temporary Solutions for an Ugly (or Just Plain Boring) Backsplash
The backsplash has a huge impact on the look and feel of your kitchen, which makes it even more of a pity that so many rentals have such ugly ones. But the good news is that, even if you’re renting, you don’t have to content yourself with what you’ve got. Here are nine good-looking, affordable, and totally temporary ways to transform your ugly (or maybe just boring) backsplash.
Nancy Mitchell
Aug 1, 2017
Real-Life Renters With Vividly Colorful Homes…Despite a “No Painting” Rule
It’s a tale as old as time (well, as long as leasing agreements have been around): You find a rental apartment or house you LOVE…but you’re not allowed to paint the walls. Perhaps the walls are white or beige and you find them ho-hum. Or perhaps your rental walls do have color—but not color you like. What’s a rule-following tenant supposed to do?
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 13, 2017
The Renter-Friendly Secret Weapon That Solved My Small Kitchen Storage Woes
Plus, it's super renter-friendly.
Arlyn Hernandez
Jul 3, 2017
Before & After: Embracing Minimalism in a Tiny Bedroom
"I moved to San Francisco with a couple of suitcases and found a room that barely fit a bed and didn't have a closet."
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Jun 18, 2017
Bye Bye Bad Bathroom: High-Impact Rental Upgrades
There are plenty of changes you can make to your bathroom that will have a big impact — even if you're a renter not an owner.
Nancy Mitchell
Jun 12, 2017
Before & After: A Rental Living Room Goes Glam
"That feature wall in my living room? IT'S JUST TAPE!"
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Jun 8, 2017
Real Homes, Real Solutions: 20 Reversible Ideas to Overhaul Your Rental Bathroom NOW
The following are stellar examples from our House Tours of rental bathrooms done right. While I’ve broken down the images according to categories, a great thing about these bathrooms is that they all have a cross-section of ideas to steal (in a good way, of course), so steal away!
Julia Brenner
May 22, 2017
Before & After: A Glammed Up, Totally Temporary Rental Kitchen Upgrade
Raise your hand if you’ve ever lived in a rental. Now raise your hand if you’ve ever lived in a rental with a lackluster kitchen. Underwhelming rental kitchens are about as common as noisy upstairs neighbors, but at least you can make small temporary fixes to brighten up your cooking space (if somebody makes peel-and-stick ‘quiet down and be considerate of others’ please let us know immediately).
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 9, 2017
Before & After: Bathroom Beadboard on a Budget
We’ve seen Ariel work her renter friendly design magic before, and now she’s turned her energy toward the bathroom. In one weekend she added color, texture and style without sacrificing her security deposit. Check it out! From Amber: That folks, is what it looks like when bad spaces and poor planning happen to good people. As you can see, not terrible, but nothing that I’d call “Pinterest worthy.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 2, 2017
3 Stylish & Practical Ideas to Improve Your Bland Rental Kitchen
We’ve talked a lot about rental kitchens being “you-get-what-you-get-and-you-don’t-get-upset” zones because we’re typically limited in the changes available to us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have kitchens with good functionality and great style; we just need to be creative! Check out this cheery kitchen from our home tours that showcases do-able and stylish ways to improve your rental scenario.
Julia Brenner
Apr 16, 2017
Before & After: A Room With a View (and Some Unsightly Cabinets)
Lizzie’s upstairs bedroom came with a great view and some not so great cabinets. She’s a renter, so removing them was out of the question, but she found a creative way to make the space work for her. From Lizzie: We had two slightly tatty built-in cabinets either side of a Velux window. They didn’t look great, and the space in the middle was wasted. It became a catch-all for junk. Because the home is rented, though, we couldn’t make any permanent changes.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Apr 15, 2017
Before & After: A Basic Brooklyn Kitchen Goes Mediterranean
Fani’s Brooklyn kitchen looked like many a New York rental kitchen, small and kind of generic. One day she had enough of her brown kitchen and decided to take matters into her own hands, bringing color, texture and life to her Park Slope space. From Fani: My small Brooklyn kitchen had outdated old cabinets with lots of wear and tear. The style and color of the cabinets didn’t match the mid-century modern style of the apartment.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Apr 12, 2017
So Your Bedroom’s Not Much Bigger Than Your Bed: Here’s How to Make it Work
Teeny tiny bedroom got you down? Fear not. We're here to help.
Katie Holdefehr
Feb 27, 2017
Plagued With Dated Mirrored Walls? 5 Design Ideas to Make Them Work
Sometime a few decades back, it seems that designers cottoned onto the fact that mirrors are (er, make that can be) fantastic for interiors. They reflect light, thus making a space look brighter and larger. There’s also a certain shiny-glam factor to them, owing to the fact that traditionally, glass is an expensive finish to splash about. That all being said, there can definitely be too much of a good thing, especially when mirrors are concerned.
Eleanor Büsing
Feb 27, 2017
Keep It Simple (& Save Money) by Avoiding These Mistakes When Decorating a Rental
Interior designer Alissa of Lenore Design has had the task of turning her family’s rental into a warm home that matches their personality. With an industrial feel (think: overhead pipes meeting very little overhead lighting), the space wasn’t an easy project to tackle. Thankfully, Alissa’s design skills were just what this space needed, to transform it from a standard rental to a warm and welcoming home.
Adrienne Breaux
Feb 23, 2017
How To Divide a Small Studio Apartment Without Building a Wall
While the thought of dividing a small studio into even smaller compartments may strike fear into the hearts of many apartment dwellers, there may come a time when the need for privacy and the longing for a “grownup” home wins out. If you’re caught between a studio in a city you love and the kind of multi-bedroom house suburban dreams are made of, these simple room dividers could be all the compromise you need. Hey, backyards are overrated anyway. Above: This hip loft in L.A.
Katie Holdefehr
Feb 20, 2017
Before & After: White Paint Wows in a Rental Kitchen
Many renters hope to add some color to their place, but Mery’s dreams were even more modest — white paint. So before she moved in, she negotiated with her landlord and got permission to paint and update her kitchen. Playing with white paint and how it works with the textures in her kitchen, she made a huge change. From Mery: I moved in six months ago and I am a renter. The first thing I told the owner was that I would rent it only if i could paint the kitchen tiles.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Feb 18, 2017
5 Tips for (Successfully) Decorating with Roommates (from Those Who’ve Been There)
No matter if your roommate is your soulmate or someone you found on Craigslist, co-decorating a home is likely going to require some compromises. Considering these 5 simple tips as you negotiate area rugs and couch colors with your roommate will help keep your home’s design—and your relationship—harmonious.
Katie Holdefehr
Feb 8, 2017
Want to Move to Europe? Real Life Advice on How To Make an International Move
Morgan’s dream of living in Europe was a topic even on her first date with her partner Matt. “Matt had never been to Europe before, but it wasn’t long until we booked out first trip together and he caught the travel bug,” writes Morgan. Three years after that first date, Matt got the opportunity to open his company’s European office. And they had a pick of pre-approved countries like Ireland, England, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands!
Adrienne Breaux
Feb 1, 2017
Before & After: A Bold & Temporary Makeover For a Rental Bathroom
Sarah found herself in an all-too-familiar predicament: she had a bland bathroom and a strict landlord. Not wanting to force her bathroom to live a colorless life, she got creative and found a stylish and temporary solution. From Sarah: Last spring we moved from Manhattan to Northern Virginia, where we’ve been living in a beautiful rental house.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Dec 9, 2016
How to Throw a Party When Your Living Room is Also Your Bedroom
Do you want to invite friends over — maybe even have a dinner party — but you’ve been hesitating because you live in a studio apartment and your living room is also your dining room, kitchen, office and bedroom? Though it might feel a bit strange to have guests (good friends or acquaintances) milling about in your sleep space, I don’t think having a small home should be a road block for entertaining.
Adrienne Breaux
Oct 29, 2016
Turn Your Rental Bathroom into a Spa—No Remodeling Required
When describing your rental bathroom, “spa-like” and “personal sanctuary” are likely not the first words that come to mind. The bathroom of your dreams may be a full remodel away, but by taking cues from spas and saunas, you can decorate your way to a more relaxing space. Grab a Turkish towel and some eucalyptus—it’s time to teach your bathroom how to chill out.
Katie Holdefehr
Oct 14, 2016
Before & After: A Fireplace’s Terrific Tile Turnaround
Tiffany hit the rental jackpot with a gorgeous old fireplace. The only catch is that it came with not-awful-but-not-great yellow tile. Well, all praises be to contact paper because Tiffany was able to totally change the look of the tile and remain on her landlord’s good side. From Tiffany: One of the things that I knew I wanted to change in my rental was the yellow tile surrounding my fireplace. I’ll admit that once I moved in, the yellow tiles grew on me.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Oct 11, 2016
Before & After: An Unbelievably Chic Rental Kitchen Makeover
An incredible, temporary floor makeover.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Oct 9, 2016
Stacy Covered Her Rental Countertop With Contact Paper & This Is What Happened
Stacy’s rental bathroom started out just fine. She had white and grey tile floors, a grey-blue wall color, and a white pedestal sink. The bathroom was tiny, but there was a separate counter and mirror from the sink, with plenty of space to store her products. The only trouble was the green countertops, which made the bathroom feel dark and dingy despite it being light everywhere else.
Dabney Frake
Oct 6, 2016