Make Your Rental Space Feel Like Home

Updated on February 10th, 2016

I am no stranger to moving. I moved into my first rental space when I was the young age of 17, I was about to start college and I was so excited. In the 13 years since then I have lived in 10 different house/apartments. You can say change is a pretty safe bet at our house! In all the moving and rearranging I have done, I have learned a few things when it comes to making a new space feel like home, no matter how long you plan on being there.

I received samples for this post. All opinions are my own.

When we first moved my husband thought it was silly to decorate and really get settled, knowing we would not be there long. I have since taught him how putting your own spin on a space is essential to making it feel like yours. We just moved to a completely new environment, so it is the perfect time to show you how we have made our house feel more like our home in the short time we have been here.

Hang Stuff Up-

I know it is a pain, but hanging up your pictures and things that make you smile always go the furthest in making me feel at home. Some landlords are super cool and let you put holes in the wall, some prefer you don’t. I use those sticky Command Strips because they are easy!

I love to have pictures of my family around my house, but recently I found the cutest shop ever on Etsy to help me put a new spin on our family portrait.

Little Rosa Shop makes your family portrait using wooden peg dolls. They are showcased in this beautiful white shadow box frame. I simply sent her a family photograph and described our family to her, simple things like hair length and color, to specifics like habits- my son only wears jeans, and favorite colors. The more details you give, the better the out come. I adore this piece hanging on this collage wall in our home. It will be a treasured keepsake of this time in our lives forever! Right now you can get 15% off your custom peg doll family portrait from Little Rosa Shop by entering the code AMOMSTAKE at checkout. Offer expires on 12/31/2015- these would make PERFECT holiday gifts!

These three pictures are photos my husband took. I framed them for his birthday with a quote from his favorite movie, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty. Even though these photographs are not of my family, I love that they are still something that hold sentimental value for me. They make me smile when I walk past.

Show Your Personality-

I used to think that your home had to be decorated just so and always be neat and tidy to feel put together, but I was so wrong. Having home that feels like you is so much more personal and inviting. Our family are not perfectly groomed. We would much rather have a messy house and spend time together than to be all buttoned up all of the time. Finding things for our home that represent our style and sense of humor is one of my favorite things to do.

I just hung a few text prints in our home that showcase our personalities. Fuzzy & Birch is a shop full of cheeky wall art and sarcastic cards that really let your sense of humor and style be displayed in your home. I absolutely adore our prints from Fuzzy & Birch, my favorite being the Sarcastic Guide to Laundry. Who really knows what all of those symbols on your laundry tags mean anyway? Our laundry room happens to double as the main bathroom in our rental, so adding some fun decor was a must! I also have one of their prints hanging in each of my kids rooms- they showcase their little personalities so perfectly. Head over to Fuzzy & Birch and find something just right for your home, enter AMOMSTAKE at checkout for 10% off!

With three small children who are always hungry, much of my time is spent in my kitchen. It is a space where I insist on having a little bit of fun with my decor. This set of 8 Funny Kitchen Towels from The Junk Drawer Design are currently on rotation and they always make me smile.

I am a song lyric junkie and these towels are just so “ME”. I get so many compliments on them and I love that they make my kitchen feel relaxed and fun, perfect for the nightly dance parties held there while we make and clean up dinner! Find your own set or buy one individually from The Junk Drawer Desgin.

Make A Statement-

Don’t be afraid to find a way to really make your space your own by adding something bold. You might feel restricted by rules or what is in style, but do whatever makes you happy, it is your home after all!

One of the best parts of owning a home is how quickly you can change the look and feel of a room by painting a wall. As renter you most likely don’t have that luxury. Our new place is fairly small, but I knew the first time I walked in that I wanted to do something fun with this central wall. Simple Shapes came to my rescue! I just WALLPAPERED this wall!! What?! I was so nervous, but it really was so easy and it only took me an hour to install by myself! They send you giant sheets of vinyl in whatever print you choose, plus instructions.

You simply stick the sheets up one at a time, matching the pattern where the sheets meet. The cool part is it is removable and reusable, so if you are a little off you can adjust your placement. Make sure you save the backing, then when you move again you can take it with you and use it in your new space. I chose this White Brick design, but they have so many amazing options, choosing one will definitely be the hardest part of making this amazing statement in your home. Find their affordable options here.

If you have been out and about in stores lately or perusing home design magazines you know that marquee letters are all the rage. I really wanted to include some in a bold way in our home, but I could never find the right letters or shapes that I wanted. I reached out to Junk Art Gypsyz and they came to my rescue! They make hand crafted, vintage inspired, and completely customizable JAG Marqueez and signz for your home. I chose to have them make our last name, Smith, out of distressed, natural metal. It is awesome and people constantly ask where I found it! Junk Art Gypsyz have a ton of options from colors to finishes to make your sign uniquely you. Find just what you have been looking for here.

These are just a few ways I really like to make our house feel like home no matter how long we plan on staying here. Being in a rental space doesn’t mean it can’t still reflect your personality and taste. There are so many options for changing things up without making any permanent changes to your home. Get creative and make your space your own today!

Would one of these options work for you? Which one?