#1

How have you done it? Tips, tricks, recommendations, little things you can do.

My new property is a bit more battered than it looked in the photos - I’m sure it’ll look better with furniture in it but thought it would be interesting to know your experiences of making an older/less sleek property look fresher (without actual repainting etc)!

#2

Throws, cushions, plants, art on the walls.

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#3

Having floor lighting to create warmth/ambience.

1 Like
#4

Oh hello!

Not got time to reply right now but this is exactly my thread.

I will return…

4 Likes
#5

100% this, lamps everywhere, precise control of the ambiance.

2 Likes
#6

Argh if only I had more plug sockets

#7

Things that have made my rented room with very little natural light a nice place to be in:

  • Nice IKEA rug (thank you @suse)
  • Floor mirror leaning against the wall so it spreads out the one streak of sunlight
  • Nice little bits of wooden furniture
  • Framed pictures stuck up with adhesive strips
  • Decent yellow-light lamp

To-buy: fairy lights, a plant.

2 Likes
#8

Get stuff up on the walls would be my main advice. Take as much care as you can to put stuff up in a way that won’t leave marks (or even better would be if you can negotiate with your landlord to be allowed to put stuff up) but tbh even if they end up stinging you for it from your deposit I’d personally consider it a price worth paying.

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#9

Command strips are your friend

#10

Would recommend learning how to take them off properly before getting into these. Loads of horror stories of it pulling paint off the walls or discolouring.

I have all my art on the floor like this kind of thing, and put nice stuff on lipped shelves too (not my gaff FYI).

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#11

Could not get away with that in our place. 2 kids will mean that gets knocked over and smashed in no time.

We’ve been lucky that our landlord allowed us to paint a couple of bedrooms and put hooks up, but we still have quite a few things up with command strips. No issues taking things down and moving them around. But I’ve also seen them stories too, so 🤷

#12

Yeah command strips have definitely caused a lot of damage here. I’ve literally always hammered holes in the walls of every place I’ve lived though, never been an issue, always fill them in before I go.

#13

Get a rug that really ties the room together.

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#14

I’ve spent a lot of time today looking at vinyl stick-on tiles. Anyone used these before?

I am really not someone who is good at this kind of thing (absolute disaster at anything that requires spatial awareness) but it looks really good…

#15

For the floor or the wall?

If for the floor, don’t bother! They come unstuck at the corners very easily and look bad.

#16

Have used them on our kitchen walls to cover up yucky 80s peach tiles. Would avoid anywhere that is going to get water splashed on it or too close to hob, but they have lasted well, only curling up where there was a hot water pipe behind it.

#17

Doing similar atm. In my opinion, worn down places will always look rough if you go minimal, so get plenty of knick nacks to distract the eyes. Seconding the people recommending lamps and softer lighting. Getting some decent bedding with a splash if colour is good if your bedroom is standard rental white.

#18

Cheers things up so well. I am utterly useless at DIY but it was easy to do and cut to shape around sockets.

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