I’m writing this blog entry in answer to a plea from one of our Complexers who recently replied to a question we presented on our Facebook Page: “What are your biggest challenges in decorating your home and creating a space you love?”

Her challenge is one shared by many renters…  she says: “My BIGGEST problem is that I RENT…therefore I cannot permanently change anything…and ohhh, how I would like to cover my 70′s kitchen cabinets in something other than what they are now! I know I could paint…but then when I move, I will have to pay for repainting…grrrrrrr. I wish someone could come up with products for us renters that addresses these issues…its really quite frustrating.”

Well Miss Renter, I understand your frustrations and have been there myself. When I was a renter, I always had to find creative ways to downplay the flaws in the space which I was “borrowing” in order to make it more my own.

In fact, I distinctly remember one apartment which had industrial gray carpet and a red brick fireplace. (Ha, as I was typing, I accidentally typed “crapet” which probably more accurately describes the flooring in these digs.) The colors in all of my furnishings and textiles were the warmer, Tuscan earth tones, so as you can imagine, I was less than thrilled with this new look.

In an effort to downplay the fact that my new borrowed abode didn’t have a color scheme which jived with MY décor, I decided to paint an accent wall (the wall with the red brick fireplace on it) in a warmer hue. I chose a beautiful sonoran red, and was amazed at the transformation which took place once I completed the project. The industrial gray carpet took on a more earthen “canyon” or “graphite” gray you’d see in nature while the traditional looking red brick fireplace transformed into a more aged sienna.  My plan to ignore the gray carpet worked even better than I had expected and I found the carpet ended up actually adopting to my color scheme, versus the other way around!

The moral to this color story is that all rooms have flaws, you just have to decide if you want to work WITH them, or against them. (By the way, I did have to paint the wall back to the original color when I moved out, but it wasn’t a big wall and I didn’t mind since I definitely enjoyed the custom hue during the 2 years I lived in the space!)

Here are a few products & resources I’ve found which might appeal to you, and our other Complexers who rent but still want to create a space that feels like their own:

• Removable Fabric Wall-Paper: Check out this step-by-step tutorial for creating your own removable fabric wall paper via Apartment Therapy.
• Easy Change Removable Wallpaper by Sherwin Williams: Though I’ve never personally used this product, they claim on their website “Some selections are ‘paste the wall’ while others are pre-pasted – and all are guaranteed to go up and come down effortlessly.
• Tempaper Designs:  According to Marianne Rohrlich of The New York Times, it’s “Like a Giant Post-It Note for Decorating.”
• Benjamin Moore Paints: My favorite paint resource. My motto for painting when you’re a renter… JUST DO IT!

Be sure to keep these things in mind if you are renting but still want to personalize your space:

1. One of the main benefits of renting is that it is cost-saving. Take some of that money that you would usually have to spend on maintenance, property taxes, landscaping, Realtor fees and insurance and sock some away for decorating. If you might have to change things back to the way they once were when you move out, factor that into your budget, too.
2. Remember, even homeowners have to re-paint when they move! As a professional home stager, I’ve had to break this news to more home sellers than I can count. The fact is that when selling a home, the colors need to appeal to the majority of prospective buyers, so technically, homeownership is no different than renting. Homeowners are just renting their homes from the bank. Even when they own outright, they can’t own the home for eternity since most people tend to move “beyond” this material world at one point or another.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask your landlord if you can do a few minor updates. Arm yourself with the facts below and they’ll be easier to woo. (Note: You can just print this exact verbiage into a small note card and recite verbatim if that makes it easier)…

“Mr. Landlord, did you know that, according to the annual Home Gain survey of nearly 1,000 REALTORS® updating a kitchen yields, on average, a 237% return on investment? And that painting walls yields a 250% return on investment? So, in other words, if you let me IMPROVE the unit I’m renting from you, I will in effect be helping you gain a healthy return on your investment, AND… here’s the kicker, I’ll pay for half the cost of the improvement!” {SMILE REAL BIG NOW}

For more updated stats and information with which you can arm yourself, check out our Home Staging Statistics page here.  Keep in mind that if you sell it to your landlord this way, you’ll want to make sure you choose colors that appeal to a majority of prospective renters/buyers so if you’re not comfortable doing this, you may want to get the insight of a professional home stager to help choose a color that sells.

Remember, there are lots of stressors and headaches that come with homeownership, too, (especially in this economy) so embrace the freedom you have as a renter, and take the good with the bad. (Of course, that doesn’t mean we can’t do our best to make the bad look as pretty as possible.) I’ll be posting more decorating tips for our Complexers who rent since renting may now be the new housing reality for many.

P.S. I know lots of staging and design pro’s read our blog and follow us on Facebook. What suggestions do you have for Kristin?