Renter Friendly DIY Home Projects

289980
by 289980
Hi all! I am renting a drab apartment and would like to crowd source some ideas that are renter friendly for my apartment!
The one great thing about my apartment is that I have brick walls - how can I accent these?
Thanks in advanced!
  13 answers
  • Roxanne Roxanne on Feb 13, 2014
    Warm up those walls with Vintage style mirrors(painted creme or pastel shabby chic of course) , or tapestry...or make some fun funky art yourself....Ikea also has some fabulous fabric panels, not pricey and very nice to 'spark' up some drab walls...easy to hang too! ;)
  • Mary Mary on Feb 13, 2014
    Try making throw pillows for a sofa/chair that accent the wall
  • Jennifer G Jennifer G on Feb 13, 2014
    How fun! Bricks can be a wonderful background for artwork, mirrors, sculptures and furniture. What is your decorating style? Do you have many windows? What's your flooring like? Some simple ways to jazz up your interior is to add coordinating accessories (draperies, pillows, throw rugs, art, lighting) in complimentary colors (not exactly matching). Good rule of thumb is to pick a neutral tone (beige, taupe, grey) and add 2 colors for accessorizing (red and turquoise, or orange and lime, or navy and yellow, etc.). Prints work nice in small doses (I'd avoid an all-over printed couch or drapes, since these tend to 'date' fairly quickly and will compete with the brick) and stick to a similar style or theme in each room (modern, shabby, vintage, industrial, glitzy, etc.). One note on living with brick: it does tend to absorb light, so don't be afraid to add a few more lamps (table, floor or hanging) to add warmth and keep it from getting too dark. Have fun with it!
  • 289980 289980 on Feb 13, 2014
    My decorating style leans towards shabby chic/french provincial. Unfortunately, I have terrible brown carpet which only makes the apartment look smaller. I am considering adding more lighting, especially to the living room. Thanks for all of the great ideas!
  • Teddi Teddi on Feb 14, 2014
    Take a look at the website Engineer Your Space by Isabelle LaRue. She has great ideas and tells you how to do things.
  • 243107 243107 on Jul 24, 2014
    I've been pinning renters tips on Pinterest. Check it out! http://www.pinterest.com/mom2onedoll/rent-is-in-the-mail/
  • @Anna Viveros ..: I know what you mean about ugly carpeting ! I suggest scour Craigs List for a nice, but gently used rug ( or rugs ) that blend with your decor style. ..my own style is similar to yours,,,but more farmhouse/ country french / and a touch of the french provincial. Lighting is good advice, you need 3 different " levels of lighting , if possible. I wish I myself had brick walls ! lol. . I also rent, but have done things with decor to make it feel like ' my home'. Hope you can share some photos !
  • Therese C Therese C on Mar 01, 2015
    I would suggest the first step be "give your room the height". I have done this before in a rental, weird as it sounds, it really helped! (my carpet was nasty chocolate renters grade)....You will need fairly heavy gauge wire, some light flowing fabric (cream colored and silky). Having brown carpet, I used copper wire so any part that showed actually complimented the room.Place a sheet rock screw about every 3-4 foot, wrap the wire around screw #1 (first corner) then run the wire through you hem of the cloth. Gently just lay the wire over the remaining screws (all but the last one, you'll need to wrap the wire there again) Allow the fabric to lay longer in the corners and straight short in the middle parts. Doing this over a brick or paneled wall allows the ceiling to soar. Frame some favorite photos of friends, or pictures found online (all photos in black and white) frame into copper spray painted frames with a little age bronze rub. Using staggered photos of different sizes, hang them on the wall at uneven intervals. It sounds dark, but really it wakes the entire room up and no one notices the carpet because it now blends and balances. Here is a simple idea.
  • Liz.breier Liz.breier on Mar 01, 2015
    Be careful you are probably loosing a great deal of heat. These were not meant for decorating. They were meant to have insulation and drywall in front of the brick.
  • Lori Lori on Mar 04, 2015
    How about big bright posters, quite inexpensive, light to hang and move with you.
  • Rita Avery Rita Avery on Mar 22, 2015
    Envelope style pillows made with drop cloth material and painted stripes on them look like expensive French country sack cloths. Stapling (with a simple hand stapler) fabric on a piece of Styrofoam makes great wall art that is very lightweight and easy to hand. The Styrofoam can be a large or small piece.
  • Elizabeth Elizabeth on Mar 25, 2015
    Your floor is a simple fix....an area rug. You can pick them up at garage sales or goodwill stores.
  • .....I use large area rugs to ' ground ' my furniture arrangements , and neutral furniture pieces. Using neutrals for your sofa/ chairs , etc. is a great thing, and allows you to use colors you love in accessories. ..and it allows for great backdrops for seasonal decor as well . Also, " neutral' doesnt have to boring. ...light grays/ grayish beige/ along with colors like taupe/ sand, etc. are not boring when paired with color in your pillows, a soft throw , candles, etc. :)