Saturday 12 May 2012

Decorating when you are renting

Recently I have been thinking a lot about decorating. A spell on crutches means I have been unable to take action or make anything really happen, and have lived a little too much inside my own head. This inevitably leads to both dreaming and plotting, and I’ve been thinking about what decorating I’ll do when I can walk again.

God is the great creator; He made the world, and since we are made uniquely in his image, it is not surprising that we want to make the spaces around us more beautiful. Interior design is a huge subject; complicated, subjective, potentially expensive. It can be something that we put off, usually because of the expense, and because we think we will get it wrong.

In the past year, I left home and rented ‘properly’ for the first time (i.e. not a student room). I am lucky to be renting a room in a lovely family home, but much of the owners’ furniture has gone with them, and the result is a little spartan. So, here is my action plan.

1. Dream big!

First, you need to work out your personal style. That way you can ensure you only invest in things that you will be happy to keep with you when you have to move. It is tempting to look at your space and try to fix the problem areas, but if you are driven by your current home then when you leave there is no guarantee that anything will be useful in making that home beautiful too.

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Instead, start from a blank canvas. I have been browsing some interior design blogs to get some ideas. My favourite interiors are usually quite feminine, with lots of white and grey, classic furniture, the odd splash of colour, and lots of glass and gold or silver for a light feel. I love the glamourous feel that a few special pieces can give an otherwise quite simple room.

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2. Work out your restrictions

Unfortunately, that lovely home is probably not going to tumble straight out of the magazine into your rented corner of the world. What are the limitations you face?

Some properties are furnished or partially furnished, which will significantly restrict the style. Although my home is furnished, there is a bit of space in an attic room, so if I buy one or two items of furniture I will be able to move surplus items up there. Paint colour can be another restriction, but if you ask then most landlords will be okay with you painting a property if you return it to a neutral colour before you leave. Luckily my dream style can work with the neutral paint colours I’ve already got.

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Obviously there is also a budget to consider! I really have two budgets; one for items which I will love and keep for a long time, and a second for temporary fixes. On the first category I’d happily spend a few hundred pounds if I find good quality items which are flexible enough to fit into my next home as well. That budget means that things like the green sofas and almost all furniture will stay the same, but cushions and decorative items I can spend money on. Anything temporary, like shelves which I can’t take with me, has to be really cheap, unless the item is from a charity shop, in which case it’s a bit of giving and I don’t mind so much.

There are also practical issues - I have a cat and don’t want to invest in dream bedding since he will probably love it too, and then it will have holes in it (oh wait, that already happened, and there are holes in it, thanks for that cat). I’d like to get a rug for the living room, but given the dog and the fact we eat in there, it will have to be practically disposable!

3. Pick the key elements

Almost all of my inspiration pictures have glass vases, mirrored or glass lamps, and artwork with lots of white and pastel colours. I can therefore invest in them now, knowing they will still fit in to other places I end up living. Top of my list are therefore a better bedside lamp (since I know the kind I really like), and decorative items in my favourite style to fill some of the bare shelves in the living room.

Although a rug in the living room would make a huge difference, it is too likely to get damaged, so instead I’ll look for an off-cut or maybe carpet tiles which are cheaper. For my bedroom, I’d consider a ‘forever’ rug since I’ll take good care of it, but even the non-designer alternatives are so expensive I’ll have to save up for a bit longer, so that is on hold for now. Or maybe requires a lucky ebay find...

4. Keep an eye out

For me, collecting things as I spot them is half of the fun, so I’m not planning to go on a big shopping spree looking for specific items. Instead, I’ll keep popping into charity shops looking for glass or metallic accessories which I particularly like.

The only furniture I actually own is a lovely walnut desk which I bought at auction (much cheaper than the John Lewis ones I liked, and much nicer than an Ikea approximation). I love that it has some history behind it, that it has imperfections. The quality is also far better than a modern alternative, with the top cut with a central seam and folded out to make a lovely symmetrical pattern in the wood grain.

Now that you have your plan, enjoy the slow transformation, and hopefully patience will lead to perfection, a bargain, or maybe both!

Picture credits [1], [2], [3].

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