How to decorate & style your rented home

I thought I’d be topical and relate today’s post to my current living situation. What with an increasing proportion of us renting and not owning the space we live in, I thought I’d share with you my tips on how you can decorate your rented home on a budget whilst maintaining a harmonious relationship with your landlord.

We recently moved into a rented house, which we plan to live in until we find ‘the one’. Those of you who know me personally will probably laugh at the idea of me finding ‘the one’ as since getting together with my husband 10 years ago we have moved house as many times. Some may call it fickle but I call it practice. It has allowed me to experiment, make mistakes and play about with colours, patterns and styles. Not that I will ever commit to any particular design but I have learned many lessons that I hope ‘the one’ will benefit from. Sorry, I digress...

The one before 'the one'!

When moving into a new home you want to put your stamp on it, make it your own. Living in rented accommodation can feel limiting, you think all you can do is put your furniture in and get on with the look that already exists within the property. But no.... here are a few ideas for making someone else’s house your own home.

1. Decorate your walls

Some landlords are relaxed and will let you bang nails in walls to hang frames, mirrors and decorations as long as you make good at the end of your tenancy. Others however are not. If, like me, you are forever having crushes on new wallpapers then fear not, either take a decent size sample from your local stockist or buy a roll and insert it into picture frames. You could just have one or gather a collection of them. Then hang them with picture nails (if you are allowed) or prop them up against walls either on the floor or on sideboards and tables. You get the look without making it a permanent feature, plus you get to use them again.

Another fab way to brighten up plain walls is to use removable decals. 

I used these funky stickers in my last house - they didn’t cost much, were easy to put up and remove and add a fab splash of colour to a plain wall. I love the Olivia headboard by Mina Javid, which at £55 would be quirky way to add the look of a headboard to your rented bedroom.

Looks can be deceiving! Olivia headboard, Supernice

Note: don’t whatever you do mount anything on the wall with selotape or blu-tack! It doesn’t matter what it says on the pack selotape always rips off paint and blu-tack leaves greasy marks. Try white or sticky tack that has been specifically designed to not stain walls.

2. Personalise existing furniture

Soft furnishings are the easiest way to make-over existing furniture if it isn’t to your liking. If you don’t want to spend much creating a new look then keep your eye open for bargains on the likes of Achica, Dalani and also eBay as well as in the sales. I was recently chuffed to bits when I found some gorgeous grey and white Bronte merino lambswool cushions and throws at less than half price at Achica. I am still waiting for the delivery but having coveted them for quite some time I know when I get them I will love them *smile*. 

Beautiful merino lambswool cushions & throws, Bronte @ Pure Luxuries

Have you moved into furnished accommodation that has been kitted out with IKEA furniture? If so, fear not because if any sofas or chairs look like they've had better days, then you can easily get a new custom designed replacement covers to suit your tastes from specialist cover maker Bemz. The company was set up by Lesley Pennington several years ago because she loved IKEA furniture but wanted to out her own creative stamp on it and now you can do the same. You select the item you want to buy a cover for, choose your fabric et voila, problem solved. Genius!

3. Hang your own curtains

As much as I love our new rented cottage and the way it has been simply decorated, I am not enamoured with the burnt orange and red trailing leaf patterned roman blinds in the kitchen and living room - not my cup of tea at all. So I’m going to replace them, why not. Window dressings are easy to replace and when you move out easy to re-hang what was there before (just make sure you store them well so they don’t get damaged or dirty). Scout about for ready made treatments at the likes of Dunelm Mill, Next or other high street retailers and online suppliers, use your own existing curtains and customise them to fit (try adding a width of co-ordinating fabric along the bottom or top to increase the drop or simply fold back and stitch to shorten them). I am going to have some new ones made...any excuse to have a play with a new fabric! I’ve chosen this Scion fabric and when we do find ‘the one’ I’ll get them adjusted to fit windows in the new place. 

Scion Melinki Rosehip in steel, chalk & pewter

Becky, my super talented curtain making partner (www.inspiredcurtains.com) is also going to make up some co-ordinating cushions to add to the mix. Ok, so I will have to spend money getting the blinds and cushions made but I can take them with me when we move again. Some things are worth investing in!

4. Make it soft underfoot

Generally speaking flooring in rented properties has been chosen to be hardwearing and to disguise marks and as a result is neither luxurious nor your preferred choice. On the plus side the colour of it does tend to be neutral so get yourself some rugs and layer it up. Once you have your own furniture in place, position a large rug on the floor. It will add warmth, hide unsightly marks and can be taken with you when your tenancy ends.  I recently used this gorgeous rug in a photo shoot, it was just so scrummy and sumptuous when walking on it barefoot, I had to share it with you, believe me toes seriously love being squidged about in it!

Jessica (named after the rabbit!) pure wool loop rug, Naken Interiors

5. Put your stamp on it with decorative accessories & lighting

Styling your home with some gorgeous vases and objets adds an instant personal touch. No doubt you will already have plenty of pretty things, but if you are looking for inspiration check out the following;

Curioser & curioser! Vintage Alice clock, Rose & Grey

Fancy a cuppa?! Large Pop mugs made in England, Pedlars

I've just bought these, baubles aren't just for Christmas! - I'll post a photo of how I style them in my new home soon...

Dew drop baubles, nkuku

Funky metal trunks - colourful & practical, Rose & Grey

Lighting is an integral and important part of creating your right look within the home and something you can easily change in a rented house. Add light to dark corners with your own table lamps, replace any dingy old pendants with funky lampshades (supply Quincy Lampshades with some fabric you adore & Ruth will make you a bespoke lampshade - a great cost-effective way of getting the look you want) and fill the place with candles, oh I love candles, they add a touch of warmth, ambience and cosiness to the home even if it's not your 'forever home'.

Also, at the moment you can find great some fantastic bargains at the following websites thanks to the end of season sales;

• www.grahamandgreen.co.uk - for contemporary designer furniture & home accessories
• www.beauboutiqueinteriors.co.uk - for interior design led, boutique style furniture
• www.bemz.com/en-gb/outlet/ - for custom designed covers for IKEA sofas & chairs
• www.tch.net/sale.irc - The Contemporary Home for handpicked products for all styles of home

6. Freshen up with gorgeous scents & flowers

It's often the simplest touch that makes the biggest difference. Just by infusing the house with fresh fragrances, especially invigorating citrusy smells you can easily wipe out any lingering smells made by previous tenants. True Grace candles and diffusers are just to die for, choose by season, collection or scent and prepare your senses to be overcome. Honestly, I haven't even lit my Jasmine Tea bowl candle yet and the whole downstairs of my house smells heavenly!  Of course, freshly cut stems as well as potted plants and flowers add colour and fragrance to a room so why not forgo your regular coffee for a few days and spend what you have saved on fresh flowers?

Finally,  if you really want to make a big difference, it could be worth asking your landlord if you could redecorate the house / apartment. Sometimes landlords are simply too busy to to do it themselves so they may well appreciate you doing the job for them. Agree with them a colour scheme and discuss your plan with them. They may even pay for the paint. You never know, because if you don't ask you won't get!

Once I have some 'after' photos of my new pad...we literally only got the last box through the front door last night...I'll share them with you and your feedback and thoughts will be entirely welcome.

For now, I need a rest and a cup of tea. There appears to be an open packet of choc chip cookies staring at me, I think they're saying "eat me"... nom...

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Doing it your way

Hello, long time no see...after two weeks of being able to do nigh on nothing, I am recovering and well on the way to being me again yay. So, I still can't lift much or twist about, drive or clean (damn!) I am feeling so much more alive.

We are moving house this weekend and I've been feeling terribly guilty because I've not been able to help packing, instead I've just sat there pointing and directing my brilliant husband whilst he does all the hard graft. This will be our tenth house move since we got together ten years ago and he has moved us each and every time - he is an absolute star - but I think this may well be the last time he agrees to not using a removal company! Despite the fact that we live life minimally with no clutter it is amazing how stuff just adds up when it comes to packing. This brings me on to what I want to talk about today: finding your own style & decorating your own way.

What does a/w 2012/13 hold in store..? Trend Bible

I was reading an interiors article recently, which was all about the new autumn / winter 2012 interiors trends and it questioned the reader as to what their style of preference is. This got me thinking and it brought various questions about how we style our homes into my head;

Do I have to choose just one style & stick with it?

As humans we are in a constant state of evolution and by this I mean our tastes are forever developing and changing. What we like one year may change the following year. How we feel about a look in one house may not be how we feel about it in another. As a serial house-mover, the way I have decorated each house has always been different. The overall appearance has always been one of clear surfaces, open spaces and fuss free styling but never have I been rigid about a specific look. How could it, I seem to love so many different designs and styles that I can never make a decision!...

So, can I mix & match?

If you read any of the interiors magazines like Ideal Home or House Beautiful etc, they are full of brilliant, inspiring and affordable ideas. However the way they break it down, is to categorise interiors into neat little boxes. I appreciate in terms of publishing, it makes segmenting the magazine much easier but I fear it has created a narrow minded approach to interior decorating. Let me demonstrate by showing you a 'typical' room for each category;

 Retro

 Vintage

 Shabby Chic

 Modern

 Contemporary

 Country

 Scandinavian

 Coastal

What has happened is that phrases like 'vintage' and 'coastal' have been used to categorise and pigeonhole certain looks, making them so contrived that they no longer look real. This categorisation has destroyed, what say maybe 5-10 years ago, was more laid back, less definable and much more unique. I am not criticising what one could call a 'making interior decorating more accessible and affordable campaign' that has taken place of since the mid-late 90's (think about just how many home improvement magazines, television shows and websites that are available nowadays) because I think it is all brilliant and hey Home Restyler is part of that movement. However, what I think is that a natural balance needs to be re-established.

So fight the desire to fit yourself neatly into one box and 'think outside that box' and create your own style...

Can I trust my own decorating instincts?

Of course you can! There is absolutely no one right way of decorating your home. Yes there are some fundamental rules that help create a cohesive overall look (more on that another day) but after that it's up to you baby, go with what you love and what makes you smile. The way you style your home is personal to you and needs to work with the way you choose to live your life. I created an easy to follow process to help you create a look that works for you (here). This process will give you the confidence to trust your gut and go with what you feel is a fab look.

But how can I successfully mix and match without creating a right old hotchpotch?

"If you love it, buy it". If you feel strongly about a painting, a chair, a vase or a fabric, it's because it suits YOU. Something about it makes you happy, so how can it be wrong. I have to enter a caveat at this point... not everyone has what you could call 'good taste' but who are we to judge. Some like neutral, easy to live with interiors a la Kelly Hoppen, some like loud, bold statement interiors a la Abigail Ahern. These two varying approaches won't mix, they just don't marry up BUT who says you can't live in a minimalist, contemporary design-led new build and hang antique paintings, drink out of dainty tea sets or place an up-cycled, vibrantly distress painted bombe chest in it's hallway? You can mix modern and retro or 'vintage' and 'coastal' together, it just comes down to having the confidence to doing your research and trusting your instincts.

Love it or loathe it. Abigail Ahern lighting.

At the end of the day, you are the one who has to live in your house. You are the one who has to love it. You are the one who wants to feel inspired, alive and happy in it. Creating a home that is based on looks and styles that you have copied straight out of magazines or catalogues may well be co-ordinated and cohesive but do they really reflect you and your personality? Don't be prescribed to or dictated by what you read, instead use these resources for inspiration, get ideas from them, create your style file and then make your home your own. And if you 'd like some more personal help to bring out your own style then why not get in touch, Home Restyler is always happy to help *smile*.

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Seriously creative stuff like you've never seen.

I love it when I can share something with you that is truly unique. Something that is inspiring. And something that is affordable and achievable. Today is one of those days!

Mr Perswall, which takes its name from ‘personal walls’ has to be one of the funkiest, most on-the-pulse digital wallpaper brands out there. It launched in Sweden in 2009 but only arrived on our shores at the end of last year. It uses the most up-to-date digital print technology on the market to create truly unique, creative and bespoke high-quality digital wallpaper. You really have to see this for yourself. 

Some of the concepts are so simple but when hung up on the wall, effectively as art, have immense impact and wow factor. For this company, it’s all about “facilitating inventiveness and making ideas happen”. So take a peek here and if there’s something you like but it’s just not quite how you want it, get in touch with Mr Perswall because all designs can be modified and personalised. And the best part? For what you get, it really is surprisingly affordable - yay! I've picked out my favourite papers from each collection to share with you.

Stripe, Accessories collection

Accessories is a wallpaper collection packed with features rarely associated with wall design. Furniture, dresses, instruments, frames and unexpected accessories form the wallpaper patterns that inspire playful creativity and new lines of thought. Ok, so this Stripes wallpaper makes me a bit giddy if I look at it for too long but hey this would be fab in a hallway or other 'passing through' space.

Bouquet, Urban Nature collection

Urban Nature is a wallpaper collection inspired by wallpapers bursting with colour, filled with graffiti, urban environments, trees and flowers, nature lovers feel exhilarated by the pulse of the city and city people in step with nature. Isn't this 'bouquet' literally bursting with colour!

Knot, Fashion collection

Fashion collection is a wardrobe full of expressive fashion, which can be combined with the rest of your room. How about hanging a row of ties to complement Knot, it would certainly help chaps who can't remember how to tie a knot first thing in the morning!

Houses, Photo collection

Photo wallpaper collection contains exciting graphic art with both natural and urban scenes, ideal for giving smaller areas a more spacious feel or adding an inspiring and creative feel to a room. I love how your eye is led through these Scandinavian houses down to the sea.

Glimpse of Paradise, Creativity & PhotoArt collection

Creativity & PhotoArt is a beautiful wallpaper collection where you can expect the unexpected. It is made up of a combination of creative illustrations and photographs that allow you to play with spatial perspectives and frames of mind. This Glimpse of Paradise makes me want to dive right in...

Secret Cities, Destinations collection

Destinations is the collection that shortens distances and makes our big world slightly smaller - telling tales of journeys from paradise to the metropolis, offering inspiring windows overlooking the sea or searching for hidden city names like the one the paper above - I spy Hong Kong, can you?!

Home Town, Hide & Seek collection

Hide & Seek educational wallpaper collection arouses children’s curiosity and stimulates their creativity. Let them draw on the wall, what the heck!

Library, Communication collection

Communication collection encourages you to relate your story and contains inspiring motifs that provide the perfect background for personal anecdotes. Why not create your own dust-free bookshelf with colour coordinated strips from Library?

Amazing aren't they? What do you think of them? Would you consider having some in your home? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Which is your favourite?

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Job satisfaction & creating stylish spaces

Oops, I seem to be consistently breaking one of the golden rules of blogging of late and not posting regular posts for you to read (knuckles well and truly rapped!). Please accept my apologies oh kind hearted, lovely readers that you are but I really do have valid reasons...so to earn back your lurve I thought I'd share with you some images of some of the beautiful products I have been working with to create stylish spaces for two fab clients of late. The projects are still in development but once they are complete I will share with you the style boards and before & after shots.

Gerrans Bay, photo by Chris Simmons

Cornish cottage
I've been commissioned to design the interior of a cornish coastal cottage near St Mawes, which is yet to be built and is a delight to work on. I've been given an open brief to design the house ready for sale. As such the owners, whilst being keen to create the right look, have taken a back seat so they don't get emotionally involved in the work, thus letting me ensure that the interior style we create will appeal to its target market. Here a few images of fittings that we will be installing or have used as inspiration for our product selection.

Kitchen inspiration

Classic handcrafted solid hardwood kitchen

Contemporary, classic bathroom

Luxury beds

One of the UK's leading bed manufacturers has asked me to style the photo shoot of their new range of luxury high-end beds. Taking place on 1st & 2nd August I will be styling six bed 'sets' to launch the range, positioning them as modern, stylish and aspirational. This project is such fun to have been given! I love creating a look and finding the right products to get that look. Some of the headboard fabrics are stunning, my favourite is a deep petrol blue velvet, which I can't wait to dress with the most gorgeous range of fine linens I recently came across, made by Bianca Lorenne (much more to follow on this company and their exquisite bedding after the shoot). So here again are some of the products that will be featured in the shoot. I am delighted to say that the majority of suppliers that I have sourced products from are local to the south west, as I am all for supporting local business, all of which I will post about and give you links to once the shoot has taken place.

bianca lorenne cameonne bedspread

Pure Lana leather storage trunks

Kinsale lamp table

I hope you like what you see so far, do you forgive me?! I have been working hard! Oh plus I'm in the middle of moving house...

Today is one of those days that I have immense job satisfaction. Are you having a good day? I hope so

*smile*

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Say it with flowers

Gosh, what an abysmally wet, soggy, dreary old day. Bleurgh.

I'm manically sourcing products today so haven't got around to writing the blog post I wanted to share today (maybe later this avo...) so in the meantime I share with you some delightful blooms that I received from one very lovely person *smile*. They have certainly brightened my day and I hope they bring some sunshine to your workspace too!

I hope you're wearing bright funky wellies & cagoules today!

www.homerestyler.co.uk

La dolce vita

Hey peeps, it's been a while, I'm sorry but you know, holidays are so important and good for the soul, so I'll hope you'll excuse my lack of posts as I've been away to the beautiful island of Sardinia. Ah, the sun, the sea, the pools, the food and oh the Italian way of life - bellissima! I've got mounds to do and an exciting new photo shoot styling project to organise so today I thought I'd personally deliver some sunshine to your day in the hope it lifts your spirits despite the rubbish weather the UK seems to relentlessly be enduring...

uno bellini per favore

la piscina

la spiaggia

i fiore

decorazione interna

piccoli dettagli

Heavenly *smile*

www.homerestyler.co.uk