Living in a rented flat can make personalising your home difficult.
We're currently on our third rental, and have realised that they key to any house move or new home is making it your own. Yes, that sounds so obvious, but after many attempts at minimalist living and sticking rigidly to landlord-friendly white walls, we've decided life is simply too short.
Yes, it can be a faff 'making good' any wall holes upon leaving, but that faff is far outweighed by the benefits. And by benefits I mean pretty wall art. Yes, that's right, I simply cannot see another lifestyle blogger's perfectly curated gallery wall without immense envy!
Here's how to personalise your walls in your rented home:
1. Check it out with the landlord first - just ensure they are OK with your plans, and assure them you will 'make good' any holes upon check out. Always get it in writing to avoid any quibbles over deposits when you leave.
2. Landlord unsure? How about a picture ledge - this minimises the damage to the wall, and allows you to change your images around at will. Great if your tastes change as quickly as mine!
3. Figure out your measurements, positioning of nails and the like before hand so you know exactly what is going where and can avoid unnecessary holes.
4. If you think a permanent gallery wall might be one step too far for your short-term let, then consider using a no-nails adhesive. Apparently these days they offer a strong hold; no pictures slipping down your walls!
5. Use the proper equipment. We need a proper drill in our flat as a hammer just wont cut it. And if you need to get your Dad in to help you out (I'm a feminist, but... shout out to #GuiltyFeminist) then suck it up and ask for help.
6. When you leave, do a decent job at filling in any holes to avoid annoying deposit deductions. In the past we've asked our landlords if they know what paint was used on the walls so we could buy a tester pot (or even better, one landlord kept the leftover paint in the cupboard!) to cover over any poly filler.
Once you've done the boring bit, you need to get yourself some beautiful imagery to adorn your walls! And in case you've been living under a rock these past few months, I'd like to introduce you to the only place you need to visit - Desenio.
My favourites? This gorgeous cotton* and eucalyptus plant poster* are sitting proudly above our dresser in the bed room (see my Ikea Tarva hack here - I'm still so proud of this!), and our over-bed picture ledge features a handful more classic, Scandi-influenced prints.
Not only can you get your hands on hundreds of prints, they also stock reasonably priced, minimalist frames - it really is a one-stop-shop!
The best news? Desenio are offering all you guys 25% off with the code BLUEOCTOBERBLOG, valid 23rd-25th May 2017. Go go go!
