12 WAYS TO DECORATE A RENTED HOME ON A SMALL BUDGET

I have been there standing in the fluorescent hallway, staring at my ordinary apartment, wondering how I could make this feel like home without going bankrupt or ticking off my landlord. I did a lot of trial and error, and this blog will cover 12 easy tips and budget-friendly ways in which we have transformed our rental into a space that truly feels like home. You can also consult an interior designer in Dubai to help bring all of this to life.

 12 Ways to Decorate Your Rental   

 1. The Stick-On Savior   

I will not let myself have ugly walls or a depressed backsplash. And so, I have saved my life (and my deposit) many times over with peel and stick wallpaper, tiles and decals. Once I was forced to cover the world’s most tragic rental kitchen in peel and stick tiles and BOOM, instant glow up. No tools, no commitment, just a whole new vibe.

Budget: 50 AED – 150 AED

 2. Lighting Level-Up    

Okay, those yellowish ugly boobs lights from rentals? Absolutely not. Changing light fixtures is shockingly simple and completely transforms the room into the look of something high-end. Suddenly, my space was looking a bit more expensive than it should cost and all I bought were a cute pendant light for my dining area and a warm tone floor lamp for the living room.

Budget: 30 AED – 100 AED

 3. The Power of Big-Ass Rugs    

Rental floors are usually a disaster. Scratches, weird stains, mystery tiles from 1975? No thanks. Big rugs fix everything. I once layered a cute thrifted rug over the horror show that was my rental’s living room tiles, and suddenly, the place looked intentional instead of “landlord special.” Pro tip: Your pro tip for cheap huge rugs is Facebook Marketplace.

Budget: 100 AED – 300 AED

 4. Command Hooks = Life    

I do not do wall holes. First of all, I leave them too emotionally invested and I do not trust a hammer on my hands. Then Command hooks enter. I once turned an entire wall into art, the shelves, and a couple of hanging plants that were all done by these amazing, removable hooks. No damage, no stress, all good vibes.

Budget: 10 AED – 50 AED

 5. Plants, Plants, Plants    

If your rental feels dead, add plants. Seriously. A radiating pathos from the ceiling and a few earnest snake plants on one of the shelves did the trick: I made a Pinterest dream out of what had been a dull, dead place. The trick? Find the sort of plants which are forgettable because they thrive on being ignored (because we both know I utterly forget to water them all the time)

Budget: 20 AED – 100 AED

 6. The Furniture Flip   

I am not one to want to buy brand new furniture. For example, thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, even literal curb side finds … saved me a lot of money, not always, but often. I remember when I saw a wooden coffee table for free so I slapped some paint on it and went on to put it in my living room; it ended up looking like something in a design magazine

Budget: 50 AED – 200 AED

 7. The Art of the Lean   

We love hanging art, until we try leaning some. Sometimes, out of pure laziness, I would request this one time, and mysteriously, my space became a cool and artsy loft. Layering includes plenty of big frames on the floor and mini frames on the shelves. Bonus: Although you will not damage the wall, there will be no stress and you can move stuff whenever you want.

Budget: 30 AED – 150 AED

 8. DIY is Your Bestie    

If you are not Dying at least some of your decor, what. Rental projects on Pinterest are ridiculously easy. There are so many. Once I took a boring flat mirror, taped off an arch shape, painted it to look like an arch shaped mirror, and put it high on my wall. It cost me nothing but some pain and patience.

Budget: 20 AED – 80 AED

 9. Cute Storage = Smart Storage    

Storage does not have to be dead looming over your body. I cannot stand to have the random pile of junk and plastic bins in my life, so I hide my mess with stylish baskets and trunks. No matter how my life is not, at least my place is an organized dream, and I even found cute stackable boxes for my random stuff.

Budget: 30 AED – 120 AED

 10. Temporary Curtains for Instant Cozy   

I have no love for the ugly metal blinds that landlords insist on utilizing. Solution? Tension rods and clip-on curtains. At one point I had to take the curtains that came with the rental bedroom and add sheer white curtains to it, because now it felt like a home, in a box of some sadness.

Budget: 40 AED – 150 AED

 11. Swap Those Ugly Handles    

Good hardware is never to be underestimated. On the same train of improvement, I replaced the ancient cabinet handles on my rental’s kitchen with a set of very cool matte black ones for a dramatic change. The best part? With less than a fancy coffee run, it only took me 10 mins.

Budget: 20 AED – 70 AED

 12. Scent Matters Too    

A house is not only the work of appearance, it is also the work of feelings. In fact, there is nothing that can set the right vibe like a good scent. I have sworn by candles, essential oils and linen sprays. My personal trick? A light vanilla-lavender mix sprayed onto my couch and curtains will make everything feel cleaner and fancier, even if I have not cleaned for days.

Budget: 10 AED – 50 AED

Final Thoughts   

Your rental could be your temporary residence, but that does not mean it cannot be anything from not temporary. Do you know I have done every single one of these tricks and they do work! Even if your lease says otherwise, your space should be in line with you. Well, if you ever wish to elevate things to a new level, why not discuss with a professional interior design company in Dubai. Until then, though, these 12 tips will have your rental turning into a dream, without having any renovations.