Dear reader – today I am happy and honored to present a very special guest article written by Shirley Martin. I hope you enjoy!!!

Does your apartment ambiance need help? If it doesn’t feel like home, you may not be using your space to its full potential. Shirley Martin shares some easy projects to make your rental more inviting for you, your family, and your guests.

First, before starting any project, check with your landlord to see what improvements can be made. You may lose some or all of your security deposit if you don’t follow the rules.

Get Organized

Put everything in its place, and then see what extra storage items you need to keep things in order. Once you’ve cleaned, organized, and installed new organizational units, your newly organized space will reveal decorating opportunities.

Decorating Tips

If you’re allowed to paint, changing the wall color is easy. It’s relatively inexpensive and provides a quick resolution to drab walls. You can paint one accent wall or the entire room. Either way, it may be all you need to make the place more you.

A Step Further

Consider stencils to help you create painted patterns on your walls. It’s a little trickier than just rolling a solid color on the wall, but it makes a huge transformation in the room. Popular trends include border trims, window and doorway edging, or highlighting a nook area. Let your creativity take you a little further, and consider the following ideas:

• Bedroom headboard. If your bed feels like it’s floating in the middle of the bedroom, anchor it with a painted headboard section on the wall behind it. Make it fun for a kid’s room.
• Sink backsplash. Add a tiled pattern effect on the wall behind your kitchen or bathroom sink to make the space look more finished.
• Wainscoting. Create a traditional faux-panel look in any room or hallway.

Home Office

Working at home in a rental can be tough. To muffle noise from the kids’ playroom next door, consider using picture-hanging strips to hang a quilt, large tapestry, or decorative polyurethane panels on the wall to absorb sound. If the activity outside ruins your concentration, move your desk away from the window, or add some window treatments, and keep them closed during business hours. A high-quality ergonomic desk and chair can also keep you productive while maintaining your posture.

Once your inside space is finished, you feel more at home and able to relax and re-energize. The space is more inviting, so you may want to entertain more. Your outside space becomes more important then.

Outdoor Space

It’s warm in Fairfield most of the year. Don’t forget to optimize the balcony or patio space of your unit. It gives you more room to entertain company or simply relax on your own. Decorate with a small bistro table set and accent with potted plants in cheery colors and lovely fragrances to pull you outdoors. Create a mini vegetable garden, and enjoy fresh veggies.

Start Today

With a little thought, you can make your rented space feel like home and keep your landlord happy. Whether you’re revamping your office or yard or just organizing and redecorating, you can turn your rental into the home of your dreams.