{This is a guest post.}

Renting is all about freedom and flexibility – not being tied down to one place, people can look for jobs around the world and simply move out when the lease is up. Just because you don’t think this will be the place you’ll stay at until the end of your days doesn’t mean you cannot make some small adjustments to make it feel like your home. Here are some decoration tips for making your rental apartment feel more familiar and homely.

Repaint in style

Once you get the permission of your landlord, you can easily add a breath of new life to your apartment by repairing the walls. Get a little crazy and paint one wall in an extreme color – once you’re fed up with it, one more round of paint will be enough to completely change the look of your apartment. If you can’t repaint your walls, let a commercial painting company do it for you. Or just hang some colorful curtains instead to add some color to your rooms. 

Don’t be afraid to invest in quality furniture

Many people who rent think that investing in expensive pieces of furniture is risky – after all, it might not fit the style of their future lodgings. Break free from this myth and if you spot something you really love, just go for it as it is possible to find great stuff at upscale furniture store. If you add cheap and disposable furniture to a rental apartment, it will be just like your college dorm room. Investing in a solid piece of good and classic design is a great  idea – you can start with a sofa, for instance.

Change your lighting

Light and lighting are crucial when it comes to the look and atmosphere at your apartment. Replace ugly lighting fixtures with brand new ones that provide lots of light and simply look great in your rooms. Make sure to store the originals somewhere and swap them back when moving out – this will guarantee you keeping your deposit money.

Kitchen revamping strategies

There are lots of ways for renovating your kitchen to give it a fresh and personalized look. First, check your shelves and drawers. Maybe it’s a good idea to change or add new shelf liners? Doing this will grant you an opportunity for organizing the contents of your shelves and giving them a proper cleaning.

Other great kitchen revamping ideas are:

• Replacing the faucet (we suggest you choose among the best faucets available) 
• Updating your hardware, like knobs or pulls
• Adding more storage space (drawer organizers, small wire shelves)
• Covering an ugly counter top with a large wooden cutting board
• Changing old wall plates to new ones made of stainless steel
• Buying a nice dish rack
• Adding small decorations like pictures on the walls or a small herb garden on the counter top.

Hang mirrors

If your apartment feels a bit small, nothing will help it more than some mirrors on the walls. They enhance the visual volume of the space and trick the eye into thinking that a space is way bigger than it actually is. Plus, you can get very beautiful decorative mirrors on local flea markets.

Spice up your space with room dividers

This is especially relevant to all those of you who live in small studio apartments. Using room dividers, you can completely redefine your space and make your apartment into something new. Moreover, you can cover your storage behind a room divider.

These tips will help you to effectively change, redecorate and reorganize your rental apartment, so it feels familiar, homely and simply yours.

Monique Craig is a blogger and marketing specialist who works for Oneflare, an online marketplace which connects customers with local service providers.