5 Tips to Make a Rental (or Any Home) Beautiful

So often, I see people delaying attention to their home environment because it’s temporary or it’s a rental. However, I believe this is a mistake. Our physical environment has a profound impact on the way we think and feel—it’s a worthwhile investment at any stage.

In this Minima Journal, I will share my tips for organizing and designing rental spaces: what kind of space to look for, what to invest time and money in, and in what order. Most of these tips can also be applied to a space you own!

A mix of IKEA and vintage pieces in solid wood made my old apartment feel warm.

Look for good bones & natural light

Look for a rental with good bones and spatial integrity. Weird, choppy spaces or lots of bulkheads and strange cuts-outs can be more difficult to work with when designing your space. Prioritize a rental with great natural light—this can make all the difference in your home feeling elevated rather than depressing, regardless of other factors.

The only apartment I wasn’t able to stay in was a long, dark, shotgun duplex in the Museum District. After less than a year, we broke our lease and moved. Despite following all of the tips in this Minima Journal, it never felt good because it had very limited natural light.

Deep clean & declutter

Deep clean and declutter before you buy anything new for the space. Every time I move, I block out as much of my free time as possible for the first week or two so I can get settled. It’s a short-term sacrifice with long-term results. Cleaning and decluttering is 80% of the work in making a rental (or any home) shine. You can do a lot with very little when a space is fresh and organized.

My favorite apartment was the one featured in these images—a 1940s multi-unit building that looked very unassuming from the outside. On the inside, it had abundant natural light, parquet flooring, and an in-tact 1940s vintage bathroom and kitchen. By deep cleaning and keeping decor minimal, those vintage details were able to shine.

If you need help with the decluttering piece, check out my older Minima Journal post, “Beyond Sparking Joy: How to Decide What to Keep or Discard”.

My partner’s vintage hand-me-down dresser paired perfectly with these IKEA boxes and lamp.

I found this velvet quilt on sale at IKEA! The blue popped against the dark brown walls.

Upgrade lighting & window treatments

Change out the hardwired lighting fixtures (with landlord approval) and switch the light bulbs. My favorite light bulbs are IKEA’s TRADFRI series and GE’s Reveal series. I have made these upgrades in every space I’ve lived in and it makes an incredible impact! A modern pendant in the dining room instead of a builder-grade boob lamp will instantly transform a space. IKEA’s ceiling lights are an excellent option for rentals as they won’t break the budget. HAY’s Rice Paper Shades are also affordable and timeless (HAY is one of my all-time favorite brands). Check out Minima’s Pinterest for other lighting ideas.

Next, change out the window treatments. Most rentals come with plastic horizontal blinds, which are often broken and dirty. Take these down, store them or give them back to your landlord, and hang soft fabric blinds or curtains instead. I’ve had great experience with IKEA’s blinds as wellas their HILJA curtains paired with the VIDGA track system. I have the curtains in the 10’ long option in the dining room of our current condo in the Fan.

If you’re allowed, consider painting. This might be something to live with and wait to see if it’s needed after everything else is in place. It takes a lot of time, effort, and money, and many landlords don’t allow it. In the case of my old apartment featured here, the previous tenants had painted. They chose different colors than I would have, but they did such a nice job that we decided to lean into it.

Choose versatile organizing solutions

Whether you’re in a temporary rental or a forever home, pick one or two types of modular containers that come in multiple size options and use them for everything. When you move, you’ll be able to use them again. My favorites are these Soft Polyethylene Cases and Polypropelyne Storage Cases from MUJI (their product titles aren’t sexy, but the items themselves are flawless). As my organizing needs evolve, these cases can move from room to room and still feel cohesive. Matching hangers are an easy and inexpensive way to elevate your closet—the beauty of your storage spaces can impact your mood just as much as the overall interior design!

When we help our clients pack and unpack during a move or renovation, they often ask us whether they should declutter and organize before or after the move. The answer is both! Because we prioritize decluttering and designing adaptable solutions, 80% of the organizational systems we set up before the move translate easily to the new space.

Invest in flexible furniture

Don’t be afraid to invest in quality small pieces such as lamps and chairs—and a good bed. These are more likely to work in a future space than a couch or dining table, which need to be scaled to the specific room. Get something you will love for a long time and don’t worry whether or not it matches the specific aesthetic of your apartment. Contrast can be nice, and good design fits anywhere. My favorite budget sofas are IKEA’s SÖDERHAMN series and their ÄPPLARYD series. For dining tables, I love IKEA’s DOCKTSA & MELLTORP (which can also make a great desk). Check out Minima’s Pinterest for more furniture ideas.

You can see my own mix of high-end and IKEA furniture in my last home here: “How to Create Warm Minimalism in Your Home”. Most of these pieces are still with us at our current home.

Hang art last! Once your home is cleaned, decluttered, organized, and furnished, it will become clear which spaces on your wall will benefit from an accent.

We used vintage wooden chairs as wall decor. They could be pulled down for guests.

I love vignettes framed from another room.