How to Make a Borrowed House Feel Like a Home

In a time where so many people are renting until they can afford to buy, it can be hard to make your temporary house feel like a home. When wall colours, bathroom suites and kitchen tiles have been chosen for you, injecting some of your own personality into the place where you spend most of your time can be difficult. That's why we've put together a renter's guide to adding style to your borrowed house, so you can start to feel right at home in no time.

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Millennials, dubbed the renters generation, are said to have little or no savings thanks to their obsession with coffee and avocado on toast! But, renting doesn't have to mean living in a lack-lustre pad borrowed from the person you pay money to each month. Our top tips below can show you how you can make your rental feel like home.  

 

Add some Colour

colourful decor real homes image by rachael smith

Colourful accents. www.realhomes.com Image: Rachael Smith

Don’t be afraid to go bold. When it comes to interiors, less isn’t always more. Clash prints and colours to add some wow factor when people step foot through your door. When you can’t change your walls, why not change your furniture? With the rise in the trend for upcycling, turning your old chest of drawers or plain old mirror into something closer to art is the perfect way to inject some colour.  If DIY isn’t your thing, choose a statement clock as the focal point of your room and let your accessories do the talking.

Our new season bright Luggage clocks are the perfect wall accessory, with a choice of coloured hands and a galvanised metal case, it is guaranteed to catch the eye of your guests.

 

 

Go Retro

 

urban outfitters record player

Retro aesthetic. Image: Urban Outfitters

 

If the classics are more your style, why not keep your colours neutral. Dark wood, brass detailing and warm tones can create the perfect retro feel to any home. Look for detailed door handles, high-shine wood finishes - and try switching your lighting to vintage bulbs. You could add these alongside plush velvet accessories for a classic 70’s vibe. Head to your local charity shops or antique fairs to get your hands on authentic, throwback pieces.

Our retro wall clock, Pluto, is the ultimate finishing touch. With dark, real-wood rays and a vintage dial, this is the epitome of contrary styling for stand-out subtlety.

Blogger, Sophia Rosemary, not only styles herself with amazing vintage pieces, she also has our Pluto clock to carry her effortless, retro look into her home.

 

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Go retro. www.designsponge.com Image: Carla Coulson

 

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Bold bright accents can make your rental feel like yours. Image: Albrecht Fuchs

 

 

Deck the Walls

 

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A carefully curated gallery wall. www.thechrisellefactor.com Image: My Domaine

 

Finding the perfect print is one of the best ways to show your personality when it comes to temporary decoration. Whether it’s a print of your favourite song lyrics, your photographs or art, using your bare walls as a blank canvas is a great way to inject some ‘you’ into your rental.

Gallery walls don’t have to consist of just prints; throw in mirrors, ornaments, and of course clocks, to add some depth.

Our new Echo Number Three is a must-have centrepiece. Forget about wallpaper, instead surround our Scandi style clock with complimentary artwork for a wall worth taking about. (And the best thing is – if you change your mind, you can change your wall accessories!)

 

View our full collection of wall clocks and alarm clocks online now.