NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin installed Smart Tiles in her apartment and always recommends them to others who want to zhuzh their rental space because they come in many patterns and colors, and are easy to cut by hand. “The tiles stick super well — I’ve had mine up for about two years and there’s one or two spots that peeled up a bit, but nothing major,” she says. “I wipe them clean with a gentle cloth and spray. My white tiles have no signs of discoloration, and even though I’ve splattered tomato sauce on them, they haven’t stained.” The tiles also have a glossy finish and are three-dimensional, which adds texture to the wall and makes them look more realistic. Aside from the kitchen, you can also install this backsplash in your laundry room or bathroom, such as behind your mirror to create an accent wall.
Replacing the knobs on your drawers and cabinets, whether in your bathroom, kitchen or elsewhere, is a subtle way to make your rental feel more unique. NBC Select SEO editor Nikki Brown has these knobs in her kitchen and loves how much of a difference they make, especially since they don’t take a lot of work to install. “It really does change the entire look of the space,” she says. “I recently switched to these clear knobs to match the light-colored flooring and contact paper on my counters (another renter-friendly upgrade I highly recommend). I have the original knobs sitting in a bag underneath the sink for whenever I need to put them back on.”
Brown installed this self-adhesive contact paper to go with her flooring and kitchen cabinet knobs. It’s compatible with kitchen surfaces, bathroom countertops, tables and the inside of cabinets. You can also get it in different sizes, depending on what you’re using it for (so you won’t have too much excess). To make installation easier, you’ll want a smoothing tool too.
Malin used Floor Pops to upgrade the flooring in her apartment bathroom, and says it was the perfect alternative to looking at dirty grout, especially since many people don’t know it’s peel and stick. “The tiles are thick and sturdy, so they’re a bit challenging to cut — make sure you have a very sharp Exacto knife and a board to cut them on,” she says. “Also, clean your surface really well and then let it sit for about an hour before putting the tiles down — that really helped mine stick.” To avoid damage, Malin recommends using a light dry mop, like a Swiffer, to clean it, rather than a heavy vacuum or floor car appliance.
This under-sink organizer eliminates the need to install tricky shelving under your bathroom vanity or kitchen faucet. It has a 4.4-star average rating from 10,795 reviews on Amazon and includes two levels that slide in and out for easy access to supplies without needing to dodge pipes. The bottom has a flat surface best for storing hand towels and rolls of toilet paper and the top is a wire holder for storing bottles.
In our guide to cleaning grout, experts recommend using a grout pen to give your floors a fresh start if you don’t want to use a steam cleaner or have your tiles redone by a professional. This product, which has a 4-star average rating from 38,052 reviews on Amazon, completely covers dirty grout with years of residue buildup. To activate the pen, press down on it repeatedly until it starts to dispense — it covers up to 60 meters worth of grout, according to the brand.
Brown chose this bamboo pendant lamp for her bedroom, though she recommends it for the living room too, especially if you have high ceilings. The cover’s bamboo weave filters light throughout the room in a unique way, and the 63-inch cord can be cut, depending on how close you want the lamp to the ceiling. It’s best to pair the lamp with a clear light bulb if you want the filter to reflect on your walls or use an opal bulb for more even and solid light, according to the brand. Barnard strongly recommends hiring an electrician to prevent potential damage to your electrical system.
“Updating window treatments is an excellent way to personalize the look of a rental apartment without making permanent changes,” says Barnard. “This is a great place to begin, as existing hardware can often be utilized to easily replace current curtains with options that better reflect personal taste and style.” This pleated curtain comes recommended by Malin, who loves that you can cut them to fit your windowsill. Instead of drilling or screwing a nail into the wall to hold a heavy upholstered curtain, you can stick these to the top of the window frame. “They’re pull-down shades that attach to your window frame via an adhesive sticker, and, as long as you follow installation directions, they stay up really well, even if you’re constantly pulling the shade down and pushing it back up,” she says.
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of buying a television and mounting it on the wall, this tiny projector comes recommended by NBC Select commerce editor Jordan Bowman as an alternative. It has a built-in Bluetooth speaker and is compatible with Google TV and YoutubeTV, so you can access all major streaming platforms on it, according to Google TV. “I’ve owned the Anker Nebula projector for about two years now. It has a clear image, good audio quality and a portable design,” he says. “It’s essentially the size of a can of soda. I’m able to easily pack it away and take it out for movie nights.”
Brown installed Coloray’s peel-and-stick wallpaper in the design Pastel Art, which is one of many works of art the brand has for their wallpaper collection. Wallpaper is arguably the best way to truly transform a space to reflect your style, especially since there are many options. Plus, when you decide to move out, you can remove it by hand without damaging the wall. The Coloray wallpapers come in sturdy cardboard tubes to ensure they don’t get damaged during delivery, according to the brand. You can also ask the brand for a custom size if the ones they have don’t work for you, which is what Brown did. The brand recommends pairing with white furniture and vibrant accessories in a bedroom, bathroom or home office to really bring out the wallpaper.
Many people, Malin included, aren’t fans of the traditional and dated, flush round ceiling light, for obvious reasons. Instead, she opts for this light cover from Tulip Shades, which she loves because it completely distracts from the fact that there’s another shade under it. “It’s beautiful, so it adds a piece of decor to my room,” she says. “The shade took less than five minutes to install — all you need is a ladder.” The brand sells several shapes of the light cover, all of which only call for a few tools to install, including removable tape and drywall screws.
If you’re lucky enough to have a rental space with a solid patio area, you can use these tiles to give it a whole new appearance. The fir wood tiles, which measure 1 foot by 1 foot, connect via plastic bases when you place them on the floor, exactly like a puzzle — you don’t need glue or adhesive to reinforce them. They come in a set of 27 and you can install them so that the boards line up with one another or place them in opposite directions for a more dynamic look.
I’ve used many (and I mean many) Command hooks. In my experience, they truly are easy to apply to the wall, don’t peel off paint off or damage walls, and they take literal seconds to uninstall and reposition if needed. This luxe metal hook has a round base that sits flush against the wall, so it gives the appearance that you drilled it, which makes your apartment look more elevated as a whole. I applied these hooks to my painted bedroom walls to store my hats and in my bathroom to hang my towels, and after prepping the wall prior, they rarely ever fall off. Aside from hooks for clothing, Command also sells strips for installing a metal hand towel holder, paper towel holder and soap dishes.
This tool set has everything you could need to make small home renovations, including renter-friendly ones, like multiple screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers and more. Plus, it all comes in an organized case that lays flat and has a handle. All the tools are also heat treated, making them resistant to corrosion so you won’t need to replace them often, according to the brand.
For small home renovations, a self-locking tape measure like this one is crucial for making incredibly precise renter-friendly changes to your apartment. It has a belt clip on the back, both imperial and metric measuring units and a wrist strap. It’s also available in 5-, 7.6- and 10-meter options.
When installing decor on a wall, especially multiple items parallel to one another, the best way to make sure they’re perfectly aligned is to use a leveler. This option projects a laser on the wall in multiple modes, multiple level bubbles to adjust for different angles and a ruler on the bottom. The device itself is also small and only around the size of a television remote.
This multitool will truly make rental renovations easy, especially since this one has more than just long-nose pliers, a screwdriver, can opener, wire crimper and belt clip. You won’t have to use a knife to try opening a can of paint or use your hands to adjust screws. Plus, this is also useful for people who love to camp or spend time outdoors, since it has a small saw and knives.
If you want to add personality to your space, experts recommend you do the following :
This is a good place to start because it will help determine what types of colors and designs you want to add to your home. Many interior design styles have distinct names, so you should research different ones to get a sense of what they mean, like art deco, ultra modern, mid-century modern, farmhouse, etc. Then you can decide on the right peel-and-stick wallpaper, tiles, and so on. Plus, social media platforms like Pinterest have a trove of inspiration and style to help you choose.
Painting is arguably one of the most approachable ways to upgrade a rental space and make it your own, according to Randolph. As long as you paint it back to its original color as closely as possible (bring home a few swatches, especially since paint looks different when it’s dry), it doesn’t have to be scary. “I fully support painting walls in a rental,” he says. “It’s an easy way to add instant character and warmness to a space.” With that said, it’s always smart to do your due diligence and talk to your landlord or look over the terms of your lease before painting.
Similar to paint, adding physical and two-dimensional art to your space can make it feel much more elevated without any actual work. It’s also a good way to make a space truly reflect you as a person rather than a trend, according to Barnard. “Hanging artwork provides an opportunity to incorporate biophilic design elements, such as nature-inspired color palettes and imagery, which add instant color, beauty, and visual interest to the space while creating a mindful environment,” she says. This also goes to show that rental upgrades don’t just refer to something you build, drill or attach to a ceiling — they’re also about things that show personality. Oftentimes, furniture retailers, like West Elm and Crate and Barrel, and online stores like Perigold, sell quality artwork you can use to add character to your space.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Select who covers kitchen and home stories, such as the best mattresses, Wayfair’s loyalty program and bamboo sheets. I included product recommendations from my NBC Select colleagues and guidance from experts for this story.
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