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Renter-Friendly DIY Projects for Your New Apartment

Posted: June 19, 2024
A woman sits down while she uses a screwdriver on a nail for a board that she’ll use later for her shelving renter-friendly DIY projects.

By: Mackenzie Scibetta, Zoocasa contributor

One of the joys of homeownership is the freedom to customize your space however you like. Renters, on the other hand, often have less creative control because of landlord restrictions. With a bit of ingenuity and DIY craftsmanship, however, renters also can enjoy revamping their homes to match their personal style with renter-friendly DIY projects.

You don’t have to wait until you become a homeowner to start designing your space. You can begin to customize your rental apartment as soon as you move in! Follow these creative DIY apartment ideas, so you can maximize the comfort and coziness of your new place.

Peel-and-Stick Wallpapers: A Simple DIY Project

One of the fastest and easiest renter-friendly DIY projects to transform a room is to change its wall color. Unlike real paint, which requires tedious amounts of time and effort to apply, peel-and-stick wallpapers can be installed in minutes. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about splattering paint on beloved furniture or countertops!

High-quality peel-and-stick wallpaper is budget-friendly, durable, and completely removable. For renters just starting in a place of their own, this means they have the freedom to experiment with various wall colors. And since it’s removable, you also don’t need to commit to just one color; you can easily start over with a fresh design whenever you want.

The peel-and-stick wallpaper options are endless, from neutral tones to florals and funky murals. Some removable wallpapers even look like wood paneling, tiles, or bricks!

Contrary to popular belief, you’re not limited to putting peel-and-stick wallpaper on your walls. You also can apply it to the interior of cabinets, drawers, bookshelves, stairs, or even your ceiling for a dramatic effect. This flexibility makes it a great way to customize your rental apartment.

DIY Room Dividers: A Practical Renter-Friendly Option

For those moving into a one-bedroom or studio apartment, decorating options might seem limited because of the small space. You don’t need a wall or multiple bedrooms to define different areas of your apartment, however.

You can create a separate workspace, dining area, or sleeping nook by simply using large decorative pieces, curtains, bookcases, or even plants! These versatile elements can help you organize and personalize your space.

Creative Curtain Divider

Looking for more ways to create privacy in your rental? Curtain dividers are a great way to help break up a space. In fact, you can even build your curtain divider using ceiling mounts or command hooks, a tension rod, and curtains.

Simply install the tension rod between two walls by either attaching it to a command hook or hanging it from a ceiling mount, and then once the rod is securely placed, choose a curtain that complements your style. Just make sure to measure the correct length from floor to ceiling before purchasing your curtain.

Stylish Bookcase Divider

One of the best ways to make different zones in a room is by clever furniture placement.  A bookcase can act not only as a wonderful place to display all your favorite reads but also as a half-wall divider.

Position the bookcase across a section of a room to divide the space, then make sure to pack the shelves with books, plants, and photos to further enhance the aesthetic appeal of your new setup.

Bookcases act as a great room divider because they’re easy to arrange, allow light to pass through, and are a non-permanent option that won’t damage your walls. This is another excellent method to customize your rental apartment without upsetting your landlord.

Eco-Friendly Hanging Plants Divider

Every home needs greenery and there’s nothing more creative and eco-friendly than using hanging plants as a room divider. You can either install ceiling hooks or, for an even simpler solution, you can use a coat rack to hang your favorite foliage. You can hang the plants from hooks at varying heights to create a more artistic and dynamic feel.

A woman places a plant onto a hook that attaches to an eco-friendly rod. Renter-friendly DIY projects include an eco-friendly hanging plants divider, which can work as a room divider.

Get Creative With Custom Shelving

Whether you’re a homeowner or a renter, there’s no such thing as too much storage. As a renter, you might not be able to add permanent fixtures to your walls, but you can still create unique and stylish storage solutions using non-damaging methods. Using crates, ladders, or a pegboard, you can install a practical shelving system in your new apartment that won’t leave marks on your walls.

Crate Shelving

Crate shelving involves arranging and stacking several wooden crates together to create a shelving unit. After stacking the crates in their desired position, you can connect them by using zip ties, or, for a more stable solution, you can secure them together with screws. For a more personalized touch, you can paint the wooden crates in various colors and arrange them in unique configurations.

Ladder Shelves

If you stumble upon an old ladder at a garage sale or can find a cheap one on an online marketplace, it can make the perfect shelf! All you need to do is clean and paint the ladder, place wood planks across the steps, and secure them in place. This will give your apartment a charming shelving unit that you can use to showcase your favorite books, candles, framed photos, or souvenirs.

Pegboard Shelving

Pegboards are another great way to keep your home free of any access clutter. To create a non-permanent pegboard shelving unit, start by measuring and cutting a pegboard to fit your space. Using command strips or wall hooks, securely attach it to the wall. Add some lightweight hooks, shelves, and baskets to organize and display your items, ensuring they’re not too heavy to maintain the stability of the unit.

Easy and Budget-Friendly Temporary Flooring Ideas for Renters

Renters can easily enhance their living space with temporary flooring by using peel-and-stick tiles or rugs and mats. These flexible options can be laid over existing flooring and are simple to dismantle when moving out.

Best part of all? Temporary flooring options can be extremely budget-friendly and require little effort to install. This makes peel-and-stick flooring one of the most cost-efficient and quickest DIY apartment ideas to implement for renters.

With peel-and-stick tiles, you can customize your space with a variety of patterns and colors. You can go for a bohemian look with multi-colored patterned tiles, or you can stick with a minimalist look using a smooth cream or white color.

If you want to give your apartment an elegant upgrade, you can even use tiles that mimic more expensive materials like ceramic or hardwood. These options allow you to customize your rental apartment in a stylish, yet affordable way.

Carpet tiles or foam mats are another easy option to spruce up your apartment. With carpet tiles or mats, you simply interlock them together like puzzle pieces to create a unifying look. Although foam mats might not seem like a stylish choice for a living room or bedroom, they can be great additions to practical spaces like kitchens and bathrooms, or even to make a corner exercise spot.

Embrace Renter-Friendly DIY Projects

Before you start your DIY projects to revamp your new apartment, remember that your home is your place to relax, decompress after a long day, and enjoy important moments with friends and family. So, no matter what methods you choose to decorate your new apartment, make sure it fits your personal style and makes you feel comfortable. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles and take artistic risks to make your rental your home!

If you’re ready to make the move from rental to resale, check out Zoocasa’s free guide on buying your first home to get started on the exciting home-buying process!

Contributor’s bio: Mackenzie is the Senior Specialist of Public Relations and Content Marketing at Zoocasa, an award-winning prop-tech company that uses technology to provide an intelligent, end-to-end real estate experience. As a dedicated real estate writer, Mackenzie is known for her comprehensive and data-driven reports, which track and analyze trends in local markets across North America.