Moving to rent old apartment. Help needed with paint advice & arrangem

7 years ago

Dear Houzzers

I am going to move to a rental next month. I found an apartment to rent that is in my price range, lots of sunlight, an open terrace, good location to work and school.

However, as the pictures below show it is really old that i wake up with nightmares of how I will pull it off to be habitable. The previous tenant painted it in all shades of blue, purple, cream and wall paper in the hallway.

For purposes of time management and costs. I would like to paint it all in white/off white. One I have read it is cheaper to buy a white washable paint but also it will give me a canvas to decorate with colorful pieces of furniture.

The gag is... I have never painted in my life (yes I moved here and been renting in a place that came furnished). Not only am I budgeting for painting but also furniture from living room to bedroom and kitchen gadgets. I live in EU- Belgium and noticed a lot of feedback to other posts has shops that we do not have here.

My questions that I really need advice to please

1. How many layers of paint should I use? What kind of white paint or other neutral paint can you suggest?

2. The picture with the big electrical thing (dont know what it is i picture 3) how can i hide it without causing any problem because would like to use that room as a closet / sewing space?

3. The terrace is open without any protection above it, what kind of furniture material would i invest in for the outside chairs?

4. There is an awkward L shape in the living room meaning that the only ceiling light that is loose at the moment can not cover all the corners in light? How can I make this place feel like home at a low cost?

5. The bathroom does not have a window, how can i keep the steam of the water away to avoid my towels from molding and that steam away from the walls?

6. How can i convince the other tenants that the outside wall would look beautiful and give our building a nice outside look if we washed the wall?

Last but not least, my other alternative is to cancel contract and continue the search for another place which might take too long to find something in rent range and location to public transport or a bicycle which I am currently using.

Any tips to first time renters. Even for things I could have left out.

Thank you so much for you help.

Fiona

Terrace

Featured Answer

mayfly182

7 years ago

Hello Fiona,

It looks like you have a place which could be nice with a little care. In answer to your questions:

As many coats as it takes. Paint a coat, look at it when it's dry, if you can still see the paint underneath it needs another coat. Usually 2-3 coats are needed but more for covering really bright colours like that small patch of purple in the living room. I can't suggest a specific brand for another country.
A folding screen / room divider would definitely work without causing problems. They are not difficult to make or you can buy one. You absolutely should not surround it on all sides without checking what it is and how much airflow it needs.
Probably treated wood for outside furniture. Plastic is cheaper but doesn't look that good and can risk being blown off the terrace in high winds. Metal is more expensive and more likely to get stolen if there's a chance of that. Maybe look out for second hand stuff?
Floor lamps would be the obvious choice for light. You can get cheap ones from somewhere like IKEA or again maybe second hand.
This is the biggest problem you've listed. Here in the UK the laws for renting say bathrooms and kitchens need extractor fans. Perhaps check if there's a similar law there? If there isn't, you can ask the landlord if you can fit one and if you're lucky bargain for them to pay part of the cost. They are not that expensive.
You probably won't convince them to help you. Those look like the remains of roots from ivy or something similar, and might be hard to get off. You could probably rent a pressure washer and do that wall and the terrace at the same time.

A couple of notes on paint:

- You don't need washable paint for every wall. The hall will need it, and the kitchen and bathroom (or special kitchen/bathroom paints, definitely try to get that for the bathroom)

- Yes white is the cheapest colour to buy though Magnolia (yuck!) is as cheap here. White is also the worst colour to paint with as you get 'snow blind' and can't tell what you've already painted. White can also look quite cold.

One thing you can do is have a painting/decorating party with your friends. You supply plenty of food and drink and they spend a few hours painting. You can get a lot done in a short time this way and it's quite fun to do. It's a lot less daunting than trying to do it all yourself.

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Comments (9)

Fiona Blessed
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you immensely @mayfly182.

True for the points raised about the terrace, because the wall is short and the chairs could be stolen or make matters worse if they destroy property of the neighbour downstairs.

I was watching YouTube videos and saw another light Grey color that I can maybe use instead of everything being white.

Floor lamps, hadn't thought about that. Let me look around for some.

Again thank you and have an incredible day
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Jonathan
7 years ago
Properties with no furniture can look a little unloved and bare and feel echoey. Personally I think this is a lovely flat.
I would try utube for instructional videos, painting is not difficult, the trick is preparation, fill all the cracks and holes and sand the repair smooth for a better finish. I agree with the earlier comment, matt paints give a nicer finish but personally I would buy a wipeable matt and use it everywhere.
Colour- white can look stark, particularly in electric white. Look at Farrow and Ball for inspiration and you will see there are many whites. My preference is for a combination of a soft white and ivory, I also like pale greys and would suggest you find one with a brown quality to it (because the floor might make a silver grey look a bit like a battleship).
The folding screen is perfect for hiding the central heating/hot water boiler.
I bet your bathroom already has an extractor so you don't need to worry about your towels.
One light bulb is rarely enough to light a room- I agree that you should get additional table lamps and floor lamps.
Balcony furniture- if it gets warm enough to sit outside you can take a chair out- I say worry about this when the weather is better.
As far as the wall goes- this may also be improved by better weather but often if you want a job doing you have to do it yourself.
Fiona Blessed thanked Jonathan
Fiona Blessed
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you @jonathandb1972 thank yo for the good points.

I guess I will mix two whites you suggest to get a distinct color. Thanks for the tip. It is a rental I can't do much.

Why did I never think of a folding screen, that is a quick solution. Thank you for your decor advice.

Fingers crossed I get the keys soon and begin all the work. I am nervous and excited for this project.
Jonathan
7 years ago
To be clear I was not proposing mixing two paint colours together but using a soft white for the ceiling, and a slightly different neutral for the walls and another colour for the doors and woodwork
Fiona Blessed thanked Jonathan
londoncottage
7 years ago
First of all - what a lovely flat. I adore the parquet flooring!

Some suggestions to your questions:
1. Other advice here has been spot on.
2. This looks like a boiler of some sort (from your description it sounds like it is in a cupboard, rather than a room?). If you are going to box it in, be careful how you do it, depending on the type of boiler - safety first!
3. The other suggestions sound good here - wooden, rattan, metal all do well. All need to be protected/maintained against the elements. Keep wood painted, cover up any furniture when not in use during winter, etc
4. Lamps are a good option and not that expensive
5. It should have an extractor fan? You can use a portable dehumidifier, but it should have an extractor
6. Tricky one. My general experience is building owners tend not to listen to tenants, but will listen to the ones who pay service charge, i.e. Your landlord. Try finding out who owns the building and is in charge of maintenance and having a word with them. Could be they already have a plan to do it

Hope that helps - good luck!
Fiona Blessed thanked londoncottage
Fiona Blessed
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you @ljwalker

I did ask and true it is a boiler and it is just in an open small room. Given that the bedroom is small that is why i wanted to make the rest of the room a closet. If I use a screen like advised above it might work. Thanks for the safety tip reminder I will leave enough room for it to "breathe".

There is no extractor and the damage is on the walls. I will talk to landlord to find possible solution before I sign the contract.

Today I found a table lamp in a secondhand shop, I will revamp it with a good lamp shade.

Thank you.
Fiona Blessed
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you so much @ljwalker3 ; @mayfly182 and @Jonathan for your advice. I wanted to show you my progress and ow much your words of interior wisdom helped me to feel at home.

The landlord changed the heater/ and then I used patterned drapes for windows to provide privacy, they are not as transparent as the common white ones as i couldn't build a barricade on the terrace wall as per contract rules

Am still using floor lamps till an electrician comes by

I painted it all white ..cheapest option

But I notice there is humidity in one of the rooms and has already caused discoloration to the painted walls and no amount of room freshener can take away the smell. Have already asked Landlord to check it out.

Thank you so much below are some photos and feel free to give your advice before I take the post down

Theme: I wanted was to decorate with a few pieces like baskets from my home country but also include things I adore such as prints and patterns that are in the curtains/ cushions; color in flower vases and white (coffee table, bed linens, dishes) earth tones ( art pieces )

The 2 challenges i still need to deal with are the drapes for the door leading to the terrace, Windows and door glasses are at different levels, and I could not use long drapes on the window because that is where the heater is. I figured since it is the back door it can stay like that.

And then of course I forgot to measure the height of the fridge so it couldnt fit in its place in the kitchen!

And the lamps I still have to hang

because I thought it was an easy project of matching earth wire and green with green but not so.

Wall paper was removed and white color painted.

Behind the couch which I cropped i think in trying to merge the pictures, I still needed my reading chair and the sewing area

The bathroom I added a lace drape to the shower curtain to break the hospital feeling and added pumice stone/ candle holder

Because there isn't a window, I folded a few towels and placed them above the washing machine and standing rod
The kitchen color also changed from purple/ blue to white and will demolish upper shelf so that the fridge can fit in there.

Thanks and kid regards
londoncottage
6 years ago
It is looking lovely.
Fiona Blessed thanked londoncottage