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10 Creative Ways to Personalise Rented Hallways and Landings
Don’t let renting a home stand in the way of your design aspirations – try these landlord-friendly ideas for adding character to your hall
Rental contracts usually contain restrictions on how much you can alter or decorate your temporary home, and you may prefer not to invest too much in a place that you’ll be leaving shortly anyway. These two facts don’t mean, however, that you have to abandon your design aspirations and settle for what you see before you. With a pinch of imagination, you can transform your rented home, tackling even overlooked areas such as the hallway or landing, as these images demonstrate.
Style your stairs
Give your stairs some style by adding objects, collections or pretty pieces at the edges of the treads. From books to your most stylish shoes, or, as here, a row of matching lanterns, it’s easy and fun to style the stairs.
Give your stairs some style by adding objects, collections or pretty pieces at the edges of the treads. From books to your most stylish shoes, or, as here, a row of matching lanterns, it’s easy and fun to style the stairs.
Lay a runner
Runners are typically inexpensive, but do much to brighten and style a rented hallway or landing. Choose a woven cotton design that can be tossed into a washing machine for a quick clean if you’re being super-practical; hallways see a lot of traffic and runners can quickly become dirty.
Runners are typically inexpensive, but do much to brighten and style a rented hallway or landing. Choose a woven cotton design that can be tossed into a washing machine for a quick clean if you’re being super-practical; hallways see a lot of traffic and runners can quickly become dirty.
Bring your coat rack to life
Coat racks aren’t just for coats! Here, at the far end of this hallway, soft, voluminous plants have been suspended from hooks you might usually expect to find full of jackets and scarves.
Coat racks aren’t just for coats! Here, at the far end of this hallway, soft, voluminous plants have been suspended from hooks you might usually expect to find full of jackets and scarves.
Add an artwork
Just as with mirrors, making holes in the walls to hang art may not be possible in a rental home. Get round this by using an easel to show off a favourite piece, and position it so it makes a stylish statement in the entrance.
Just as with mirrors, making holes in the walls to hang art may not be possible in a rental home. Get round this by using an easel to show off a favourite piece, and position it so it makes a stylish statement in the entrance.
Hook up a curtain
Brighten up a drab hallway or landing and create a simple divide with a beautiful curtain. A couple of simple hooks and some stretchy curtain wire can support a length of fabric, which can be neatly hung to one side of the hallway. Use a tieback to keep the fabric tidy when the curtain is drawn back.
Brighten up a drab hallway or landing and create a simple divide with a beautiful curtain. A couple of simple hooks and some stretchy curtain wire can support a length of fabric, which can be neatly hung to one side of the hallway. Use a tieback to keep the fabric tidy when the curtain is drawn back.
Furnish practically
A bench is a hallway asset, providing somewhere to sit while pulling on shoes. Ditto a console table or sideboard, which can hold keys, gloves, sunglasses and the like without hogging space. Freestanding pieces like these are ideal in a rented pad, as they can, of course, move with you when you head to another home.
A bench is a hallway asset, providing somewhere to sit while pulling on shoes. Ditto a console table or sideboard, which can hold keys, gloves, sunglasses and the like without hogging space. Freestanding pieces like these are ideal in a rented pad, as they can, of course, move with you when you head to another home.
Source a practical coat stand
Hunt for a freestanding coatstand that can travel with you to other homes, providing helpful coat storage wherever you go. For a small hallway, choose one like this that stands flush to the wall and doesn’t eat too much into a narrow hallway space.
Check out these budget-friendly ideas for creating extra storage in a rented home
Hunt for a freestanding coatstand that can travel with you to other homes, providing helpful coat storage wherever you go. For a small hallway, choose one like this that stands flush to the wall and doesn’t eat too much into a narrow hallway space.
Check out these budget-friendly ideas for creating extra storage in a rented home
Decorate the door
Create a montage of favourite images, photos, invitations and postcards on the back of your rented home’s front door (use something like Blu-Tack, which should come off gloss paint easily). This idea is particularly effective in a small property, where the entrance opens directly onto living space and the door is always visible.
Create a montage of favourite images, photos, invitations and postcards on the back of your rented home’s front door (use something like Blu-Tack, which should come off gloss paint easily). This idea is particularly effective in a small property, where the entrance opens directly onto living space and the door is always visible.
Brighten a corner
Cheer up a dull corner on a landing or brighten a bland hallway by squeezing in a little styled tableau. Here, simple wooden crates are stacked to make an informal table for a vase and flowers.
Discover 11 great vintage buys to add instant character to your home
Cheer up a dull corner on a landing or brighten a bland hallway by squeezing in a little styled tableau. Here, simple wooden crates are stacked to make an informal table for a vase and flowers.
Discover 11 great vintage buys to add instant character to your home
Make use of macramé
On this landing, the residents have added a colourful macramé plant pot holder suspending an attractive trailing ivy. You could hang one in a hallway or landing on anything from a peg rail to a hook, nail or coatrack.
Do you have any ideas for improving a hallway or landing in a rented home? Share them in the Comments below.
On this landing, the residents have added a colourful macramé plant pot holder suspending an attractive trailing ivy. You could hang one in a hallway or landing on anything from a peg rail to a hook, nail or coatrack.
Do you have any ideas for improving a hallway or landing in a rented home? Share them in the Comments below.
Sponsored
A good mirror is a classic addition to any hallway – but there’s no need to fix it to your wall. Here, this huge vintage mirror merely leans against the wall, providing not only glamour, but also, of course, a place to check your appearance before leaving the house.
Originals like this one can be pricey, so if your budget doesn’t stretch, look out for a new, gilt-framed version at budget high street stores and customise it yourself with chalky white paint.