Katie Reynolds Design: Here are five ways to put your own stamp on a rental property

Local interior and garden designer Katie Reynolds Design gave us her top tips.

By Katie Reynolds

May 4 2023, 11:45 am

Katie Reynolds shares her top tips for making a rental house a home. Image: Katie Reynolds Design

With mortgage rates increasing, many renters are having to stay put for longer than they may have originally planned.

While this can be disheartening, there are ways to put your stamp on a rental property without leaving and trace of you ever being there when the time comes to move on.

Inverurie interior and garden designer Katie Reynolds of Katie Reynolds Design shares her top five tips and some of her recent projects with us so you can feel more at home in your home.

1. Freestanding furniture

Here I used a brass and wood freestanding shelving unit to inject personality into this room, styled with plants, books and ornaments. Image: Katie Reynolds Design

You want to make your rooms feel homely and reflect your style, but are restricted by what you can do in a rented property.

Freestanding furniture is a good solution; a set of shelving styled with your art, books and plants is a great way to inject personality into a room, as well as building up your collection of furniture for your future home when you move on.

2. Versatile pieces

A vintage stool is a great buy as it can be used in a number of ways, here I used it as a sofa side table. Image: Katie Reynolds Design

Before buying a piece of furniture, think about how it could be used in a future house. A vintage stool is a great purchase as it can be used as a sofa side table, extra seating or a bedside table, so you can definitely put it to good use in another home.

Likewise the choice of upholstery is a key consideration – a neutral coloured sofa or a classic leather armchair is going to look good in a number of different schemes and settings.

3. Sumptuous soft furnishings

I created a calming bedroom scheme with an upholstered headboard, bedside lampshade and cushions. Image: Katie Reynolds Design

Cushions, lampshades, upholstered headboards, curtains all elevate a scheme, adding texture, pattern and colour to the room. They are also pieces that you can take away with you.

Depending on your budget and DIY skills you can make them yourself, have them made for you, or buy on the high street and customise them with some trim or fringing.

Curtains can also have a contrasting border added to the bottom if they need to be lengthened in a future home.

4. Handles

I chose brass lacquered handles in this olive green kitchen. Image: Katie Reynolds Design

Having quality handles elevates a space by adding a touch of luxe to your home. It seems a subtle detail, but changing the handles on kitchen units, wardrobe doors or cupboards will make a real difference, you use them every day after all.

Just remember to keep the original ones so you can swap them back when you leave your rental property.

5. Garden pots

A row of terracotta planters and whisky barrels which I used to draw the eye though the garden. Image: Katie Reynolds Design

A home is defined by both your house and garden, and should be considered in unison to create a cohesive scheme. So don’t forget about your outdoor space whatever the size.

Pots are a great way to inject interest outside, whether it be a row of them leading the eye through a space, two framing the front door, or a window box to bring the outside in. Small trees, topiary, shrubs and bulbs all grow well in planters, and both the pots and plants can move with you into your next property.

Find out more about Katie Reynolds Design on Instagram and Facebook @katiereynoldsdesign or visit www.katiereynoldsdesign.co.uk.