Ask Audrey: Making the Old Look New Again

Dear Audrey: What Can You Do to Make an Updated Apartment Look New?

Just because you're renting doesn't mean you can't have a lovely space to live in. There are plenty of options - ranging from finishes to furnishings - that will adjust the look of your space without your landlord losing sleep.

Bedroom
Make small changes! Swap out your old Victorian or cheap Home Depot light fixture for something fresh and new. Have a tired Ikea bed frame like me? Stain it or paint it a different color. I used a dark minwax stain with some color for mine and, voila, it was like I had a brand new bed frame!

Kitchen
The last rental I lived in had a terrible kitchen with the sink facing the wall and all of the action happening behind me. Instead of updating it with a tile backsplash, I used a mirror. I’ve also been seeing a lot of people using picture frames as backsplashes - anything’s more fun than looking at a blank wall. Try a vintage frame painted in your favorite accent color or a mirror if you too like to see what’s going on in the other room.

You could also update grungy old appliances with a stainless steel paint (though you should ask your landlord first on this). They may not be new appliances, but they’ll give your kitchen a whole new look! Finally, change out the kitchen faucet or install different cabinet handles for inexpensive options that your landlord is likely to agree to.

Living Room
Change your curtains. Get a new lampshade. Paint the walls. Update your light switches. The beige mismatched switches and plates that come standard in most rentals drive me crazy. There are plenty of DIY tutorials on how to make the switch and really change the look of the place.

Bathroom
Again, a new faucet could make a big splash for the overall look! Get a modern fixture or go for something one notch up from the contractor's special that was initially installed. Then get matching bath accessories. It used to drive me crazy that most rentals had mismatched hooks, towel holders, and faucets in the bathroom. If you’re on a budget, you can even find matched stuff like this in salvage yards, so look around. Even better, pieces like towel rods and cabinet handles often have the same spacing so you can reuse the holes in your wall instead of drilling and patching.

That's all for now, happy sprucing!