Tuesday, October 4, 2011 How to be a renter when you own(ed) a house...
Hi lovelies! How is your week been thus far? We have been thinking a lot about how to be a renter. We are giving up our 6,200 square foot home to move into a more modest model in good 'ol Cali. We aren't quite ready to sell our little love nest, so we will be renting her out while we rent a new pad across the USA. It took us a while to put holes in the walls and in a house we own, so we wonder what it will be like when what we do to our new place won't really be "ours". We wonder what our renters will do to our home. Will they want to paint? Will they put holes in the wall? It got us worried, and excited, and researching. Here are some renter-friendly picks we decided would be that happy medium of making our new house a home.
Let's start with the walls. To me the walls are the most heart breaking part of renting. Make them cool, and you are all set. Get stuck with how they come, it could be a drag. I don't know "who we will be" when we move to LA. Right now we are a little British-Cowboy-Silly, and with the shopping I have done in LA I am not seeing a lot of what we have been doing in our 1930's tutor. I am thinking a little retro when we move. Which is so funny because that was our apartment in Williamsburg. Totally 70's.
I am wondering. Can I get into something like this:
Tempaper has the right idea. Non-committal wallpaper. Seems comforting to know you can wallpaper a rental and then take it down without the drama of wallpaper glue. I honestly wish they had a larger selection because they have sold me on their product, just not their designs. Could I relax and get into something more fun like the ones above?
I don't know if I could get away with this. Not because I don't love it to the moon and back, but because Joey has strong opinions and I have a feeling he wouldn't let this fly. Each panel is 24 inches wide x 120 inches high and only $80. I was surprised to find this super cute shop, Wallpaper Dolls on Etsy to say the least. Maybe I can get away with it in my office, or how cute would this be in a guest bathroom?!
Nate Burkus had the right idea when we showed us how to make "wallpaper" out of fabric, and I even found a great Apartment Therapy article to show me how.
I am pretty sure a room or two will boast this fabric wallpaper scenario. I have always loved this print from Orla Kiely, and would be smitten to walk into my foyer faced with this every day:
A little less pricey, this option would go in the bedroom:
Look familiar? It's the fabric from our guest room. I kinda crush it big time.
We know for sure there will be some stencil action again. Right now we have our eyes on these guys:
You can find them at Cutting Edge Stencils, which btw, we have a giveaway going on right now! You can also get 10% off with code JLana!
It's kinda funny how into wall coverings I am, considering we haven't even found the "perfect" neighborhood to move to. I remember renting in Brooklyn and being too scared to do anything to the walls. I am excited there are now renters wallpaper options. It will make things feel more homey for sure.
Have you every tried temporary wall paper? Have you lived to tell the tale? We want to hear all about the good and the bad!
Reader Comments (6)
Congrats!!! I need to get down there to visit you.
xo,
cristin
I just moved from Boston to San Diego into a smaller apartment I couldn't paint... The downsizing has been hard and the non-paint situation was really rough at first, but then you just start thinking more and more outside of the box! It's definitely starting to feel like home :)
I can't wait to see what you do!
Some one last week posted about this inn my blog roll - sorry I can't find the link for you. I did google this for you though... http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/how-to/how-to-make-removable-fabric-wallpaper-074483 or http://thehappyhomeblog.com/?p=2306
I hope these inspire you!
@cristin yes please!
@jen yes! we are excited to see what we do too! haha!
@adalita thanks so much!!!!