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A Veranda report shares five designers’ strategies for making a rental feel more personal without committing to major, unauthorized renovations. Fran Keenan and Mackin Thompson recommend designing around the apartment, discussing possible changes with the landlord, investing in portable window treatments and furniture, and spending selectively on temporary fixes.
Veranda has published five designer-backed strategies for making a rental feel more like home without relying on major renovations that could violate a lease. Designers Fran Keenan and Mackin Thompson advise renters to assess the space they have, ask landlords about changes, and prioritize items that can move with them.
The advice starts with the apartment’s actual conditions rather than an idealized design image. Renters should consider room size, available light, and access points before choosing furniture or decor. A compact living room, for example, may work better with a smaller sofa and movable chairs than with a large sectional. In a dim bedroom, layered lighting may address a practical need more directly than another decorative object.
Thompson also suggests that renters do not need to correct every feature they dislike. Instead, they can identify what already works and build around it. For changes that go beyond decorating, such as painting cabinets, changing a light fixture, or adding trim, the designers recommend asking the landlord for permission rather than assuming the work is forbidden or proceeding without approval.
For upgrades, Keenan points to window treatments: ready-made curtains can be improved with details such as pinch pleats or rings. Thompson says curtains can help a room feel finished while remaining portable. She also recommends avoiding heavy spending solely to hide an unchangeable feature, and putting more of the budget toward pieces with lasting use and personality, including antiques and adaptable furniture.
Spend on Comfort That Moves
The recommendations address a common renter’s constraint: making a home comfortable without assuming that permanent changes are allowed or worthwhile. A plan based on the room’s dimensions and light can help renters avoid purchases that do not suit the space, while seeking landlord approval can prevent misunderstandings about alterations.
The approach also treats furniture and decor as investments that may outlast one lease. Portable curtains, lamps, tables, and seating can serve in a later home, making them different from expensive fixes that only conceal a rental’s permanent features. The designers’ advice is practical guidance, not a promise that every landlord will approve changes or that every purchase will suit a future space.
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Designing Around a Lease
The Veranda report frames rental decorating as a balance between personal taste and limits on what a tenant can change. Floors, lighting, and wall colors may be outside a renter’s control, and the source advises against treating every mismatch as a renovation project. Instead, it centers on five related choices: study the apartment first, talk with the landlord, improve window treatments, limit spending on temporary fixes, and select pieces that can travel.
The report attributes the recommendations to interior designers Fran Keenan and Mackin Thompson. Keenan describes using IKEA linen drapes in her daughter’s apartment; that example illustrates one option, rather than a requirement or a claim that a particular product suits every rental. The source does not provide cost estimates, lease-specific legal guidance, or a survey of renter experiences.
“I don’t think you need to fix everything. Sometimes you just need to find the things that are already good and just give them a little more love.”
— Mackin Thompson, designer, as quoted by Veranda
Permission and Costs Vary
The report does not say whether the designers’ suggested changes were approved by landlords in specific cases, or whether approval would require written permission, restoration at move-out, or other conditions. Renters’ rights and responsibilities depend on their lease and applicable local rules, so the advice to ask does not establish what any individual tenant may legally change.
It also gives no budget ranges, product comparisons, or measurements for choosing curtains and furniture. Whether an investment is practical will depend on the rental’s layout, the renter’s plans, and the ability to transport items to a future home. The source offers design guidance rather than legal or financial advice.
Check the Lease Before Changes
Renters considering anything beyond removable decor can first review their lease, then ask the landlord what is permitted and whether approval should be documented. They can measure rooms, doorways, and windows before buying larger pieces, and set a budget that distinguishes portable furnishings from changes tied to the current apartment.
The report does not announce a follow-up project or policy change. Its immediate takeaway is a planning sequence: assess the space, confirm the limits, then spend on improvements that support daily life and may remain useful after a move.
Key Questions
What are the five ways designers suggest making a rental feel like home?
The report recommends designing around the apartment’s actual features, asking the landlord about possible changes, improving window treatments, limiting spending on temporary fixes, and choosing pieces that can move to a future home.
Should renters ask before painting cabinets or changing a light fixture?
Yes. Thompson advises asking the landlord about changes such as painting cabinets, replacing a light fixture, or adding trim. The report does not say that landlords must approve them, so renters should check their lease and get the terms clear before work begins.
How can renters improve curtains without replacing them?
Keenan suggests adding pinch pleats or hanging ready-made curtains from rings. The report presents these as ways to give off-the-rack curtains a more finished appearance.
Where do the designers suggest spending more of a decorating budget?
Thompson favors items that add personality and can work in more than one home, such as a sofa, chair, lamp, table, or antique. She advises against spending heavily just to disguise a feature that cannot be changed.
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