Upgrade Your Rental .....

A few days ago I bumped into a talented actress friend who lives in my hood. We were both out running errands and passed each other at the intersection. I was wearing a dapper little outfit carrying my reusable grocery bag with kale poking out and she was wearing yoga pants and toque as she flitted from ballet class to the subway. As we passed she flashed a big smile and said “you don’t even own a pair of sweat pants, do you?” . Well, she was right and hardly the first to say this to me.


The reason for my general fabulosity is my company Design Mantra I bring up in every blog post: Keep Striving to Live the Well Designed Life. It’s important that I walk the walk. How can I tell a Client they simply must have $5000 of custom draperies if I live in a hovel dressed like a professional skateboarder who can’t get a sponsor? It got me thinking about what the Well Designed Life means to me and what I want for Clients and readers. It’s my belief that everyone deserves to live in a beautiful home that reflects them, even people who (think) they can’t afford it. When I first moved out on my own, I was always gussying up apartments into showrooms. It’s the start of how I got here. So I thought this post I’d give some budget savvy advice to all you renters or cash strapped owners who want to improve their home without going neck deep into debt. Here are a few of my top tips to improve your space on a budget.

FURNITURE

If you’re moving in to your first pad, you’re gonna need furniture. This often means a trip to Ikea. Maybe you’ve nabbed a couch in the Self Serve or a slightly dirty floor model in the As Is or inherited a gently used Gerflukenhurken from a friend. It’ll do you for a while but here’s a great secret about upholstery goods from Ikea : BEMZ.COM. Bemz is an online retailer who has all the patterns for Ikea slipcovered items both past and present. You go to their site, find your item, choose a fabric from their wide selection, click to photoshop it on, order and have it shipped to your door in three weeks. A new slipcover for a standard three seat sofa is about $275CAN. They recently started selling furniture legs as well you can swap out on your piece for a new look. I’ve used them myself and they’re great.

Another great budget friendly place for furniture is Structube. They have a great selection of items that are decently made and inexpensive requiring assembly and are a step up from Ikea. What’s also great is you order your items and they arrive in a few days for pick up or delivery and they’ll hold your items for 30 days. Also, their delivery charge is a flat rate whether it’s for one item or a hundred. They also have some great knock offs of mid century modern pieces at a fraction of the cost you can’t tell from the originals.

TILES

If you’ve got a kitchen or bathroom with an ugly, or no, backsplash one of the best things for you is Smart Tiles. Smart Tiles are peel and stick sheets of gel filled 3D Tiles you can cut with scissors and stick on your wall or on top of existing tiles. Super fast. Super easy. And adhere until you remove them with the heat of a hairdryer. They can even go behind a stove (but not in a shower as the steam dissolves the glue). I’ve used these myself. They look amazing, took little effort or time to install and you can’t tell they’re not the real thing. You can easily do a backsplash in a kitchen for about $150 installed in about an hour and they have very updated, on trend patterns like subway tile, herringbone, circles, etc. Available on their website or at many hardware stores.

PAINT

Paint is without a doubt the best tool in anyone’s decorating arsenal. It’s really inexpensive and has the most impact for your dollar. Not only can you paint your walls but you can update an old piece of furniture or even your crappy kitchen cupboards (check with your landlord first if you rent). Be sure to speak to your paint professional before you start. 80% of a great paint job is proper prep work be it taping, sanding, cleaning. The staff at your favourite paint store can advise you on all of that and what paints will work best for your job.


So I hope that gives you some inspiration to create the home you deserve no matter what stage of ownership you’re in. These are just a few of the creative solutions Designers have, so don’t be afraid to contact us if you need a little help. Thanks for reading and check back for more blog posts. Until then, keep striving to live the Well Designed Life.


Steve