45 Decorating Tips That'll Make Renters Think "I Wish I'd Known About This Sooner"
Promising review: "This bracket is awesome and was extremely easy to install. We were able to hang curtains over our vertical blinds in just a few minutes and didn't even need any tools. Great product!!!" —Amazon Customer
Get a set of two from Amazon for $19.95 (also available in more colors and as outside brackets).
Amazon
Trust me, it won't look weird! Just remember to account for that extra needed length when buying curtains.
Get two curtain panels from Amazon for $32.99+ (available in two sizes and five curtain patterns).
Amazon
Promising review: "I knew I wanted something to finish off my bench seat windows. These blinds were not only easy to install, but I am impressed with the quality and how easy it is to raise and lower them. I think all four were out of the box and installed in 15 minutes. Offers light filtering, which is perfect for my needs. If I want to take them down for my holiday garland, it will be super easy to remove and put back up after the holiday." —doug huntley
Get each panel from Amazon for $51.99+ (available in seven styles and a range of sizes).
Amazon
The sandy-look wax looks fresh every time you burn your candle, so you don't have to worry about tunneling or weird burn patterns like with traditional jarred wax candles. Each wick is good for about 12 hours of burn time.
Foton is a small biz specializing in pearled candle wax kits.
Promising review: "Ordered this because I had a cute container that I could not find a candle to fit in. This allows you to make a candle out of anything!! Smells amazing too!" —Jill Dean
Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in 18 oz or 9 lbs., six scents, and unscented).
This kit comes with separate-to-apply elements, so it'll work on a variety of window dimensions. If this isn't quite your style, there are lots of other stained glass window decals and window cling styles.
Promising review: "These stained glass decals worked great on the fireplace windows in my early 1900s bungalow. If you get up close, or look at them from the outside, it's pretty obvious they aren't real, but you'd have to be looking really closely. Don't forget to buy one package of caming lines for each set of decals, you'll need it. If you're someone who gets stressed about applying sticky things, or making things straight, don't worry too much about it. I am really bad at that stuff typically and I found it really easy. Wash your windows first, measure so you have a rough idea of where to put the center decal, and keep some scissors on hand to cut the caming. It's easy and so cool! Our house already has a lot of 'old house charm' so these fit in perfectly." —Linds
Get it from Amazon for $9.40.
Promising review: "I have a weird skinny window in my house where no normal window covering works. People walking on our community trail can see up into our upstairs bathroom when the light is on and it's dark outside. Not a good plan at all. So I used this window film and cut different-sized circles and placed them on this window to interrupt the view into the house. Worked perfectly! Very easy to use." —Marsgard
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in 14 sizes and four colors).
Poplight
See how it works in this TikTok. Also, it was featured on Shark Tank!
Get it from Poplight for $99 (available in seven colors; also available in a set of two or three lights, plus everything you need for installation).
Chelsea Stuart / BuzzFeed
Tulip is a small biz from Lori Smyth. Her inspiration? The drab lighting in a college dorm! Her innovative design requires no re-wiring, no power tools, no nothing! Check out the different styles and how easily they install via Tulip's TikTok.
My colleague Chelsea Stuart has tried and loves this: "I just had a chance to try one of these and I am simply OBSESSED. I live in NYC in a rental and I have a really drab light in my kitchen that even an electrician couldn't get off of the ceiling without breaking... so I gave up on replacing it right after I moved in. Alas, fast forward a year and I found Tulip on TikTok! Instantly, I thought 1. This is absolutely genius and 2. How has no one come up with this before?!?!
"Installing" it (installing makes it seem way more involved than it is) took all of 10 minutes and that includes removing it from the box, Command Strip-ing the ring to the ceiling, and then popping the magnetic shade in place. (Honestly, the thing that took me the longest was fishing my step stool out of the depths of my junk closet.) Not only is the shade itself beautiful, but the diffused light is just so soft and pretty. I can't wait to get another one for my entryway!!!"
Promising review: "I have been searching for a paper lamp or replacement for my current apartment lights, but they either wouldn't fit or it would require too much effort that my landlord wouldn't appreciate. That's when I came across Tulip. I can't be more blunt than this — you literally Command Strip the ring to the ceiling and the shade attaches via magnet... seriously ingenious." —Oliver O.
What's included: Ceiling mount, Tulip shade, 12x removable tape, and 3x screws (as needed for textured ceiling applications).
Get it from Tulip for $124+ (available with or without mount; check out other styles here).
Promising review: "We moved into our new home, and the shower had a really yellow grout. Cleaning didn’t do anything, and I saw this grout pen online. What a saver! Otherwise, I would have just hired someone to replace my shower. I used this grout pen, and my husband was so impressed :D The tip loses its shape fast, but just pull out the TIP AND FLIPPED IT OVER, and you’ll have a new tip." —jennifer
Get it from Amazon for $8.99 (available in two styles).
Promising review: "I have never been so excited about a slipcover. Total transformation of our couch and love seat. I was worried about it not working on our leather couch, but it stays on really well due to the straps and the separate cushion covers. LOVE." —Brian/Liz
Get it from Amazon for $32.49+ (available in five sizes and 20 colors).
Promising review: "Before and after putting it on. I couldn’t be happier. This chair has been through and lot and I just wasn’t ready to pry with it. The cover was easy to put in and so soft." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $21.99+ (available in 10 sizes and 21 solid colors).
Promising review: "These arrived yesterday and they was so easy for me to put on. Only took about 10 minutes for six chairs. From nasty white chairs to a nice gray and white cover. I LOVE THESE SO MUCH THAT I WILL BIY MORE TO CHANGE OUT MY COLORS FOR CHRISTMAS TIME AND ALL HOLIDAYS. Well worth the price we payed. I’m in love with my new chairs now. IT WAS MY HUSBANDS IDEA FOR ME TO BUY MORE. ❤️" —lisa browning
Get six from Amazon for $45.99+ (available in 31 solid colors and prints and in four-packs).
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Reviewers note that using this may darken the leather, so keep that in mind!
Promising review: "Excellent product! So happy I tried it! I wore kitchen gloves and smoothed a thin layer of the product all over the couch, instead using of the cloth. Went way faster and I didn’t waste product soaked up by the cloth." —Kristie
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in three sizes).
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "So easy to set up! All you do is peel tape and adhere to a CLEAN and DRY door. Also looks great, I don't even notice it. I had a huge gap under my door. I could smell and hear everything from the hallway. Smells, drafts, and sound all are less of an issue now." —Brit B.
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in four colors).
Amazon
Promising review: "This isn’t a couch you sink into immediately, but it breaks into the perfect firmness, and the pillows are great. It’s the perfect shade of off-white and a good linen texture that doesn’t get dirty easily. I’m a petite woman, and I successfully got this couch assembled by myself, but it’s super sturdy and has held up so far after six months of use! This has been perfect for my tiny apartment." —Marisa ValeCruz
Get it from Amazon for $344.47+ (available in three colors and also as a loveseat).
Promising review: "Oh, she’s cute all right. Really great piece, well made, super comfy, and love that it’s designed for small spaces. The ottoman tucks away perfectly! I’m in love with it more than I thought I would be. One thing to note is don’t lean super forward...the chair isn’t very heavy to begin with so if you lean too far forward, the chair will tip forward with you. Other than that, it’s perfect!" —Rosanne Chan
Get it from Amazon for $260.42+ (available in two colors).
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Absolutely awesome. Everyone asks if it came with the apartment. Put it together in no time and installed it without any help. Love it!" —Kalahari
Get it from Amazon for $115.35+ (available in five finishes).
Amazon
Promising review: "I did a lot of looking around for the perfect ottoman and finally saw this one; the price was pretty good, a lot lower than others I had looked at. The legs screwed right on, no problem! It actually holds quite a bit. I can get two big couch cushions or a full-size throw blanket in it. My 2-year-old climbs in it quite a bit, and the bottom is sturdy and holds her with no problem. The top can accommodate two people’s feet at one time, and you can definitely use it to sit on no problem!" —Tomeucci
Get it from Amazon for $79.96+ (available in 12 colors).
Amazon
Space is key and if you have the tops turned over onto their tray sides before someone comes into your apartment, they won't be able to see all the crap you've stuffed inside the ottoman!
Promising review: "I bought this because I have a small apartment and every other coffee table/ottoman I saw seemed so big for the space. This is perfect! Has nice storage space inside, and is cute and sturdy looking on the outside." —AJ
Get it from Amazon for $92.64+ (available in six colors).
And when you move or change your mind, you can easily remove or reposition it!
Promising review: "I bought this to do a little update to a dishwasher I didn't want to replace since it is fairly new. I simply added a piece of it to a black dishwasher and it really helped to tie it in with our other new stainless/black appliances. It's been on for over a month and is holding up perfectly." —KFran
Get an 18-inch x 6-foot roll from Amazon for $12.74 (also available in a six-pack).
Amanda / Amazon / Via www.amazon.com, Amazon Customer / Amazon / Via www.amazon.com
FYI, it installs like a regular outlet cover. Of course except with the wonderful shelf. Can also be installed so the shelf is below the outlet.
Promising review: "I absolutely love this thing! I have much less clutter on my sink thanks to this. If there's anyone not sure if it will fit due to an object, all you need is 1.25 inches of space between the edge of your existing outlet plate and the piece of furniture. I have a GFCI with a standard wall plate." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in four colors and in packs of two and four).
Amazon
This is also a better option than an organizer that hangs over your faucet because the weight of those can mess with your water flow!
Promising review: "This fits our sink perfectly! It's not too big and holds a sponge and two bottles of soap. We have a standard apartment sink and it fits perfectly, it also holds very well. We have it suctioned on the sink not the counter." —Erin Johnson
Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
Promising review: "I can't believe how well Old English works! I recently purchased a home where a dog previously lived and had horribly scratched the woodwork. I thought I may have to sand and refinish the woodwork around two doors. Old English saved me a lot of work! " —Behold Behold!
Get a three-pack from Amazon for $21.40.
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Enhances the natural beauty and depth of grain on finished *and* unfinished wood. For use on antiques, dining tables, kitchen cabinets, wood doors and trim, etc.
Promising review: "Very impressed so far. Just tried this stuff on one of our kitchen cabinets and it really did a nice job. The cabinets are 15-year-old cherry-stained hard work cabinets (oak, maybe?) and are scratched deeply in certain parts from the previous owner's dogs. 20 minutes after applying this product and wiping it off, I can't complain at all about the results. It looks great in the picture, and even better in real life where you are not focusing on staring at imperfections. In addition to helping tremendously with the blemishes, it also leaves a nice glossy shine on the cabinets, making them look clean and fresh (not over the top glossy and fake). For the minimal price, I can't complain at all. Finally, I used about a 1/3 of an ounce to do the 36" double base cabinets and the 36" wide drawer, so I believe the 16-oz bottle will last quite a while." —Patrick Gallagher
Get it from Amazon for $9.97+ (available in three styles).
Amazon
Promising review: "It was always a pain to reach down the side of my bed to reach my chargers, not to mention the wad of cables I’d have to sift through just to charge my phone. I finally searched for a solution and came across these. They’re great! They’re really easy to stick on and they stay in place. I haven’t had an issue of them falling off. Whenever I need to charge a device they’re right next to me, easy to reach and untangled. I definitely recommend!" —Nelis Perez
Get a six-pack from Amazon for $6.97.
Amazon
Covogoods is a Utah-based shop that specializes in storage solutions.
Get it from Covogoods on Amazon Handmade for $29 (available in a variety of colors and sizes).
Amazon
Promising review: "Easy to use, matches my wall color perfectly. Love the way it looks and how it hides my cords." —Devron Wall
Get it from Amazon for $30.36+ (available in 22 colors).
Amazon
Seriously though, the folks who live below you will thank you for the extra cushioning for foot falls!
Get it from Amazon for $20.99+ (available in nine color combos and a variety of sizes).
Amazon
Even the minimalists should get on board with this. Just go for one with clean lines like this one! I went a few years without one and then was floored by the difference it made in hiding all the stuff I shove under my bed. And I store A LOT of stuff under my bed!
Promising review: "I could not get it to fit right at first for some reason. Probably because I was having a bad week and wanted something to be angry about. When I was in a better state of mind I got it and laughed at how simple it was. Fits well and covers the mess I am hiding now that I went up to a king." —Dennis E. Marquardt
Get it from Amazon for $8.49+ (available in 10 colors and sizes twin–California king).
Amazon
Also, if you can't find an exact measurement match for your throw pillows, you can go down a couple of inches: The pillows will just look overstuffed, like you spent a couple of hundos on them.
Get the two-pack from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in 42 colors and 10 sizes).
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "These are so much fun! We ordered the small size, which fits standard hardback books (approximately 5–7 hardbacks in my experience). They're a great way to add some extra storage to our very small home, and we've placed them in our hallway so people ask us about them all the time. I'd highly recommend!" —LaBuenaVidaMere
Get a set of three from Amazon for $30.99+ (available in two finishes and two sizes).
Promising review: "Awesome quality! Less expensive than purchasing in store. Perfect height for what I needed. I purchased the basket from Amazon as, well. Everyone compliments this plant when they come over!" —Ashley McTaggart
Get it from Amazon for $29.90.
macraYAYmacrame / Etsy
macraYAYmacrame is an Indianapolis, Indiana-based shop that makes a variety of cool macrame accessories.
Promising review: "Beautiful and functional! This is the perfect addition to our beachy kitchen. We spray painted the hooks matte black to match our other hardware. It’s so cute!" —Melissa Wilkes
Get it from macraYAYmacrame on Etsy for $33.
Amazon
Reviewers note that this doesn't give you the funhouse-like effect some cheaper full-length mirrors do.
Get it from Amazon for $51.70. And check out a smaller option for $69.95
If you crave a pedestal table but need room for *other* essentials, like a dang bed, this is your answer.
Promising review: "I love this table!!!! It's perfect for my small space; I've been looking at this for a while And finally caved, And I'm so glad that I did!! Easy assembly, as well! If you are contemplating, DO IT, you won’t regret it!!!!" —Alayna
Get the table from Amazon for $95.99+ (available in four colors).
Promising review: "This is exactly what we needed! They stay in place, are easy to clean, and are a great value for the money. The only downside is that my cat is oddly obsessed with them." —Sara Coranado
Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in two wood finishes).
Elizabeth Lilly
And if you're especially petty, you can copy my move of saving said switch plates with a piece of marked duct tape so you know where you put 'em when you leave. This was one of the first things I did in my current apartment, thus rendering the switch plates barely noticeable — which is how I like them!
Get a 10-pack of plates for plugged outlets for $8.29+ (available in six finishes and three sizes) and a variety of switch plates from Amazon.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "I have an outlet outlet above our mantel that’s meant for a wall-mounted TV. We have a large painting covering it. We wanted to use the plug to power two Wi-Fi speakers on the long mantle. The thinness of the plug is perfect behind the painting. The power strip is hidden by a mantle clock. So, we have our two speakers to either side and no visible wires. This product may not work for every application, but for us, it’s 10 stars." —Amazon since '97
Get it from Amazon for $27.95+ (available in two lengths).
Elizabeth Lilly / BuzzFeed
I use this trick in my own home! I'm a FIEND when it comes to finding old wall art that's a bit creepy or dark at flea markets, antique malls, and just about anywhere else, and this technique helps me create a somewhat cohesive look with all my various finds. Since I took this pic in April 2021, I've added on about seven or eight pieces with my newspaper templates. (I use the newspaper that my wall art was wrapped up in when I bought it.)
Promising review: "I. AM. Shook! The previous tenant kept this apartment NASTY. I moved in the day he moved out and was scrubbing this nasty drain for months to no avail. I let this sit for an hour and came back just to peek and wow. The difference is crazy. Now I feel better about taking baths in my own home. Amazing. 9/10 because the instructions says rub lightly. I tried that way first and almost thought it was a dub (Meaning it wouldn’t work lol) But it definitely worked after letting it sit." —Julia R.
Get it from Amazon for $26.13+.
Amazon
Promising review: "It adds a feminine touch to my living room and keeps my 70-year-old chair clean when the dog gets on it." —Mimi
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in eight colors and six sizes).
Eucalyptus Blooms / Etsy
It's put together and sold by Eucalyptus Blooms, a small woman-owned shop based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Read more about aromatherapy and stress and tension at Johns Hopkins.
Promising review: "Exceeded my expectations!!! I received my bundle quickly and it was packaged well. Very fragrant and I appreciated the hook that was included with the bundle to hang it right in my shower. I am definitely enjoying the aroma of eucalyptus as I shower." —Mcjunkinst
Get it from Eucalyptus Blooms for $12.79+ (available in four sizes).
Promising review: "I used this adhesive film to turn two cheap IKEA tables into less cheap looking IKEA tables because I'm not made of money, but I would like others to believe I am. Super simple to use and you get a ton of it for the price. I was really pleased overall. The pattern actually looks like marble, not a weird pixel-y repetitive pattern so that's great as well. Also it was delivered same day which was miraculous as my DIY initiative tends to fade approximately 48 hours after I discover a project I want to do." —Spencer House
Get it from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in six sizes and six colors).
Promising review: "I ordered these just to determine if we really needed under cabinet lighting. I really wasn't expecting much because of the price. It is very easy to install, with five levels of brightness with the included remote control, timers for on and off, and a manual on/off switch in the connecting wiring if you don't use the remote. Standard 2025 button battery for the remote. I really don't know how they can be sold for the price I paid. Also received in two days. The photo was taken in a very dark kitchen. Updated: I ordered two more packages to finish the lighting required. The electrical plug is much better since it does not stick out from the wall so far. Very pleased with these units." —Anthony E Spearman
Get three 12-inch lights from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in four colors and six-packs).
Food52
Promising review: "This is the rug I never knew I needed! I took a chance as it was on sale and am so happy I did — it has great cushion, is easy to clean, and looks fantastic!" —Kelly K
Get it from Food52 for $63+ (available in two sizes and four color combos).
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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