creative workspaceMost of us live in a rented apartment, town home, or home at one point or another, where we must adapt to living by landlord standards. As a renter, you have less freedom to change up the look of your home, and any form of decoration must be done without sustaining any damage. Do you live in a rental and hope to spruce up your walls with some wall art? Here are some tips to ensuring that your walls stay damage free in the process.

Use removable adhesive.

Fortunately for renters, many varieties of removable adhesive are available that allow you to “hang” artwork on your walls without risking creating holes or tearing off paint. Some removable adhesive comes in the form of a stick of adhesive putty that you tear off as you need it. For hanging heavier pieces of artwork and anything with a frame, you’ll need double-sided tape, or wall strips that incorporate velcro for removable hanging. Note that you can do more than hang artwork with removable adhesives; you can also attach lightweight hooks to your wall.

Use a hair dryer for residue.

Most removable adhesives will pull away from your wall without leaving residue, but there is always the risk of some residue being left behind as you take down your wall decor. In these situations, hold a hair dryer over the problem area for about 30 seconds to heat and melt the adhesive. Then, use a damp washcloth to gently rub away the adhesive until it is gone completely.

Try removable wallpaper.

Did you know that many wallpaper manufacturers are now creating self-adhesive, removable varieties of wallpaper, specially made for renters? This trend in wallpaper is fortunately on the rise, meaning more and more attractive wallpaper designs are becoming available to renters. Some companies even allow you to design your own peel and stick wallpaper for purchase.

Make up for plain walls with fun decor.

You might not be able to paint the walls in your rental, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t introduce color in other ways. Consider framing large pieces of decorative wallpaper for hanging, or painting your furniture for unexpected touches of color. Textiles, an accent rug, a well-stocked bookshelf—you have a variety of techniques at your disposal that will more than make up for plain white walls.

Spackle as needed.

It’s always a good idea to be prepared just in case you do find holes or torn-off paint while examining your walls. Spackling is usually just a matter of sanding down the problem area, applying a thin coat of spackling paste with a wall knife, and sanding once more once the paste has dried.

Keeping Your Rental Walls Damage-Free