TL;DR
Veranda’s report gathers five rental-design tips from designers Fran Keenan and Mackin Thompson: work with the apartment’s actual limits, ask the landlord before making changes, and prioritize flexible upgrades. The designers recommend spending on pieces and window treatments that can move with you, rather than costly fixes for features you cannot change.
Veranda has published five rental-design tips from designers Fran Keenan and Mackin Thompson, focused on making a rented home feel more personal without major renovations. Their advice is to plan around the apartment’s real constraints, discuss larger changes with the landlord, and prioritize updates and furnishings that can move with the renter.
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The designers’ first recommendation is to assess the apartment before choosing a design direction. Room size, natural light, doorways and lease terms can affect what will work. Veranda’s report gives the example of choosing a compact sofa and movable chairs for a small living room, or adding layered lighting to a dim bedroom instead of trying to conceal every flaw. “I don’t think you need to fix everything,” Thompson says, advising renters to identify what already works and build on it.
Second, ask the landlord about possible changes rather than assuming every alteration is prohibited. Thompson says a landlord may agree to changes such as painting cabinets, replacing a light fixture or adding trim, particularly when a renter plans to stay. Permission is not guaranteed, and renters should get approval before proceeding with work that could affect the property or lease.
The remaining tips concern where to put a decorating budget. Keenan recommends improving off-the-rack curtains with details such as pinch pleats or rings; she says she has used IKEA linen drapes in her daughter’s apartment. Thompson says window treatments can make a room feel finished and can be taken to another home. She also advises against spending heavily to disguise an unchangeable feature, suggesting modest changes such as cabinet hardware instead. Finally, choose durable, adaptable furniture—including sofas, chairs, lamps and tables—that can suit a future home.
Spending on a Home You May Leave
The advice speaks to a practical challenge for renters: how to make a home feel personal without investing as if they own it. The designers’ approach separates reversible styling from changes that need permission, while asking renters to weigh an item’s usefulness beyond the current lease. That can help avoid spending heavily on a temporary workaround or buying furnishings that become unusable after a move.
The recommendations are design guidance, not a guarantee that a landlord will approve alterations or that an investment will retain its value. Their central point is to spend selectively: improve the experience of living in the space now, but favor purchases that can adapt later.
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Five Tips From Two Designers
The source is a Veranda report featuring Keenan and Thompson, not a study of rental costs or a change in housing rules. Its five suggestions are to start with the apartment itself, talk to the landlord, invest in window treatments, avoid overspending on temporary fixes, and select pieces that can move with the renter.
The advice addresses common rental constraints described in the report, including floors, lighting and wall colors that renters may not choose. It does not offer a universal budget or prescribe a specific design style. Decisions depend on the room, the renter’s plans and the terms of the lease.
““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
Lease Terms and Costs Vary
The report does not specify how much the suggested changes cost, how often landlords approve them, or which upgrades are suitable for every rental. It also does not provide details about the renters’ lease terms or the properties discussed. The examples are designer recommendations, not evidence that a particular update will raise a home’s value or suit every tenant.
Renters should check their lease and seek written permission where needed before painting, replacing fixtures or adding trim. Whether a landlord will approve a change, and whether the renter must restore the space when moving out, remains specific to the property and agreement.
Check Before Making Changes
For renters considering an update, the immediate next step is to review the lease and contact the landlord before doing work that alters the property. Then assess practical constraints—such as room dimensions, light and whether furniture can fit through the entry—and decide which purchases can serve beyond the current home.
The Veranda report does not announce a follow-up project or policy change. Its advice leaves the final choices to renters, who can adapt the suggestions to their budget, lease and plans for their next move.
Key Questions
What are the five ways designers suggest making a rental feel like home?
The report recommends starting with the apartment’s actual conditions, asking the landlord about changes, investing selectively in window treatments, avoiding expensive fixes for features that cannot be changed, and choosing furnishings that can move to a future home.
Should renters ask permission before painting or changing a fixture?
Yes. Thompson advises renters to ask the landlord rather than assume a change is allowed. Check the lease and get approval before altering cabinets, fixtures or trim; the report does not say that landlords must agree.
What curtain updates do the designers recommend?
Keenan suggests adding pinch pleats to ready-made curtains or hanging them from rings. The report also notes that Thompson sees window treatments as an investment that can add softness and move with a renter.
Which furnishings may be worth investing in?
Thompson recommends durable, adaptable pieces such as a sofa, chair, chest, lamp or table that can work in a different home. The report does not give prices or guarantee how long any item will last.
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