For the Home: An Interior Designer’s Guide to Making Your Rental Feel Like A Forever Home

An Interior Designer’s Guide to Making Your Rental Feel Like A Forever Home

With real estate prices steadily rising, renting a home as opposed to buying one is more common than ever. The likelihood of being able to purchase property is just out of reach for many families, but just because you don't own the house you live in doesn't mean that space can't feel like your very own. Interiors expert and Principal Designer of her namesake Ohara Davies-Gaetano Interiors agrees.

In fact, Davies-Gaetano's got quite a bit of experience on the matter. While her family's ocean-front California dream home is being built, she and her family are currently renting a place in Emerald Bay in Laguna Beach. And if there's anyone who knows how to make even a temporary space feel like a forever home, it's a decorating veteran. Check out some of the key tips she's incorporated into making her own rental feel warm and fuzzy—and how you can, too!

Watch: Inside Zendaya's $1.4 Million California Home

Courtesy Ohara Davies-Gaetano
Courtesy Ohara Davies-Gaetano
Courtesy Ohara Davies-Gaetano
Courtesy Ohara Davies-Gaetano

4. Re-Think Your Methods of Displaying Your Favorite Art

Coming from a family of artists, I have more art than I know what to do with! Rental living can sometimes mean a lack of proper wall space—or perhaps you don’t want damage walls with multiple photos. One tip is to lean a painting on top of a chest or bookcase. I used this abstract painting on top of an antique chest to create a layered vignette within our home. The scale of the painting would have felt off balance had I hung it on the wall, so by leaning it on the chest, the balance of scale was more in keeping with the overall room.
Courtesy Ohara Davies-Gaetano

5. Create a Gallery Wall

Our rental home is older and some of the ceiling heights in the home are very low (like in our study, for example). To maximize the space and make it feel as large as possible, I played off the lower ceilings by making a gallery wall of our family’s artwork. Personalizing a home is so important, even if the home is just temporary. To create a gallery wall, buy ready-made frames and either use photographs or personal art to tell a story that represents your own personal lifestyle and history.
Courtesy Ohara Davies-Gaetano