At some point, you’ll move and you won’t be absolutely in love with your rental kitchen. It’s not uncommon to come across these kitchens that aren’t styled to your particular aesthetic. It could be the result of a landlord who’s trying to save a few bucks or a tenant leaving the kitchen in bad condition when they left.
Regardless of the reason, it’s important that you make your space feel like home and transform it to your liking since we spend a lot of time in our kitchen.
When working on your kitchen aesthetic, you should be cautious before making any significant changes. Some of these might be against your landlord’s wishes, so make sure that you always ask the landlord for their permission before making any major changes to the space. You want to get your rental deposit back!
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Maximize Space
Cramped kitchens are one of those things that will quickly irritate anyone. In order to combat poorly designed kitchen spaces, take advantage of the vertical space. A lot of people forget that the large vertical areas that exist in their kitchens and it’s definitely a mistake on their part.
There is a ton of available vertical space in most kitchens. Use stackable shelves either on the walls or on top of cabinets to help free up some space.
You can also use space in other rooms to maximize your available kitchen space by extending your countertops to the adjoining room.
Another idea is to add much needed space by getting a moveable island or kitchen cart. These wheeled additions to your kitchen space can help you properly utilize the entire space by freeing up premium counter space or food preparation or appliances that you use on a daily basis.
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Organize Your Kitchen
After you’ve taken the time to free up space, you should spend your energy on arranging your home decor, fixtures, and utensils. Organizing your kitchen can absolutely transform it to look neat and tidy.
In order to organize your kitchen, you need to make sure that you have only the essentials on your counters. Make sure that unnecessary items have a place where they’re put away so they don’t take away from your kitchen space.
Another idea is to hang pots and pans on the wall with a rack to free up space in your kitchen. This offers more counter space and adds an aesthetic charm to your space. Pegboards with hooks can provide extra space to store essentials and additional cookware.
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Add Artwork
By placing art in your kitchen, you can transform your boring kitchen into a cozy well-decorated space. Rental kitchens tend to be plainly designed without anything on the walls.
Adding your own personal flair can change the aesthetics of your kitchen and make it more inviting. It also presents an opportunity to add some of your personality into your new space.
Adding art in your kitchen will improve its look and make it feel more like your space.
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Add Plants to Your Kitchen
Struggling to bring your new kitchen to life? Putting plants in your space could be the answer you’re searching for.
It’s a fairly cost-effective easy way to add some flair to your space- adding a plant can easily improve the look of your rental kitchen. Even better? Pick out a few herbs and you can incorporate them into your cooking, completing the entire space in a rather appropriate way.
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Change the Lighting
Bad lighting is the difference between you being in love with your space and making homemade meals often or you ordering takeout more frequently. Coming home to a poorly lit kitchen after a hard day at work is less than ideal and you’ll find yourself avoiding the space often and seeking alternatives.
If you can’t change the lighting, make the best of the lighting you do have with crafty placement of mirrors. Mirrors will reflect the light and help light up your food prep space.
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A Fresh Coat of Paint
Older paint with scratches everywhere is a complete eyesore to come home to in any situation. The good news? You can easily rectify this by giving your space a fresh coat of paint. Nicely painted walls can completely transform your kitchen.
Note: many landlords take zero issue with tenants painting their kitchen, but you should always ask before you make any changes to the walls. By getting permission, you secure and protect your deposit so it makes its way back to you in the future.
Choose a color of paint that matches well with your flooring and other items. Simple colors like white or grey can completely change the aesthetics of your kitchen. Make sure to test samples before you decide on a new color and permanently change the color of your walls.
While moving can take you in any direction at any time, the one thing you shouldn’t have to compromise on is a mediocre rental kitchen. You can make easy changes that will improve the look of your kitchen and make it feel more like yours and not a generic apartment kitchen.
These ideas should help make it easier for you to create your own space that’s functional and well-organized.