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YouTuber Alexandra Gater loves giving DIY home decor advice. In fact, she’s made it her goal to help people make over their living space so it’s comfortable and stylish — even if they rent. “I really believe you don’t have to pour a ton of money into your rental to make it feel a little homier than a temporary living solution,” says the former magazine editor.
Living in a 860-square-foot apartment in Toronto, Canada, Gater knows all too well that a rental may be tricky to decorate because of so many limitations, including the size of the space, layout, landlord restrictions, and budget. To inspire others, the self-proclaimed design-lover created her very own YouTube channel focused on small decorating solutions anyone can use.
We took the tour of Gater’s cute apartment kitchen, where she managed to incorporate smart ideas for less than $100, and of course, we found three creative lessons worth stealing! Follow us, and see for yourself!
1. Change out your cabinet accessories.
Something as simple as swapping out old cabinet knobs with something more decorative can breathe new life into a rental. Gater invested in stylish, hexagon-shaped knobs from CB2 to upgrade her cabinets. Her takeaway tip? “I keep all of the old fixtures, so that when I move out, I can take the decor I’ve added to the space with me and re-install the older items that came with the apartment,” says Gater, who made sure to check in with her landlord first before making any changes. “I’m all for buying pieces that you can take with you home-to-home.”
With her apartment’s extra-high ceilings, Gater took advantage of every inch of her kitchen space by installing open shelving to hold plants and colorful pantry goods in IKEA jars. She choose Benjamin Moore’s White Dove for the walls, and then she strategically used items on her shelf to bring in the fun, including cheeky art from Minted.
“Pick decorative items that you love, without worrying too much about fitting into one particular style,” she says. “Once you start decorating with items that you love, you’ll start to develop your own unique style, instead of trying to fit into a perfect Pinterest image.”
3. Play with peel-and-stick.
By adding simple peel-and-stick tiles to her backsplash, Gater was able to easily infuse personality and color into her tiny kitchen space. Plus, it took only 20 minutes to do! “I love using SmartTiles because they can be stuck on just about any tile and removed without leaving any residue,” she says. “That also means you can have fun with color without needing to commit!”
Gater urges others to take their time selecting options. “It took me about six months to get everything in this space just right, and I truly believe that’s because you really have to live in a place for a while to understand it and find the right solutions for your daily needs,” she says.
Do you love this kitchen as much as we do? How do you bring style into your small rental? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.
Source by www.thekitchn.com
