World of Design: Decorating Ideas From 10 Renters Around the Globe

Any renter knows there’s a fine line between wanting to create as nice a home as possible and wanting to avoid expenses you can never recoup. These international Houzzers have all approached this conundrum in different ways, from spending as if there were no tomorrow to merely adding details that can be transferred to the next abode when packing day comes. Whatever their techniques, it’s clear that while these tenants may not own their homes, they definitely own their style.

1. Renovating With Abandon in Germany

Who lives here: Stefanie Luxat, with her husband and their daughter, Ruby, 1
Age: 35
Occupation: Blogger, journalist and author
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Property: Renovated apartment in a turn-of-the-century building

How they found their home: Thanks to a colleague — I’m so incredibly thankful for her tip-off. In Hamburg, when an attractive home is for sale, there are almost mass rallies, with long queues and over-friendly people wanting to impress the broker (sometimes even bribing them with cake). You need strong nerves and a cool head for that.



Decorating restrictions: Our landlord is very relaxed. Theoretically, we can do almost anything, as long as we restore the apartment to its original state when we move out. So my desire for a white painted floor, for example, is not possible here.

Her best idea for personalizing her rented home: To no longer live with so many compromises, to not wait for our own home before living nicely, comfortably and the way we want to. Thus, three years ago we extensively renovated our rented apartment. Everyone screamed, “But you don’t own it — it’s like throwing money out of the window!” For us, though, it was well worth it. Every happy day counts, no matter where. And during the renovation, I got the idea for my book, How an Apartment Becomes a Home, which became the bestselling lifestyle book in Germany in 2014. So the renovation costs were returned!


Prefer to buy or rent: Like many Hamburgers, we dream of our own home. But what we want is a thousand times harder to find than a rented apartment. We want a detached house with a beautiful garden in a quiet location but close to town, freshly renovated, with relaxed neighbors. So, dear potential house vendors, if you’re out there, say hi — we would love to meet you!

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2. Living Amid Lush, Leafy Plants in the U.K.

Who lives here: Clare Nicolson, with her boyfriend, John
Age: 34
Occupation: Designer and prop stylist
Location: Stoke Newington area of London, England
Property: Top-floor, one-bedroom flat

How they found their home: Through weeks of obsessively checking rental-listing sites. We knew we wanted to stay in Stoke Newington, a great part of north London, but needed to find the perfect flat within our budget. Luckily, we saw this one as it was listed and snapped it up there and then.


Decorating restrictions: We are so lucky that our landlord is very flexible. He owns several properties and is always keen to make improvements. We just got him to agree to a kitchen cabinet makeover. The old doors were so old and grubby, so we convinced him to buy us some modern white doors, which we’ve personalized with plywood handles, which John made in his workshop.


Her best idea for personalizing her rented home: I’ve managed to fill every room (except the bathroom, which has no natural light) with plants. It’s such an easy way to bring life and color into a space. My favorite thing is to hang them in planters in macramé hangers hooked to the ceiling. It causes minimal damage to the walls and makes use of wasted space.

Prefer to buy or rent: I don’t prefer to rent, especially in London, as it’s so expensive! We’re hoping to buy somewhere one day.


3. Cutting a Decorating Deal in France

Who lives here: Pierre Petit, plus Jean the Jack Russell terrier
Age: 31
Occupation: Architect
Location: 18th arrondissement (district) of Paris, France
Property: Studio of about 320 square feet (30 square meters) with a bathroom, kitchen, living area and platform bedroom

How he found his home: Through a rental agency.

Decorating restrictions: Not really. I suggested a deal to my landlady: I would renovate the flat for free if I was allowed to do whatever I wanted. As it’s her only property in Paris and she’s planning to give it to her son, she accepted, and is now really happy with what I’ve done, because it’s increased the value. I may just have to paint the black wall in the kitchen white when I leave.


His best idea for personalizing his rented home: In the living room, I used plywood on the platform and stairs to give it industrial charm. It’s a very cheap material and very strong, but you need to sand and varnish it, as it is rough. I also fitted out Jean’s kennel under the stairs [just visible in the photo] to give him his own space that didn’t invade the living room.


I made the kitchen lights myself, because it would have been too expensive to buy them. I found nice bulbs online, as well as black wire, which I wound around a curtain rod from Ikea that I painted black. I can adapt the lengths of the wires and the strengths of the bulbs. It cost me about 250 euros [$280]. I also made the table and two benches that can slide under it to save space.

Prefer to buy or rent: I would love to buy a flat that I could entirely remodel.

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4. Embracing 1970s style in Australia

Who lives here: Rachael Valentine, with Sebastian Hartog, 41, a videographer
Age: 37
Occupation: Owner of online store Hattie and studio space The Craft Parlour
Location: Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia
Property: Top level of a 1976 beach duplex high on a hill overlooking the town, with distant views of the coastline

How they found their home: Through a real estate agency.


Decorating restrictions: Given the home’s distinct 1970s structure and appearance, it’s not surprising the landlord has placed no restrictions on the decorating style. We’re really lucky in that respect. Also luckily, our decor fit the existing style of the home. We’ve worked with the existing aesthetic, not against it, filling it with vintage items to make a style statement that doesn’t require a coat of paint.

Their best idea for personalizing their rented home: On the veranda, we’ve strung up rows of potted plants in macramé holders to bring the outdoors in. They give our home that extra 1970s vibe. Hanging them from the rafters means they won’t leave a mark, and the “garden” can be transported with us if we ever move.


Prefer to buy or rent: I do dream about buying this house — it’s our home, and I want to look at this view every day for many years to come — but so far it’s been OK. We’re long-term renters.
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5. Working Chalkboard Charm in Japan

Who lives here: Taku Izawa, left, plus friend Yusuke Doteuchi
Age: 27
Occupation: Works for an information technology company on weekdays; professional chalkboard artist at Paint & Supply on weekends
Location: Meguro Ward of Tokyo, Japan
Property: Three-bedroom flat in a 32-year-old building
That’s interesting: One of Taku and Yusuke’s chalkboard artworks welcomes guests at the entrance to the Houzz office in Tokyo.

How they found their home: Through a real estate agent.


Decorating restrictions: Doteuchi wanted to try a bolder decoration, but I’m convinced we’ll have to restore the apartment to exactly as it was when we moved in, so we haven’t made big changes.

Some of our chalkboard artworks are just propped against the wall, resting on the floor or a table, and the others are hung from a bar set on the wall with pillar brackets, so we don’t damage the wall. Doteuchi is an architect who works for an architectural design firm, so he has a lot of ideas that won’t cause any damage to the apartment’s interior and structure.


Their best idea for personalizing their rented home: The concept for the interior decoration is “Daddy’s room.” We wanted to create a home that has a gentlemanly atmosphere with a bit of casual charm. To create a space based on the concept, we placed our chalkboard artworks at several corners in the apartment. At the entrance, a huge, 180-centimeters-tall [about 80-inches-tall] piece welcomes our guests. The work was created and used for an event, and now it has become a symbolic item in our place.

Prefer to buy or rent: We have only lived in this apartment for three months, so we want to live here for the time being. If either of us finds someone to marry and needs a place to live, then I may consider buying a home.

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6. Adding Character and Color With a Wall of Books in Spain

Who lives here: Catalina Inda, with husband Peru Saizprez and their daughter, Dada, and son, Lorca
Age: 45
Occupation: Audiovisual production manager for creative agencies
Location: Conde Duque area of Madrid, Spain
Property: Three-bedroom, three-bathroom flat

How they found their home: We used to live in an 80-square-meter [about 860-square-foot] apartment that eventually became a bit small for four. We wanted something bigger, and then this 285-square-meter [about 3,070-square-foot] flat suddenly came out of the blue. We were not looking for something this massive, but we immediately loved it — it was love at first sight! It was so quick, we saw it and two hours later we were signing the contract.

During the viewing, we had a clear idea about which room was for each of us, where we would put our stuff, the furniture we would use…. After seeing many properties, we knew right away that this was “the one.”


Decorating restrictions: The only restriction is to not make holes in the ceramic tiles in the bathrooms. However, when we want to change something, even if it’s an improvement for the house — such as putting awnings in windows or updating old appliances — we prefer to ask the landlords first. It’s courtesy: They are the owners, and it only takes a second to ask.

Their best idea for personalizing their rented home: The layout of the house fit so well with what we had in mind that we didn’t need to make big changes. We’ve been gradually customizing and decorating the space with the stuff we have. Maybe the best idea was to build a custom library in the dining room. We have many books and needed a place for them. In fact, it’s already full, and we are thinking of where to build the next one.


We decorated this corner with a vinyl designed and made to order featuring a romantic poem written by Peru. This is a simple, cheap and very attractive idea, and it’s impossible to find the same in another house on the whole planet…. The eye-catching floor lamp was bought at Vintage 4P.

Prefer to buy or rent: We already own a property — the 80-square-meter [about 860-square-foot] apartment where we used to live — which is now rented out. Thanks to that, we can afford to live in a bigger house. We aren’t considering buying again at all. Just the thought of tying ourselves to a mortgage again is terrifying!


7. Creating Clever Styling Touches in Italy

Who lives here: Paola Rampazzo, with Giovanni Cortese and (as of four hours after the Houzz photo shoot) baby Tito
Age: 40
Occupation: Kindergarten teacher
Location: Mountain plateau of Asiago, Vicenza, in northeastern Italy
Property: Former barn renovated as a two-story house


How they found their home: My brother-in-law lives on the upper floor. He wanted to rent the ground floor to someone he knew, and then we came along.

Decorating restrictions: Because it’s temporary accommodation — maybe we’ll only stay here for a couple of years — I can’t get rid of the furniture or modify it too much; I can only add some decoration to the existing pieces. That’s the only way to make it mine.


Their best idea for personalizing their rented home: I’m quite proud of the hanging sunglasses sculpture and of the headboard, which we made from wooden planks.

Prefer to buy or rent: We are hoping to buy eventually, but I can’t afford to buy a house right now. In the future!

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8. Designing Unique Pieces in Bali

Who lives here: Russian ex-pat Ely “Elina” Gordeeva, 29, with her husband, Andrey “Gordei” Gordeev, 31
Occupation: Illustrator
Location: Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Property: Custom-built house with a small yoga lodge

How they found their home: We were renting the property next door, which the landlord also owns. We asked him about dozens of improvements. For example, we moved some doors in the previous building, relocated the gas tank in the kitchen, repainted walls. The owner was tired of the changes. He is living on the rent from the houses. So he decided to build a completely new house instead of redesigning the old one (this seemed to be easier) and kindly proposed that Ely plan it from scratch and move in.

One of the reasons we found ourselves in Bali a couple of years ago was that it’s summer all year round and there’s always plenty of fresh fruits.

Decorating restrictions: Not many, as the landlord actually built the house to our wishes. He said, “I am about to build a house — please, just do everything as you want it to be there.” It’s sun-oriented, and we carefully planned the heat insulation for the roof and air ducts (which allow us to live here in a hot climate without air conditioning). We also insisted on having a proper bathroom — people are used to outdoor showers in Bali.


Their best idea for personalizing their rented home: The luxuriously decorated chandelier is my object of pride. We used fake fruits from a local ritual shop, where things for famous Balinese ceremonies are sold — a whole four baskets of them! The property’s owner also used a budget-smart decorating technique on the ceiling similar to teak brushing, but on simple plywood instead of the real thing.

Prefer to buy or rent: We prefer to rent. We like to change places, our way of living and habits, and make new fantasies comes true. It’s impossible when you stay in your own house for years. We build new houses together with the owner and have a chance to move into a new one every year.


9. Fresh Color and Vintage Style in the U.S.

Who lives here: Kate Bowler, with husband Mike and cat Griffin
Age: 30
Occupation: Works in marketing and writes the blog Domestikated Life
Location: Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Property: One-bedroom, top-floor apartment in an 1885 building

How they found their home: On Craigslist, which seems to be a popular method in Boston.


Decorating restrictions: Our landlord is flexible about anything that isn’t permanent, such as painting the walls, but we’ve had to work around some interesting patterned, wall-to-wall carpets and mismatched kitchen cabinets.

Their best idea for personalizing their rented home: We painted every room when we moved in, and we took out a lot of doors that broke up the space and made it feel smaller. We’ll have to rehang the doors when we move out; they’re stored in a crawl space right now. Both of those things really opened up the flat. We also brought in a lot of free-standing furniture, such as a kitchen cart, bar cart, table and bookshelves, to give the kitchen a lot more functionality.


Prefer to buy or rent: We’ve rented for years as a means to save for our first home. We’re planning on buying somewhere later this year.

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10. Freshening Up With Pale Paint in Sweden

Who lives here: Ann Jonsson, with her husband, Einar
Age: 68
Occupation: Retired journalist
Location: Norrtälje, a small town north of Stockholm, Sweden
Property: Two-bedroom apartment in a converted office space

How they found their home: We used to live in central Stockholm but exchanged apartments with a younger woman who wanted to live in the big city.

Decorating restrictions: Since the property is quite old and not in top condition, the landlord had no objections to us improving the flat. But as a tenant, of course, you weigh how much money you want to spend on a house that isn’t yours. We wouldn’t consider laying new floors or installing a new kitchen, since that’s money we’d lose if we moved. The house was built in the early 20th century, and the flat was used as an office in a previous life. Before then it was inhabited by one of the town’s bigwigs, who indulged in wood paneling and golden leather wallpaper.



Their best idea for personalizing their rented home: Carrying out low-cost but important updates. The main bedroom was terribly drab when we moved in, with a gray linoleum floor, white walls and dark brown closets. No style at all.

I’ve always wanted yellow walls in my bedroom, so we chose a soft lemon shade. The floor was washed with professional paint remover, which was the most important part of the project. We then painted it with a high-gloss white floor paint, two coats, so the light reflects from it. The closets were also painted white.


In the kitchen, the wall above the sink was a boring blue, and there was no backsplash. We painted the wall white and added simple white tiles. The lighting still mainly consists of harsh strip lights from the flat’s office days, so the small lamps we attached under the shelf we put up makes a huge difference to how we enjoy cooking here now. It’s all in the details for us, and working with the special heritage and history of the building.

Prefer to buy or rent: It’s very practical to rent and have a landlord. If the drains get blocked, you just call him and it gets fixed. You don’t have to worry about maintenance and costly renovations, such as broken pipes, a leaking roof or fixing a facade.

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