apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Rental Peeve: Not beening allowed to paint!!!. I've added color everywhere I can thing (furnishings, window dressings, towels, etc.) But not being able to paint & being limited on the number of holes I can put in the wall just gives me the blues (a color I'd like to paint my walls).

my peeve is rentals that the owner has deocrated for you. i lived in an adorable cottage that the owner had filled with dark green carpet, horid plaid valances and multiple shower curtain frou frou. give me the tan carpet and white miniblinds any day! my problem solver was to take it all down and store it in the garage till i moved out.

When I came up against this problem in my old place, I went to Wal-Mart (cause when you live in Oklahoma, Walmart is all there is) and got fabric for a dollar a yard. A lot of their stuff is crap, but I found some tiffany blue-colored material (taffeta? organza? I know it was some sort of poly blend with just a hint of silver sparkle). Then I bought a staple gun and stapled it along the tops, along the bottoms, and a bit along the sides. The top staples I stapled first, and then folded the fabric over it so that they wouldnt show. The ones on the bottom I didn't really care about, but they weren't super-visible either because the area didn't face a window or a source of bright light. To hide the ones on the sides, I bought black ribbon from Hobby Lobby or somewhere and made vertical stripes along the seams that I nailed in place with small black nails. The finished project looked vaguely Asian-inspired, brought a saturated color into the room, and cost less than 30 dollars. The best part- only one person ever noticed that it was fabric.

Trish- I hate that too. When I first moved into my loft (A LOFT, mind you), it had these ridiculous Tiffany-style overhead light covers. Not only did the stained-glass monstrosities clash horribly with the silver exposed pipe, the large dimensions of the room dwarfed them. I also had to take down a beaded curtain that looked like a sun when it was hanging, and move a hunter-green wrought-iron wine rack (?) out of the room, because they clashed with the stainless steel and black of the appliances and the brick. Still trying to figure out what to do about the waist-high beadboard paneling...

Fantastic!

I can't get over the Tiffany lamp in a loft - too funny!

We are lucky enough to paint - in fact the apartment manager let me pick out the color because he was so sick of painting white walls. What I can't stand is the disgusting carpet (from the mid 80's) and the fact the walls and floors are paper thin. I literally have to stop myself from saying "bless you" when my neighbor sneezes.

This theme is brilliant! I can't wait to see all the rental fixes.

My pet peeve in my current rental was mismatched or ill-concieved "improvements" or fixes that weren't in keeping with the character or period of the apartment. There's a modern pedestal sink in an otherwise charming vintage bathroom. Garishly ornate new gold pulls and hinges were put on the kitchen cabinets. The runner on the entry stairway was dark charcoal gray with a black border leading into the gray/taupe/blue/cream berber wall to wall. Honestly, this could have been done so much better without too much more thought or effort.

I pulled up the entry runner and put down Flor tiles. The lovely woodwork is more exposed now and the entry is much lighter. I installed period-appropriate and much more stylish kitchen cabinet hardware. I'm just going to have to ignore the bathroom sink.

I would like to see more detailed (pics and instructions) DIY on things like changing a light fixture. I have a landlord that has given me a free hand in doing what I like and one of the main changes I would like is changing out all the light fixtures in the condo.

Our last place had a kitchen counter with lovely tile that had been done by the owner but cement was used as grout. Also the edges were faced with wood that began to rot. Anyone with tile counters knows how hard it is to keep them clean just imagine cement grout! Plastic lighting fixtures. Impossible to keep clean tub enclosure that flexed so the grout around the edges would mildew. (I seem obsessed with grout here, sorry)

My three best tips from when I lived in rentals:

Paint canvases: when I wasn't allowed top paint, I bought large scale stretched canvases from an art supply store, and painted those in the colors I wanted the walls to really be. Oversized squares, or in my case rectangles usually worked better, could be painted a solid color (or mottled or stripes) - and mounted on the walls just as any other painting might be (one or two nail holes or a single picture hanger hole). I found that with an additional wood block, horizontally on the back side, I could even nail hangers for smaller paintings into them. They've moved with me from place to place and now I'm considering covering them with fabric or a modern wallpaper. The benefit to using these, over simply stapling fabric up, is that it looks finished and deliberate.

Hardware: I often changed the hardware on my cabinetry, reserving the old hardware to reinstall prior to my departure, and because I generally lived in pre-war buildings I would often remove the doorknobs and hinges - soak them in paint remover - and then in metal darkening liquid (or vinegar) to give them a unified aged appearance. Consistent hardware goes a long way toward giving a home a cohesive look.

Tile: in one rental I painted the tile & grout with specialty tile paint (~$40 a gallon), with the landlord's permission, and she was amazed by the transformation. In another I made a backsplash using a thin piece of plywood covered in anaglypta (embossed wallpaper common during the Victorian period) that I coated with several coats of matte polyurethane so it could be used near the sink. Propped tightly into place, it looked like a permanent backsplash, but was only temporary and cost
Keep looking... there are creative ideas out there for temporary/impermanent renovations for renters!

How about the vertical furnace in the living room?

I have lived in Wisconsin, Philadelphia and Boston - you know, places where it actually gets cold - and none of those places had devices for providing heat that were as obtrusive and fugly as the ones both of the two apartments I've lived in the bay area.

I noticed that Daniel's place (Tuesday's good question) has the same problem, so I'm guessing it's a common "feature."

Oops, second line should read: TO paint
and the third line (from the bottom) should read: cost less than $25.

And you can tell, from my posts, my pet peeves were a) not being permitted to paint walls,
b) old or mismatched hardware, and
c) old or poorly maintained tile/grout!

Re: paint. That's my biggest pet peeve too, but I have also been told a ton of times to just paint, and then paint over it when you move. Which I may do, but every time I think about re-painting when I move out, I glaze over with laziness.

Re: Holes--though I hang a lot of stuff, I feel like there is enough putty in the world to take care of it when I move. But also, half my stuff (the lighter things) is up with these velcro-like strips from 3M. They are made for hanging pictures, and they are super strong, which is good not just for holes but for the possibility of earthquakes.

I HATE HATE HATE gross office carpeting that is never cleaned between renters--the kind that makes your feet black after hanging out barefoot. It wasn't luck that I got an apartment with hardwood floors, nice fixtures and an antique wedgewood stove--I slaved over craigslist listings for months.

I found these pulls at Lowes (link on my name) that are less than a dollar. The best part is that the exposed screws are false. While is it supposed to use 2 screws, I was able to simply use a single screw (since I had knobs) and tighten extremely tight instead of having to drill another hole in my cabinet door.

Cheap and looks so much better than those brass knobs!

Lucy - check out Be Jane for tips on installing light fixtures. Click on my name for the link.

I was amazed at how easy it was not to mention bursting with pride that I did it myself.

Unfortunately, my landlady loves the local Re-Building Center. While I think it is great that she recycles building materials, how she incorporated them into our apartment was not so great.

Our kitchen is the room that really needs help. Our cabinets are ALL different, including countertops finishes and door styles; all the wall cabinets are randomly placed, thus allowing only the minimum amount of storage.

The husband and I are planning to (without permission) paint all the cabinets white, replace the doors so they all match and buy some hardware to spruce things up. We are also going to build more shelving in the kitchen in little nooks caused by the funky wall cabinet placement.

ItÂ’s depressing...

I'm a renter and I always paint my homes, even when I don't have permission. One landlord asked me to paint some of the rooms back to white when I moved out, but all the rest have been pleased, or at least okay, with the transformation, and I've always gotten my full deposit back. Maybe I've just been lucky! But I'm also willing to lose my deposit if it comes down to that, because my home is really important to me and I'm determined to make it into what I want, no matter what.

Anna - here here! I've done the same in my current place - my landlord (and the lease) was quite clear about not painting. But I did it anyway. I figure either (a) I can repaint when I move out; (b) hire someone off craigslist to repaint on the cheap when I moved out, or (c) at worst, lose my deposit.

Because I want my home to feel like a home. My landlord isn't the one who has to live here. I do.

peeves:

old appliances!!! i have a hankering to use contact paper creatively--only slightly worried about what removing it will entail. there is this horrid, gray painted, yet slightly rusted and gross backsplash behind my old, yet clean stove, and i have discovered faux-stainless contact paper! oh, yeah!

ugly wall sconces. i checked home depot for a simple, clean sconce--it was like a graveyard for crappy apartment fixtures. any tips on where to find nice, easy to install, inexpensive lighting? or are my chances of finding one the same as stumbling upon a unicorn in downtown austin...

bad closet doors--and nowhere to store them if you just took them off! i have mirrored doors right now, which aren't too bad, but i have had many a beat-up, non-smooth-gliding block of beat up wood for a closet door...

bad linoleum in the kitchen and/or bathroom. i got nothing here. rugs. that's it.

this will be a great theme--i have a lot to contribute if it is chosen! i just moved into another crummy apartment last weekend, but it's transforming nicely!

Awesome theme! As one of the many renters, I'm pumped!

Not painting sucks. But at least in its blank form an unpainted wall is beige and forgettable. The WORST is when the natural state of the wall is covered in OLD WALLPAPER!

I'm talking pastel geometric shapes wallpaper, with a vaguely Native American theme. We dubbed it "Honeymoon in Reno". Worse than the paper was the yellowing and peeling around the edges. I never felt so dirty after a bath.

Lucy: I recently installed my firt light fixture, and it was so easy! Here is a link to the step-by-step photos of me installing my $35 Ikea "Tarby" light fixture: http://www.russianriverchalet.com/2006/08/installing_an_i.html

Note that although I didn't think to include a "before" photo, the walls were not harmed in any way. I simply removed the ugly wheat-patterned hardware store fixture by unscrewing it, thereby exposing the metal outlet that is wired into the ceiling.

Ann (((thank you thank you!!!))) for the link to the bin pulls on Lowe's! 97 cents? You've just inspired a makeover of my kitchen cabinets! I'd honestly been waiting, until I could afford decent hardware, but at that price I'm ready to go...

Thanks to all for the lighting info. I'm off to a great start.

Navaho white!!!!! That is the single most depressing non-color ever!!!

cement or cinder block walls. my general solution for the white walls of doom is to put up paintings or posters. it becomes more complicated when the walls are completely impervious to nails. painting cinder block is awful.

i've used sticky velcro to put up foam board backed posters in the past. it also works marvelously to secure window shades which want to billow out above the blowing air conditioner.

I love this!!!! Peeves are: mismatched knobs, ugly lighting, carpet and paint.


I have changed all interior doorknobs to match - cost $15 per knob at 3 knobs

Replaced all door and drawer pulls in bathroom, hallway and kitchen to match - approimately $25

Removed all Vertical Blinds and stored them - Put up my own window treatments - cost $200.00

Removed closet doors and threw them out - they were horrid - Used decorative fabric shower curtains instead (Perfect length for closet, no sewing necessary). Now I can see everything in my closet and the fabric matches my color theme and can be easily changed out. cost - $30

I also replaced the one bar and shelf in the closet with a closet system I installed myself purchased from Rubbermaid - cost $290. Gave me amazing storage options.

Removed institutional apartment ligting and installed lighting and ceiling fans in kitchen and bedroom. They match and make it all cohesive and make summer nights bearable - cost $150.00

Plans - to paint each room cost appraximately $100, install laminate flooring throughout - cost $1200-1500.00

Recoup cost in rent control - approximately 1 year of saving 350 per month over 12 months $4200!!!!!!!!!
Starting rent 4 years ago 790.
Current Rent $849 per month
1 bedroom at 4% max increase per year
Current rental market for 1 bedrooms in my area $1200 including rent for this building with new tenants above me after owner made market updates (and cheap ugly choices too)

Pet Peeve: Poorly placed wall sconces.

It's one thing for sconces to be ugly. They can be replaced. It's quite another when sconces are poorly placed, because they destroy the natural focal point of a room. The ones in my last two apartments have screamed "look at me...we're symmetrical!", while hanging on long blank walls that are perpendicular to the natural focal points of the rooms (lovely, large windows in both cases).

It makes it difficult to place furniture along the sconce-afflicted wall and makes the room seem unorganized because the area between the sconces conflicts with the intended focal point of the room. Placing small, similar pieces of framed art between the sconces is the way I have been coping, but any ideas for neutralizing these effects would be appreciated. (Please. Help. Sconces. Suck.)