This Controversial Rental DIY Is Going Viral on TikTok (but It Looks So Good)

When renting, you’re often stuck with making furnishings work with your aesthetic whether you like them or not. But there are ways around these “landlord specials” that can make a rental space feel a bit more personal. Contact paper, peel-and-stick wallpaper, and other temporary fixes can disguise a lot. And as one person on Instagram found out, you can even disguise your wall-to-wall carpet with a sneaky temporary DIY. All you need is peel-and-stick wood planks and sheets of plywood to get the job done.

“I genuinely can’t BELIEVEEEE I didn’t do this sooner,” Instagram user Ms Frizz (@msfr1zz) wrote in a recent caption. “It’s so much better. I came up with this idea on Tuesday and it was done and executed beautifully by Friday. New wood floor check.”

Ms Frizz first laid down sheets of plywood over her carpeting and then installed the wood plank tiles on top. The finished result looks like genuine hardwood, but the entire thing can be removed in a few minutes when it’s time to move out.

Although the final result looks amazing, people in the comments of Ms Frizz’s video had questions and concerns. 

“How does this work with mopping?? Does it actually dry all the way or is it seeping through to the carpets?” one person asked. Another asked, “Does it feel solid though? I feel like the floor would be bouncy or bendy when you walk on it.”

Others appreciate her ingenuity. “Boomers putting carpet over hardwood. Millennials putting faux wood over carpet. Uno reverse,” another commenter said. And someone else added, “I simply never considered this as an option and I’m inspired.”

In a follow-up video, Ms Frizz addresses the concerns, noting that the floor sounds and feels like hardwood, that she left the vents uncovered, and that she only covered the parts of the carpet that were exposed. “I have this giant rug and I didn’t want to move my bed,” she said, so the wood panels are easy to remove, if needed. “I regret nothing. I would do it again.”

Because peel-and-stick wood planks come in various finishes, colors, and widths, you can create a totally custom hardwood flooring look on a budget. Ms Frizz grabbed her peel-and-stick planks from The Home Depot, but there’s a similar pack available on Amazon for under $30.

Turns out you don’t have to live with the ugly wall-to-wall carpeting in your rental. Just grab some peel-and-stick wood panels and sheets of plywood, and you can DIY your way into the space of your dreams.