Deposit-friendly paintideas for rentals

Want to turn your rental houseintoa warm and colourfulhome?Here’show to do that –but makesureyou get written permission first from your landlordifyou’re painting permanent fixtures.

Thanks to thebeautyof Resene paint, there areeasy ways youcan updatethe property you’re renting withoutdamaging the relationship between youand your landlord

Renting can be tricky –onthe one hand, youwanttomakethe house your own. On the other, it isn’t yoursto amendtoo drastically

Atriptoyour Resene ColorShop to purchase some test pots will enable youtomakea differencetoyour rental, allowing youtomakethe house more of ahomethroughcolour and personality.

Thereare manyparts to aroomyou can paint withoutmaking unwanted changes: awooden chair,freestanding desk, rubbishbin in another. Don’t forgetabout bases andplant pots, they’re so easy to paint and can have a pleasing impact!

If youhaveapile of forgotten vintageplates, whynot paint them in atrioofbeautiful hues andhang themonthe wall? Choose twosimilar coloursand athirdone that will pop!

ApplyacoatofResene Smooth Surface Sealertoeachplate,and once drypaint eachdish in twocoats of your favourite colour.Attachplate hangers at the back andhangonyour wall.You can easily takethemwith youwhenyou depart the rental.

Startwithfurniture. Getcolourful andcreative, painting your chairs allinone hueoralternate themin complementarycolours. Youcan even paint the kitchen table to match, ensuring allitems harmonise incolour Grab adropcloth to protectthe carpet or floorboards and gettowork. The same applies to anychairsortables you have outside. If it’s the warmerseason in whichyou’llbespending more time outdoors,why not make it an attractive placetosocialise?

Paint your plant pots ingorgeous summery hues andreplantthem with flowers to match.Scattered at your frontdoorthey’llmakeawarm welcoming reception for guests, and youcan always takethemwith you when youleave the rental.

If youhaveany freestandingshelves of your owninthe house, paint them to tieinwith your home’s décor Bring in cushions and lampshades that provide an additional element of colourcontinuity, and that aren’t partofthe home’s structure. Paint your mirrortrims,photoframes or acoathookinyour favouritecolour using Resene testpots. Afreestanding screenisanotherway of layering your accents, and by painting it youcan bring in more colour,changing it with the seasons or when you’re readyfor a change. Combine your favouriteframes and createa beautiful gallerywallasa feature.

“Upcycling treasuresisanall-time love of mine,”saysLauraHeynike, directorofPocketspaceInteriors. “Did youknowyou can choose anyResene colour and turnitintoyour own spraypaint? This is agood hackifyou want an evenly applied finish when painting furniturewithoutstreaks. Just remember,you don’t have to be conservativeonchoosing colour,you can always repaint it next season! Have some fun and create your owncurated collection.” To createa spraypaint of your Resene colour,use aColorpak mini spraypack,pour inyour Resene colour and sprayaway. It’s ideal for smallareas.

If youhavea largerattan pendant that hangs over the diningtable, bring it to lifeina beautiful hueora crisp whitefor acoastal feel.Your table lampshades can also have acoatof paint to tieinwith your décor

“Whenyou arepainting furniture, just checkwhatthe currentsurfaceisas youmay need to sand or seal it before painting with Resene Enamacrylfor a durablefinish.” Fora matte finish,use KarenWalker Chalk Colour paints and waxes forabeautiful aged look.

Instead of colour blocking,weare accenting features likea handleand the legs,Laurasays, or making the drawer frontsdifferent colourtothe mainunit.

“Bookcases or wood boxestohangon walls is agreat waytobring in some coloursintoyour rental. Alternatethe coloursfor an eclectic look or keep it

JaySharples, technical expert at Resene, says multiple DIY projectscan spruce up your rental space. Some of these include repainting picture frames with Resene testpots to painting panels with Resene FX Faux Rust Effect.“The Resene websitehas an inspiration section,whichcan help with ideas for allaround your property,”hesays. “You can also email Resene with pictures and awrite-up of your projecttohelp others in the future.”

While your landlord maynot be keen on your painting an entire room, he maybehappy with youpainting on asmallmuralona wall. Decideon your designdirection foryour room, ensuring colours will allcomplement we recommend using the pencil, string and drawing pin methodtodesign your ideal circle.

Your landlord maythank youifyou offertogivethe kitchencabinetrya coat of newpaint. Staysafe and stick with aversatile neutraland, of course, seek written permissionfirst. If the kitchen is old andtired,you could be saving your landlord atask.

Anotherway youcan bringincolour to your kitchen is with ahome-made, colourful pegboard. Hang it from the wallfor those to-dolists,photographs and concerttickets.Why not create your ownart using Resene testpots? Buyacanvas and paint with colours that blend with your interior.You might surprise yourself with what you create! Anddon’t forget howplenty of plants, new towels,softrugsand colouredcushions can enhanceyour rentalwith modern comfort.These areall easilytransportable when you move out.

■ Above: Decoratevintage plates in your favouritehues; theycan makeastatement in aroom without youhaving to paint all four walls. Plates featured have been painted in Resene Amulet, Resene Pale Leaf,Resene Norway, Resene Rice Cake,Resene Lola, Resene Butterfly, Resene Antidote and Resene Highland. The main wall is in Resene Eighth Fossil, the middle wall is in Resene Norway,the floorisinResene QuarterFossil, cabinetsinResene Norwaywith innerdoor panels in Resene RiceCake, dining table in Resene Highland, rattan armchairsin Resene Pale Leaf,vaseonbooks in Resene Highland, jugwith leaves in Resene Pale Leaf and ribbed planter and small dish in Resene Lola. Project by VanessaNouwens,image by BryceCarleton.

■ Left: Acoloured ladder,chair, freestanding deskand easy-toremove shelf add personalitytoa rental without changing thespace drastically.This hobby room features adesk in Resene Bitter,chair in Resene Smokescreen, ladder and tall shapedvased inResene Lusty, 3-drawer storage boxinResene Smokescreen, Bitter, Twine and Dust Storm, desk organiser in Resene Dust Storm. The wall and floorisinResene RiceCake, lowercircle and floating shelfinResene DustStorm and large circle in Resene Twine.Project by VanessaNouwens, image by Wendy Fenwick.

Remember,you canalwaysrefer to your tenancy agreementand askyour landlord what youcan paint. If you have permissiontopaint the walls, it’s advisable to getthat inwriting,signed by bothparties. Butthere’s no harmin asking! It can be well worththe effortif it means living in ahouse or apartment that suits your personal styleand thus youenjoy more,especially if youplan to stayawhile.