Featured photo from Republic of Happy
If the beige trend doesn’t do it for you, you’re probably a colourful home lover like us. Having a unique space can bring such joy, comfort and cheer to even the rainiest of days.
However, it can be a little tricky to live colourfully when your home belongs to someone else…
Living in a rented home does have its benefits (like not being the person responsible for paying the plumber when the kitchen tap just won’t stop dripping), but it also means you’re limited on how much you can decorate.
You can’t rip up carpets, replace the tired old bathroom suite, knock down or even paint the walls, however, you might be surprised how much you can jazz up a magnolia box.
At Karakorum, we’re colourful homeware connoisseurs, as we specialise in incredible artisanal home decor, which is always fair trade and ethical.
We believe that a few colourful homewares can help with putting your own stamp on your rented home, and elevate it to a cosy paradise. Here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Plants in vibrant pots
Plants are one of the best ways to breathe a little colour and life into your rented home – quite literally, as they purify the air. There are so many different houseplants to choose from, no matter how green-fingered you are.
Local plant shop Junglist Atelier feels like walking into a friendly jungle, with helpful, knowledgeable staff and the most beautiful plants.
Unfortunately, they don’t have an online shop, so if you’re not in Stroud, Bristol-based indie plant shop Sprouts has a great selection of plants to buy online (pictured).
You’re going to need a pot to pop your plant into too – any excuse for another burst of colour.
We love the hand-painted Spanish plant pots from Andalucia Amor, or a plant pot from Ecotribo, made from recycled plastic and nets found in the sea and washed up on British beaches.
You could even place a plant or two atop a colourful plant stand made by Bush Design, which could double up as a fun side table to put your cup of tea on too.
2. Cosy and colourful lighting
Getting the lighting right in your rented home is a sure way to set the atmosphere, and make your house or flat feel homely and cosy. Using multiple light sources in a room makes it versatile and ups the snug levels.
Choose a bold, patterned shade for your main light, like this African Print Lampshade from Prior, and then make the room extra cosy with some mood lighting. This gorgeous pink Puy Lamp from Humphries & Begg (pictured) would make the perfect side lamp in a colourful lounge.
These bold Dip Dye Candles by The Colour Emporium would look lovely in a Flower Candle Holder by Lottie Hall placed on a mantlepiece or dining table.
For added ambience you could place tealights in handmade Moroccan Style Star Glass Lanterns from our Karakorum shop, and admire the warm glow through the coloured glass.
3. Sumptuous soft furnishings
Whether it’s a set of bold bed sheets, some jazzy curtains, or pops of colour on cushions, soft furnishings are one of the easiest ways to add large areas of colour and pattern into your rented home.
Start by covering up the tired carpet or draughty floorboards with a rug – the array of artisanal fair trade Peruvian Rugs from Woven Rosa is amazing (pictured).
With a similar business to Karakorum, Woven Rosa partners with independent artisans and family-run businesses from Peru, Mexico and Spain, who use sustainable practices and traditional techniques to help preserve their heritage.
This Bed Quilt from Humphries & Begg is absolutely sublime, and would bring some lovely colour into the bedroom, and added warmth in the winter months too.
Republic of Happy make the most colourful cushions, which are inspired by the founder Veronica’s childhood in Columbia. They’re all made in the UK with ethically-sourced and planet-friendly materials.
If you’re anything like us, you’ve got a second hand sofa that’s seen better days. We stock gorgeous Chevron Recycled Cotton Throws that are perfect to throw over any couch or armchair, and are lovely to snuggle up in on a chilly evening.
4. Bold books and art
Renters are not usually allowed to hammer nails or hooks into the walls to hang artwork, but there are ways around this.
If you’ve been blessed with a picture rail, you can hang art with picture rail hooks. If not, you could use Command Strips or Hooks, which unstick without leaving a mark when you’re ready to take down your artworks.
Lucy Sherston’s Drunken Blooms print (pictured) is so fun and colourful, it could brighten up a room all on its own.
You could create a gallery wall of different sized prints and other artwork, like these Colourful Woven Wall Discs from our Karakorum shop – we have so many beautiful woven artworks to adorn your walls.
A freestanding bookshelf is always a handy piece of furniture in a rented home, and arranging your books by colour is very pleasing to the eye – you could create a whole rainbow.
5. Colourful crockery and vases
Whether you enjoy an eclectic collection of second hand crockery, or prefer everything to match, there are so many colourful options to choose from these days.
This set of handmade striped coffee cups from Woven Rosa is so fun and wonderful, and they are “designed to bring sunshine & pleasure to your everyday life.”
For eating, this set of 6 handmade ceramic bowls in “quirky multicolour” from The Positive Company (pictured) are really fun. If they’re within your budget, these Green Dinner Plates from Social Supermarket are gorgeous, and meant to be really durable too.
And for decoration, the Amber Bobble Vase from BAM is perfect for a vibrant bunch of flowers, but it would brighten up a shelf or mantlepiece while empty too.
6. Make over furniture & accessories you already have
If you’d prefer not to buy new items but would still like to update and brighten up your rented home, you could upcycle items you already have. DIY is often a more affordable way of updating your home, and it can be a lot of fun too.
There are so many options to do this, from reupholstering furniture, painting furniture and accessories, or even making your own decorations or artwork from scratch – you can get creative and make a home truly unique.
Frenchic chalk paint is eco-friendly and easy to apply, and comes in lots of lovely colours, or you could choose a water-based spray paint for those items that are awkward to paint with a brush.
However you choose to bring more colour into your rented home, remember to use sustainable materials and eco-friendly products wherever possible. We live in a world of fast and cheap goods, where often very little thought is given to how and why things are made.
We want to encourage you to buy quality goods that aren’t produced at the expense of others or of the environment. To find out more about our values and goals, head to our about Karakorum page.
