5 tips for kids spaces in a rental

Life has felt like a whirlwind from January until now. A blur of life, moving, and relocation has really thrown me for a loop in the what-even-is-time, existential-crisis category. Now I’m prepping two for college, so everything is feeling a little crazy on top of regular work, but I’m grateful for this season of life. It was really fun to share a recent summer tour of sorts with you, and Kristin popped into my inbox with a great question: “You’ve made a nice home out of your rental. I know for someone who loves color, this must have been hard with beige walls. What are some of your favorite tips for making your kids feel at home? We’re about to do the same with a life change and relocation. I’d love to hear some of your best advice.”

This was a great question, and today we thought we’d chime in with a few of our favorite tips for rentals. Because if you can’t beat em {read: use paint or wallpaper or alter the space in any way} you might as well join em. We know we’re lucky to have rented such a nice house. But here are a few of our best: 5 tips for kids’ spaces in a rental.

Essentially, in this house, the upstairs is theirs. And while I can say these photos easily don’t do it justice, we’re happy to share a little of their spaces. Getting here was a beast after living in the same house for a decade, but they’re honestly enjoying their new rooms. We didn’t exactly downsize, {maybe a little on the house, definitely on the yard} so much as take advantage of the market. Our kids are at that age where I definitely want them to feel like they always have a soft place to land, even with two in college + one high school junior. {I know. Where did the time go?!} Here are a few things we’d recommend to make those rooms cozy! Yes, even {especially} in a rental.

1. 5 tips for kids’ spaces in a rental: Get the rug.
Yes, even with carpet. Here’s a fun fact about me… I was spoiled in our last house because I successfully eliminated all the carpet, and we lived with hardwoods and tile. If I could, I would live like that for the rest of my life. In our last house before that one, we pulled up the carpet, and what was underneath turned me. My babies had been crawling on old cigarette butts left underneath, amongst other things. Yes, carpet has its pros and cons, and one does what they must with budgets and situations, so I don’t want this to come off as tone-deaf. To my point: Just because you have carpet doesn’t mean you can skimp on the rug. GET THE RUG. I hate having carpet, but at least I have a rug. It’s the easiest way to add color, make the space seem cozier, and anchor the entire room. I could go on and on. You need the rug.

2. 5 tips for kids’ spaces in a rental: Layer up on bedding.
It’s an easy way to bring interest and character into a room, in a timeless way. When you can’t paint those walls, adding layers to their beds brings in a lot of warmth and love in little ways that are sometimes underestimated. I usually do some type of base bedding, then layer it with something else. I also love adding patterns with fun sheets underneath and plenty of pillows. Do they need that many? No. Do I? Yes. We never said I was here for practical tips. Sometimes, I’m extra. Totally worth it to make their rooms feel classic and layered in interesting ways.

3. 5 tips for kids’ spaces in a rental: Go big with art.
Or bold, or colorful, or interesting. Don’t skimp on the fun pieces that can definitely compensate for walls you don’t particularly care for. I’d definitely apply this to spaces, period, rentals or no. Emerson’s space is large-scale, while Malone’s is made up of smaller pieces. But they do play nicely with the space in terms of color. And it definitely makes up for those beige walls. I mean, they could always be mauve… so I’m not complaining. It obviously helped that we are in such a pretty house. But adding those fun pieces of art is always the way to go.

4. 5 tips for kids’ spaces in a rental: Think about storage.
We had to pivot a few things due to the shapes of these rooms. Luckily, the closet space does not disappoint, but they still needed smart pieces to hold various items… even after the massive purge we just did. We used a combo of things we’ve had for a very long time {since their nursery days – hello books and nostalgia} along with items that didn’t block the windows.

Great finds in good colors to add a little character; it didn’t hurt, either.

5. 5 tips for kids’ spaces in a rental: Make it personal.
If they want the Spider-Man poster, get the Spider-Man poster. I’m not going to stand in his way. They’re only young once. And if they want a beanbag, get the beanbag. The happier, the better. Do they have too many stuffed animals stashed out of these photos? Absolutely. Do I really care? I have bigger fish to fry.

I think one of the top must-haves for any teen / young adult space would also be a generous bulletin board. An area that they can make their own. The more personalized in a rental space, the better. We want it to feel like home to them, for as long as possible. Even when they’re away at college, we want them to come home to a space that feels special. Just for them. They can always have a soft place to land.