8 Interior Ideas to Make Your Dubai Rental Feel More Like Home

Interior inspiration

Moving around houses has become one of the norms in Dubai (Our Editor, Kaya has moved 5 times in 6 years….) and with moving comes the thrill of creating a new space! We’ve lined up some interior ideas (our top tips and tricks!) to help you get settled, after all, this is the ideal excuse to redecorate, reinvent your style and buy a few things for your home (yay!). 

But how can we make a rental feel more like a home? Whether you just moved in or need a quick fix, this guide will give you quick and easy ideas for your rented hose/apartment allowing you to make the most out of your space. I also promise your landlord will definitely approve!

Rental – Friendly wallpaper

For some people, the thought of being surrounded by four off-white walls is simply unbearable. And for others, it’s just plain boring. As removable wallpaper becomes more popular, the designs become more stylish and more affordable. It might just be time to pick out your perfect pattern! Best of all, you don’t have to it wall to wall… why not select a strip of a protruding wall to define the space and add interest?

Washi Accent Wall

A washi tape wall can be as colourful or as subdued as you like. I created this stunning accent wall with a few black rolls of black electrical tape. The best part? It cost us less than 100 Dhs!

Check out how to get this Washi Accent Wall look here

Living Decor

If you’re hoping to add a homey feel to your apartment or home, simply adding a few plants around the house might do the trick. A fiddle leaf fig tree can add life and texture to the dining room. Plants are a great, and inexpensive way to add colour, texture and life into a space. Try a large fiddle leaf fig or palm in a textural basket to balance out an empty corner. Deck out shelves or built-ins with low maintenance succulents or air plants. These are pretty easy to maintain and can live for a long time. Even a small vase with a couple of green leaves can liven up a whole space. And for an added bonus, plants help purify indoor air.

Magical Space

An instant space solution? Mirrors! They add dimension and depth even to the smallest areas. Add an oversized mirror to any room, and the visual effect is bound to make you space feel bigger and brighter, all without knocking down a single wall! 

Layered Rugs and Carpets

Already have a nice rug but but looks small in comparison to the space? Layer it over a carpet for a double dose of cozy!

Add colour

A space become instantly more interesting the minute you add colour! For those who are afraid of colour, I suggest to start with a neutral base in a flexible colour for the large finishes (such as walls or upholstered pieces) Whites, beige’s and greys are always on trend. Jotun’s Fenomastic collections seasonly introduce bold colours with a palette of matching neutrals that make it easy to mix and match. This allows the space to adapt and grow with you. You can then add accent colours in with decorative items like lamps and pillows, or even a bold colour strip on the wall.

Get the look for this project here

An unexpected twist

Your home needs to look like you. This is where you should add an unexpected twist to it. Think outside the box and keep the space original and unique. If most of your furnishings are traditional try incorporating a few pieces with modern lines. This will give personality, and a collected feel to your space. It could be old or new (your grandmother’s Gramophone, a piece of modern art or even a set of mismatched dining chairs!). The bonus? Any of these can become a conversation starter.

Deck the Walls

Art is the jewellery for any home. It adds character and gives lustre to spaces. Choose something that reflects your personality and lifestyle. Incorporating an abstract canvas or impressionist watercolour scene is a great way to tie together all of the colours in your space.

If you’re into photography, why not try blowing up a scene or a closeup you had taken onto a big canvas? Feeling adventurous?  Try creating some sculpture too!

Alternatively, you can frame items (ticket stubs, husband’s baby shoes, grandma’s spoon collection) in sleek shadow boxes and mix in with other art to create a gallery wall. You can even display vintage/antique items in floating wall cubbies (use geometric shaped ones to give contrast to the items within).

Finally, anything can be “art,” so don’t overlook pieces with texture and patina to add organic style to a space. For example. a piece of large drift wood from a beach can easily add a lovely sculptural aesthetic to any wall.

I can guarantee that applying these interior tips and ideas will make you rental feel refreshed and revived.

Got any other interior ideas you would like to share? Leave them in the comments below!