Rental Kitchen

There's even terrazzo peel-and-stick covering the counters!

Number 2 will help you create storage space out of thin air!

There's so much storage space now! And it's brighter and lighter, too.

Living in a rental doesn't mean you can't decorate!

And it can be changed or updated on a whim!

It cost the renters just $70 total!

The countertop upgrade is spot-on!

It's a small space with a big impact!

Let's go Goodwill hunting!

And it “loosely” falls within rental-friendly guidelines.

These tips are all even easier to pull off than, say, temporary backsplash tiles!

Including peel-and-stick floor tiles, an inexpensive spice rack shelf, under-cabinet lighting, and more!

It also adds storage space!

“Junk drawers are a luxury that some small spaces cannot accommodate."

It's so much more cheerful now!

The renter did it all in just four steps!

The oven also got a new look!

Buh-bye, ugly cabinets and countertops!

It's cute, cozy, and offers storage space!

Up the cozy factor. And block out that ugly wall you're tired of looking at.

Because things that never really bothered us before — ugly countertops, boring walls, unorganized drawers — have found impressive new ways to get under our skin.

In fact, it sparks sooo much joy.

Checkered floors for the win.

This is the best makeover we've ever seen. ESPECIALLY when you consider how little she spent!

Because two makeovers are better than one!

It looks so much brighter and cleaner! And has so much more storage.

Let this be a lesson for all renters.

Even the flooring is better now!

More space for mise en place and drying dishes!

It's SO glam! And it can all be undone when it's time to move.

For just $500!

This is what Tara’s kitchen looked like when she first moved in. Not too pretty, eh? With her landlord’s approval, our friends at Apartment Therapy did a light reno that didn’t cost a lot, but made a major difference in both appearance and function. Spending money on a rental isn’t for everyone — but for those of you who love to cook, have a horrible kitchen, and plan to stay put for a while, then a little investment may well be worth the time and expense.

It's not every day that we're super inspired by a rental kitchen, but today is one of those days.

It's gorgeous. And the renter can just take it down whenever she wants!

This kitchen goes from plain to punchy — thanks to a few low-budget tweaks.

Renters, take note!

The renter even painted the oven!

The kitchen actually used to be a bedroom! And the fridge sits where a Murphy bed used to live!

It's so perfect. And so temporary.

A real estate agent and a fellow renter share ideas for making galley kitchens feel bigger and a lot more organized.

The counters now look like marble!

I loved the tiny studio apartment I had with a separate kitchen. After moving to a one-bedroom that exchanged a separate kitchen for a bedroom (this kitchen was a galley along one side of the living room), I came to realize exactly just how much I appreciated a kitchen separate from the living room. But these examples of kitchens in living rooms make it look quite doable, even in less than 200 square feet.

You guys were right.

According to a high-ranking IKEA exec.

The kitchen is so dramatically different!

According to home maintenance experts!

There's even a smart idea for dealing with ugly pipes that you can't move!

Vodka made the list!

It looks so fancy now!

Why is it that all rental apartment kitchens have terrible lighting? I’m not talking about the nipple-like light fixtures that are curiously commonplace in New York (that’s a whole other story) — I’m talking about the light itself. The harsh light glares at you and you glare right back — or you would if you weren’t squinting. It makes everything look bad, including your food (your Instagram cred is suffering).

If your rental apartment kitchen floors are anything like mine (slightly iridescent and marble-inspired), they’re not going to win any design awards. And while it’s easy enough to cover up them up — and rugs are a great way to add color and cushion underfoot — many of us are opting for the wrong kind of rug. Here’s how to choose the right rug for your space.

Even if, best-case scenario, your rental kitchen is brand new, your sink faucet probably isn’t going to win any design awards. But is it worth the money for a new fixture (not to mention the cost of labor) to replace it? The answer, as with so many things, is that it depends. Replacing your kitchen faucet isn’t cheap. First, there’s the fixture itself, which can be pretty pricey.

The one thing my rental apartment kitchen has going for it is that it’s new. When the old tenants moved out, a team of contractors came and removed the ugly floors, cabinets, and countertops and replaced them with new versions — but new in no way equates to modern or cool. My kitchen looks, I imagine, about the same as many rental kitchens out there: beige and bland. If you’re faced with a similar dilemma (i.e.

So, your rental kitchen countertops leave something to be desired. Who are you kidding? They’re fill in the blank: ugly, cracked, formica, moldy, all of the above. Replacing them isn’t practical, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with an eyesore in your kitchen day in and day out. This is designer Megan Hopp’s favorite trick for giving those countertops an easy, economic, and — perhaps most importantly — temporary makeover.

Fixing up any space in your home is a challenge, but this is especially true when you’re working with a space, like your kitchen, which needs to be functional. Layer on the fact that your kitchen isn’t your forever kitchen and you may feel like tearing your hair out. Don’t do it! Instead, take a deep breath and follow these rules for making over your rental kitchen. “Focus on the pieces you have,” advises Megan Hopp, a designer for Homepolish.

Over the years, I’ve experienced my fair share of rental kitchen frustrations, current kitchen not excluded. Faux-marble floors are just the beginning and my last kitchen? The countertop sloped (beware rolling apples). Rental kitchen woes are real. But before you funnel your savings account into a major overhaul, or just slump down on your ugly kitchen floor and weep, consider these tips for tricking out your rental kitchen.

In my 30-some years of life, I have moved a lot. Like, really a lot. Since I graduated from college, I’ve probably averaged a move every single year. That’s a lot of boxes and bins, a lot of heavy lifting, and a lot of new kitchens.

And many are easy on your budget, too!