Family and renter friendly homewares to make your house feel like a home

Article by Your Home and Garden

To make your rental feel truly yours, add natural materials, earthy colours and a generous helping of whimsy

You would have seen this stunning Tasman Bay home pop up on your Instagram feed these past few weeks. It might surprise you to know that this Māpua house is a rental: it’s so wonderfully cosy and warm that it feels like the occupants, Ben and Sarah Pickersgill-Brown and their children, have been there a lifetime.

Left unable to paint walls or re-do a kitchen, the family invested wisely in soft furnishings and renter friendly homewares. “I needed the window dressings to be a certain look. It’s good for light purposes and I think it makes a huge difference to a room,” says Sarah. “The curtains and oversized rugs transformed the feel of the house.”

When it comes to re-doing your rental, look to the same approach. Buy large, woollen rugs that cover up aging carpets. Sheer curtains add a dreamy touch, while lashings of pillows and throws add colour and warmth. Fill the walls with large artwork and peel and stick wallpaper, and a well-placed occasional chair (paired with a fabulous side table) adds cosiness at every corner.