{"id":724,"date":"2025-04-02T14:11:54","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T14:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/?p=724"},"modified":"2025-04-13T08:05:09","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T08:05:09","slug":"i-totally-repainted-my-beige-rental-this-is-what-it-cost-me-when-i-moved-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/02\/i-totally-repainted-my-beige-rental-this-is-what-it-cost-me-when-i-moved-out\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I totally repainted my beige rental, this is what it cost me when I moved out\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Anna Jacobs completely transformed her Crystal Palace rental (Picture: Anna Jacobs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Anna Jacobs decided to decorate her neutral three-bedroom flat, she knew she wanted a technicolor family home<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There was just one potential hitch: she was renting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But as in interior designer, Anna, 55, felt it was important to showcase to landlords <\/a>that tenants should be able to add colour to their homes to enhance mental health and wellbeing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018I don\u2019t necessarily mean bright colours,\u2019 she says, referencing the flat she was renting in Crystal Palace, South London at the time.<\/p>\n

\u2018While beiges and creams make me feel panicky and stressed, for others, those hues make them happy. What\u2019s important is for people to find the right colours<\/a> for them and be able to use colour how they want.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Anna’s bright, bold decorating won two design awards (Picture: Rosie Parsons Phot\u200bography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Luckily for Anna and her two children, Zachary, now 17, and Coco Rose, now 15, her landlord was open to her ideas.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tReady to start your homebuying journey?\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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\u2018He said that I could do what\u2028I wanted. Coincidentally, he and his partner were already fans of my design brand, so he knew roughly what to expect,\u2019 says Anna, who had to agree to turn anything he didn\u2019t like to more neutral creams when she left.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tAnna\u2019s top tips for tenants\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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How did you start the discussion about decorating your rental with your landlord?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I approached my landlord before signing the rental agreement, explaining that I wanted to repaint it in lots\u2028of bright colours, photograph it for Instagram and use it\u2028in photoshoots.<\/p>\n

He said he was absolutely fine with it. I also agreed to return any changes he didn\u2019t like back to neutral \u2013 at my own expense \u2013 when I left.<\/p>\n

How much did that process cost you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had it done professionally, so about \u00a3600 for the decorator and \u00a3200 for the paint.<\/p>\n

Do you think it\u2019s worth decorating a rental?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My response to this question is always yes. Spending \u00a3800 putting it right at the end was well worth it for the joy that decorating the home brought me.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The results are stunning, and she won the stamp of approval at the inaugural Ufurnish.com<\/a> awards last year, where she lifted two awards, including the coveted Judges\u2019 Choice award.<\/p>\n

In Crystal Palace, one of the biggest projects Anna tackled was her open-plan kitchen\/dining room, which scooped a Ufurnish Best Dining Room award in its own right. <\/p>\n

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Anna’s award-winning dining room (Picture: Anna Jacobs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018When it comes to rentals, it\u2019s probably the most challenging of spaces to decorate as all the inherited d\u00e9cor is fitted in, with unsightly appliances on show,\u2019 says Anna.<\/p>\n

She got to work painting the greyish kitchen cupboards in Marine Splash blue paint by Dulux. To hide the unsightly splashback, Anna covered\u2028it in a heatproof and waterproof self-adhesive vinyl wallpaper from vinylwarehouse.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Anna found a stylish and renter-friendly backsplash option (Picture: Anna Jacobs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Being a big fan of vinyl for non-permanent decorating ideas, Anna also bought a marble-effect vinyl\u2028to cover the worktop and wrapped\u2028the battered silver rental fridge \u2013 which stuck out like a sore thumb \u2013 with a green vinyl, again both\u2028from vinylwarehouse.co.uk,\u2028with prices starting from \u00a33 for a\u20281m x 30cm piece.<\/p>\n

Being a larger, more awkward shape, covering the fridge proved a little trickier.<\/p>\n

\u2018It was an epic fail, so I called in a pair of professional car wrappers to save the day,\u2019 says Anna. <\/p>\n

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The fridge got a maximalist makeover with a bright green wrap (Picture: Anna Jacobs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The walls were painted in Little Greene\u2019s Sage & Onions green, complemented with Ocean Spray by Dulux on the window frame. \u2018I wanted to create a more organic, leafy feel with a bit of a New York loft-style edge,\u2019 says Anna. \u2018I wanted it to be a delicious space to eat in.\u2019<\/p>\n

The rest of the room was completed on a shoestring \u2013 from the dining chairs inherited from her sister, which she painted in a blue, and the Ikea baskets on top of the wardrobe, which Anna painted white to half-way up, to the orange-hued pine table that her landlord left behind. <\/p>\n

\u2018He said I could keep it, dump it or give it away,\u2019 says Anna of the table. <\/p>\n

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Peel-and-stick vinyl is easily removed from the stairs (Picture: Anna Jacobs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Instead, she painstakingly sanded, primed and then painted it in black before adding a marble-effect on top with an Artisan Marble Effect spray paint from Craig & Rose.<\/p>\n

She even creatively repurposed a 20-year-old Ikea Pax wardrobe \u2013 originally being used in her bedroom \u2013 into extra storage. <\/p>\n

\u2018I cut timber panelling from B&Q using a mitre cutting block, painted them using Valspar paint tester pots and then glued them on the front in a zig-zag pattern using no-nail glue,\u2019 she explains.<\/p>\n

Running up the staircase is a stunning mural inspired by artist Linn\u00e9a Andersson<\/a>, which Anna hand-painted using Smalt by Little Greene on the walls.<\/p>\n

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The plastic shower was transformed with gold water resistant washi tape (Picture: Anna Jacobs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018I messaged Linn\u00e9a on Instagram\u2028to ask permission to use her art as inspiration, and to my delight she said she\u2019d be honoured,\u2019 says Anna. \u2018I love the hallway and staircase because it creates an immediate impact and sets the tone for the whole home. It\u2019s like walking into an artwork.\u2019<\/p>\n

Anna upgraded the staircase risers using her tried-and-tested peel-and-stick vinyl strategy, opting for an electric blue to match the mural.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s super affordable and so easy to apply. Plus, it\u2019s easy to peel off if you want to change it or need to remove it when you leave,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

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Anna’s kids chose their own colour palettes. Here’s Coco’s (Picture: Anna Jacobs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other clever DIY hacks include painting a Missoni-inspired zig-zag pattern on her bathroom walls.<\/p>\n

\u2018I questioned my decision after spending around eight hours marking out the pattern with Frog Tape and then days painting it, but I love it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Anna also updated the plastic silver rental shower with gold washi tape \u2013 a project that cost her just \u00a32.20.<\/p>\n

\u2018It looked great and lasted over three years. Only a little bit peeled away at the top, which I replaced with leftover tape. It was so easy to do,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

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Zach opted for a mix of green and purple in his bedroom (Picture: Anna Jacobs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anna used paint to transform all the bedrooms, giving her children their own creative freedom \u2013 with Coco choosing a palette of pinks, greys and white, while Zach opted for green and purple. <\/p>\n

For Anna\u2019s sanctuary, which she used as both her bedroom and home office, she saturated the space in botanicals, lush greens, blues and teals \u2013 all healing, nourishing colours.<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C_2azN7ujFE\/?igsh=MWJpdHN1bTh4NjBhMQ<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Anna updated aspects of her room throughout her time renting the property, including painting a set of metal desk drawers she\u2019d had for more than 20 years, in an aqua hue.<\/p>\n

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Anna decked out her bedroom space in lush greens, blues, teals and pinks (Picture: Anna Jacobs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She wanted to decorate with wallpaper, but knowing how difficult it can be to remove, she decided to build a screen with the help of a carpenter friend, who charged her roughly \u00a395 to build the frame, while Anna covered it in Harlequin Floreana wallpaper.<\/p>\n

\u2018If you\u2019re unable to use wallpaper in your rental home, consider using it on furniture instead,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

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If you’re wary about wallpapering the walls, Anna recommends using it on furniture (Picture: Anna Jacobs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anna moved out in summer 2024, after her landlord decided to sell.<\/p>\n

For speed and ease in putting\u2028the home right, she called in the decorators to repaint most of home, although her landlord asked her to leave some bits untouched, including the green dining room and the staircase mural. And in the end, the buyers loved it.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tDoes your home have what it takes to be a winner?\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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\u2018I\u2019m so glad I entered the Ufurnish.com Home Awards<\/a>,\u2019 says Anna.<\/p>\n

\u2018It was great to look back on my projects when I submitted my application and share with everyone why I did what I did. I wasn\u2019t expecting to win anything, I was gobsmacked. I was thrilled to see my decorating scheme being celebrated.\u2019 <\/p>\n

If you fancy following in Anna\u2019s footsteps and think you may have a chance of impressing the judges in this year\u2019s Ufurnish awards, entries are now open. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve got a knack for interior design, it\u2019s time to put your talent in the spotlight. In partnership with Metro, the Ufurnish.com Home Awards 2025<\/a> will showcase the homeowners, influencers, innovators, retailers and manufacturers transforming living spaces across \u2028the UK.<\/p>\n

From jaw-dropping before-and-after renovations to effortlessly stylish spaces on a budget, the awards recognise outstanding talent across categories covering interiors, gardens, furniture innovation, colour and \u2028home accessories.<\/p>\n

To find out more, see last year\u2019s winners for inspiration, and to enter, go to homeawards.ufurnish.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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