Top tips for furnishing a rental home: Use colourful accessories, plants and furnishings you can take with you, say experts


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The UAE is a renter’s market. Almost everyone rents their home and with that comes the tricky choice of “making do” with cheap furniture at the cost of living in a cookie-cutter space, or investing in pieces that work best with one’s personality.

Here, we ask three interior designers how to make a rental property feel more homely, plus what decor items are worth investing in and what should be avoided.

Removable flooring and real plants

Viviane Khoury, an interior architect and designer who lives in Dubai, firmly believes in loving where you live, regardless of whether it's a rental or owned. Khoury has designed many rental homes in the UAE as well as large-scale projects for the Arabian Radio Network and Dewa Institute, and enjoys seeing how great design can be used to inspire and increase productivity.

Interior designer Viviane Khoury suggests updating the floor, cabinetry and walls even in a rental home.
Interior designer Viviane Khoury suggests updating the floor, cabinetry and walls even in a rental home.

“Think of choosing and buying furniture that you can take from place to place,” is her top tip. With many homes tiled and potentially not to everyone’s taste, she suggests looking at removable flooring such as laying wood that can also be taken to the next home, or sticking vinyl on top of existing flooring.

“If you can't afford sticking vinyl, you can add a nice rug. A statement rug can change the look and feel and make the space even more cosy,” says Khoury.

From long, freestanding ones to oversized wall-mounted ones, mirrors add light and depth to the smallest of rooms

Rugs aside, Khoury suggests investing in accessories that are not hugely expensive, such as picture frames, lighting, cushions and bed sheets, which have affordable options and are an easy choice for lifting a space and adding character to a room.

Adding real plants is high on Khoury’s tick list when designing a home. Being able to bring nature into a home has a huge impact on our well-being, she says. “Indoor plants are great for de-stressing your space and purifying the air around the home, increasing workflow and adding a splash of colour if the space is more neutral in design.”

If you’re looking for a quick fix in the kitchen or displayed storage areas, a simple hack is to replace existing cabinet knobs with colourful ones, says Khoury. “Handles, too, can be picked up inexpensively and can transform a space quickly and easily without compromising a deposit,” she says. Some companies also offer wrapping services for kitchen cabinet doors and counters that can be removed without damaging the original surface.

Finally, says Khoury, wall paint and paper can instantly transform a space. “Creating a feature wall in a different colour and texture to the rest, it’ll make a huge difference to the space.”

Khoury's top three picks are: candles from Beldi Bazaar (Dh300); macrame wall hangings from Kleuah (Dh1,260 for one that is 130cm x 190cm); and custom-made mirrors from Haze Homewares.

Lights and mirrors galore

Kat Wightman is a fan of eclectic colours and patterns.
Kat Wightman is a fan of eclectic colours and patterns.

Kat Wightman, an interior designer and stylist who lives in Abu Dhabi, is on a mission to “bring colour and charm to the desert”. Eclectic is the way to go, according to Wightman, who isn’t afraid to clash colours and patterns to form a vibrant home space that’s at once comfortable and inviting.

She is a firm advocate for “buying well” and avoiding poorly made products that run the risk of coming undone when you move houses. Rather, she says, invest in furniture that will transition from space to space; taking along an existing sofa or sideboard can make a new space feel like home.

Adding light and reflection are also high on Wightman’s list for making a rental more homely. A well-positioned table lamp or beautiful shade for the ceiling light can transform a space and create a comfortable feel without overspending.

“Mirrors are a must,” says Wightman. “From long, freestanding ones to oversized wall-mounted ones, mirrors add light and depth to the smallest of rooms.”

A rug, some cushions and a throw can instantly finish a room, says Wightman, and offer an opportunity to add a colour scheme without major redecoration.

Furniture and accessories aside, Wightman says you may be able to go further with your design if you “try to get your landlord on side; they may just approve a kitchen remodel or larger scale designs rather than just repainting”.

Wightman's top three store recommendations are Urban Nest, for high-end furniture from Europe; Bound No.82 in Abu Dhabi for throws and cushions in organic fabrics; and paint from Benjamin Moore.

Furniture from Urban Nest.
Furniture from Urban Nest.

Neon everything

If a fun interior is what you seek, look to design duo Emilie Jacob and Julia Woodger, of Stella and the Stars in Dubai, who don’t shy away from bright colours and quirky interiors. Jacob has even worked with clients who were not allowed to paint or over-drill in their rental homes.

One of the team’s top tips is to use art, whether it’s displaying figurines and decorative items on freestanding furniture or drilling just two holes for an Ikea picture ledge and placing as many frames and prints as will fit on it.

“One ledge, two holes, but the possibility of displaying an endless number of frames” says Jacob. “And if you want to add colour without painting the wall, then paint your furniture!”

Julia Woodger and Emilie Jacob of Stella and the Stars in Dubai.
Julia Woodger and Emilie Jacob of Stella and the Stars in Dubai.

The designers believe bold accessories are key to a great rental. White walls can be offset by colourful lamps, trinkets and candle holders. Adding a neon is a great talking point, too, as it adds light, colour and art all in one go, says Jacob.

Texture is another element to play with, and a great idea is to layer sheepskins on beds, chairs, dining chairs or on the floor – and not just in a plain cream hue, either. “Sheepskins are an affordable and easy way to add cosiness, warmth and texture to a space, and sheepskin is so versatile it can be incorporated in pretty much any scheme, no matter what your style is,” says Jacob.

Jacob and Woodger’s top three custom-made picks are: picture ledges from Ikea; neon lights from Vertical Design DXB; and sheepskin rugs from Smallable or Ebarza.

THE BIO

Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren

Favourite travel destination: Switzerland

Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers

Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum

How has net migration to UK changed?

The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.

It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.

The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.

The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.

 

 

House-hunting

Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove

  1. Edinburgh, Scotland 
  2. Westminster, London 
  3. Camden, London 
  4. Glasgow, Scotland 
  5. Islington, London 
  6. Kensington and Chelsea, London 
  7. Highlands, Scotland 
  8. Argyll and Bute, Scotland 
  9. Fife, Scotland 
  10. Tower Hamlets, London 

 

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

SHAITTAN
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About Krews

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Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

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