When Elle moved into her colorful apartment near Detroit, Michigan, the one thing it was lacking was color. She was recently divorced, had moved across the country, and came with virtually nothing for a fresh start. The freedom was exciting, she says — both personally and design-wise.
“The apartment had an industrial loft vibe with all-white everything,” Elle says of the original space. The first thing she did? Added plenty of color and drama via totally rental-friendly projects.
In addition to painting the walls using Clare’s Views, which is an airy green-blue, Elle also hung pale pink linen peel-and-stick wallpaper from Spoonflower around the bottom of the island. It adds contrast and can easily be removed without any damage when she leaves the apartment. Although those two easy updates were simple and budget-friendly, they made a major difference in the space.
Her advice? “Don’t rule out a space because it feels cold or boring,” Elle says. “You can always add color and character yourself — even in a rental!”
It’s not just the wallpaper and paint that add vibrancy to the previously sterile room. Elle displays a living family heirloom on the open shelving above the sink: a plant grown from a clipping of another plant that was cultivated by her great-great-grandmother. “Everyone in my family has to have at least one in their home,” Elle says. “My mom gave me a tiny one when I moved in, and now, two years later, it’s huge and creeping across the walls.”
Elle’s kitchen makeover is proof that even in a beautiful modern rental kitchen, it doesn’t take much to make it your own. Two simple tweaks added a world of difference to give the room some depth and character. To see how she added color in the rest of the apartment, visit the full house tour on Apartment Therapy.