Rental room makeover: no drilling, no new furniture, planned from one photo
How to make over a rented room: what you can and cannot change, what to buy first, a no-drill shopping list, and a real before-and-after from one phone photo that keeps the landlord's sofa.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 7 min read
In a rented room, leave the walls, floor and fixtures alone and change everything you can carry out: lamps, a large rug, curtains on a tension rod, bedding and a sofa cover. Keep the landlord's furniture and dress it, choose no-drill fixings, and plan from one photo first so you buy in the right order.
Rented flats tend to come furnished the same way: a grey sofa the landlord left, a glass coffee table, white walls and one ceiling light. The hard part of a rental makeover is not ideas; it is that much of the room cannot change, and whatever you buy has to move with you. This guide covers what you can change, what to buy first and how to see the result before you spend, then shows a real phone photo.
What you can and cannot change
- Leave alone: walls, floors, built-in cupboards and the wiring of light fittings. Many tenancy agreements forbid drilling or changing fixtures, so read yours first.
- Change freely: bedding, curtains, rugs, cushions, floor and table lamps, and any storage that stands on its own.
- Cover up: a sofa cover, a tablecloth and a large rug hide old furniture and flooring you dislike.
- Rooms are small: in China, for example, the 2020 census yearbook put average housing space at 41.76 m² per person, and 36.52 m² in city households. A small space needs fewer, better pieces.
Spend in this order
- 01LightA warm floor lamp and a table lamp are easier than replacing the ceiling light and change the evening mood the most. They plug in and leave with you.
- 02RugA large rug covers an old floor and frames the sofa and table as one zone. Go bigger rather than smaller, with at least the sofa's front legs on it.
- 03CurtainsHang them on a no-drill tension rod, close to the ceiling and wider than the window, and the room looks taller and wider.
- 04Bedding and sofa coverThe largest pieces of fabric set the room's colours. Choose two or three colours and change them together.
- 05Storage and decorLast: an open shelving unit, a clothes rail, a few plants and art leaning against the wall.
A real before and after from one photo
This room looks like a typical rental: a grey sofa, a glass table, white walls and blinds. If the sofa is the landlord's and has to stay, choose keep my furniture in the app and write a note such as “keep the sofa, warm and creamy, no drilling”. The design then works around the sofa and only changes what you could take with you.
The no-drill list
- Floor and table lamps instead of a new ceiling light.
- Removable adhesive hooks and picture strips for light frames; heavier art leans on a sideboard or a windowsill.
- Tension-rod curtains and sheers that need no holes in the wall.
- A freestanding clothes rail and open shelving instead of wall-mounted shelves.
- A large rug over a floor you dislike, rolled up and taken with you when you move.
Everything on the list is for sale
Every piece in a room redesign design is a real product. The app searches stores in your country in its language (in China, for example, Tmall, JD.com and Taobao), checks each product photo, and only then draws your room with them. Tap any piece to open its page; the size and price there are the ones that count. You end up with a list you can order from, not just a picture.
Questions people ask
What is the cheapest way to make over a rented room?+
Change the light and the fabric first: a warm floor lamp, a large rug, curtains and new bedding cost little and make the biggest difference.
How do I hang pictures without drilling?+
Use removable adhesive hooks or picture strips for light frames, lean heavier art on a sideboard or windowsill, and hang curtains on a tension rod.
What can I do with the landlord's ugly sofa?+
Cover it with a fitted cover or a large throw and add two or three cushions. In room redesign, choose keep my furniture and the design is built around that sofa.
Is there an app that designs a room from a photo?+
room redesign (free to download on the App Store, iPhone) turns one room photo into AI designs and lists the real products in them, from stores in your country.
Sources
Keep reading
6 min readRoom design app for iPhone: redesign your room from one photoHow room redesign works on iPhone, step by step with the app's real screens: one photo, an optional note, two AI designs and the real furniture in them, each linked to a store in your country.5 min readSmall living room ideas that make it feel biggerTen practical ways to make a small living room feel larger, from rug size and furniture legs to curtain height and light, with a real before and after.
4 min readRedesign on a budget: what to change firstThe order that gives the biggest change for the least money: rearranging, light, textiles, paint, and then one piece worth spending on.