5 Ways to Give Your Rental Apartment a Luxury

While you cannot tear out the kitchen and bathroom cupboards, you can make some small, temporary changes. Carefully remove the hardware from your cabinets - handles, drawer pulls, etc. - and replace them with something chic. Don't throw away the existing ones - bag them and store them until you're planning to move out.

You can do the same with light fixtures. Take out those tragic domed fixtures and replace them with something updated and luxurious. They don't even have to BE expensive; they just have to LOOK expensive. Store the existing ones and reinstall them before moving out.

These might seem like small details, but once completed you will notice a difference.

There's nothing luxurious about matte greige walls - slapped on haphazardly between tenants to "refresh" the place. Paint your apartment to completely transform the space. Once you settle on a colour palette, you can build the rest of the room around that. Some luxury colours to consider: deep teal, blush pink, soft grey, gold or eggplant purple. Just make sure you buy a nice finish - not too glossy. Do a smooth, even application to ensure you get the full effect.

Be sure to ask the landlord or property manager what the policy is on painting. Some will say anything goes as long as you paint over it.

You don't always have to spend a lot to get quality furniture. Perhaps spend some money on one statement piece, such as a couch or accent chair, and be frugal about the rest. Visit second-hand or discount stores to look for nice pieces - side tables, coffee tables, etc. You can upcycle old pieces or buy new.

Luxury furniture doesn't just look nice; it feels nice. If it's a couch you have to sit on for many years, make sure it's comfortable. You can fill in the gaps with cheaper pieces, but let there be one item that stands out as the focal point.

Add warm lighting with beautiful table lamps, add visual interest to the couch and bed with textured throw pillows, and roll out area rugs in key places in the living room and bedroom. Hang framed art prints on the walls, and have elegantly arranged shelves. Even practical pieces, such as storage ottomans, should match your overall esthetic.

Don't go overboard with accents and decor. You don't want the apartment to look cluttered! Clutter looks messy, and messy is not luxurious.

If you hang drapes from ceiling to floor, even if your windows are small it will give the illusion that they're bigger and grander. Get curtain rods with a nice finish that will match other finishes in the room. If you have a brushed steel light fixture, get a brushed steel curtain rod to tie it together.

You can also add sheers and a thicker set of drapes to give that layered effect.

If you're looking for a new place to decorate, visit Gottarent.com to find a place in your neighbourhood within your set budget. When touring units, don't think about what it doesn't have, but more of what it could have if you just add a few nice touches. Every rental has the potential to be chic and luxurious.