The ultimate guide to decorating rental homes – Part 1

Very often, the idea of investing in the design of a rental home raises eyebrows—why spend money on a place you might eventually leave, right? Then there’s all the nightmarish scenarios we hear of—dealing with obstinate landlords, navigating a labyrinth of permissions for even the smallest alterations.

At Beautiful Homes, we regularly speak to first-time homeowners, like Anirudh Sharma, co-founder of Third Wave Coffee Roasters, who express the relief of finally having the freedom to design their dream homes after years of renting. In an interview last September, he remarked, ‘If you have a parrot green wall in your rental home, you have a parrot green wall (for the rest of your lease)’, a sentiment that’s truly stuck with us.

With our new series on designing and decorating rental homes, we’re ready to challenge these notions and demystify the common misconceptions around interior design for leased properties with Mumbai-based interior stylist Purva Agrawal. Through her studio named Attirail, which translates to paraphernalia from French, Purva is spearheading a change in the narrative, where decorating rental spaces is not just a privilege for those on long-term leases or premium properties.

In Part 1 of our series, we delve into the initiation of a rental home transformation, exploring where and how to begin, along with a step-by-step guide to living room design.

Meet The Stylist

Purva’s journey into the world of interior design is as unique as the spaces she creates. Starting out her career in set design, her early experiences on advertising film sets fuelled her love for designing spaces that people inhabit. Understanding and imagining characters and scenarios through script readings during this time, laid the foundation for her personalised approach to interior styling. The fast-paced nature of film and advertising productions, which demand swift, cheap and temporary designs, led her to finding a niche in rental home makeovers, which also require quick-fixes, economical substitutes and a whole lot of jugaad to ensure rapid turnarounds.

But it wasn’t until 2018, a turning point arrived when a producer fell in love with the set of a Parisienne apartment Purva had designed for a Yardley London commercial and entrusted her with designing a 2BHK house in Mumbai. “Initially, I didn’t even know about laminates or veneer; the basics of materials and construction,” she says. “So I would go home, study, and return to the site and say to myself, ‘Yeah, I think this will work,’” she says, reflecting on the challenges that marked her initial foray into the field.

She launched Attirail in January 2020 as a business focussed on the bohemian style of interiors. “Back when I started, the stylish boho-themed products I wished to use, the stuff you see on Pinterest mood boards, were still out of reach,” she says. “So I worked with vendors directly and hunted down made-in-India brands to create nine distinctly styled spaces at a pop-up in Mumbai to showcase my indie-boho aesthetic for Indian homes.”

While the response was tremendous, the onset of the pandemic brought unexpected challenges and opportunities when people sought to enhance their homes for remote work, home-schooling, exercise and more. “Suddenly, people wanted their spaces to look and feel nicer because they were spending all their time at home.  Rented homes were no longer places you just return to after a long day at the office,” she explains. “Virtual consultations and online shopping, processes most Indians are reluctant to try when it comes to interior design, became the norm and I was able to expand my team, simplify processes and turn around projects at an unprecedented speed.”

Her incredibly popular before-and-after posts and reels on Instagram also led to a teaching gig by October 2020 when her followers insisted on learning interior styling directly from her.

Here’s her step-by-step guide to designing stylish and budget-friendly living rooms:

Step 1: Assess and Document

Before diving into the design process, Purva emphasises the importance of taking stock of the existing elements of the leased property.

Conduct a thorough examination of the rental property before signing on the dotted line, taking into account factors such as natural light, duration of the lease and the landlord’s stipulations. This assessment lays the foundation for a design plan that aligns with your lifestyle.

Identify what can and cannot be changed. Once the assessment is complete, Purva suggests categorising elements into what can and cannot be changed, removed, repurposed or repaired. For instance, while a landlord might allow you to paint the living room in the colour of your choice, he may not allow any structural changes. This clear distinction helps in developing a focused design plan and prevents unnecessary frustration.

Photograph the fixed components such as flooring, door and window placements that cannot be changed. The non-negotiable aspects become an integral part of the mood board, ensuring that any new design decisions seamlessly integrate with them.

Pin down your preferences. Purva’s next tip involves making a list of what you like and what you absolutely don’t like about the property. Then make a list of all the interior design styles, paint colours and decorative elements you like and dislike. Knowing what you dislike can be just as important as knowing your preferences to streamline the design process.

Step 2: Negotiate with the Property Owner

When property owners impose strict limitations, securing their approval can be a delicate process, and Purva has developed a knack for navigating these discussions. Purva advises her clients to negotiate only for changes they truly desire.