Renting in Ireland inevitably leads to living with furniture you didn’t choose: an old-fashioned black sofa, grey painted walls or a dusty, swirly carpet. New to the experience, here’s how I made it my own.

All photos by Sarah Victoria Bates for Home for Now, Gestalten 2026.

As an Italian-Polish student, I was used to the Polish warmth of my grandparents and the great Italian style I found in my grandma’s house in Milan.

When I moved to Dublin last September, it was my first time renting, and the house share felt nothing like a home.

The first time I saw my tiny room in Drumcondra, my bed took up almost the entire floor, and the light made it seem awfully cold and white.

I couldn’t see myself in it or how it could ever feel like my space.

You have to learn how to change the place without, in fact, changing it.

Tapping into this line of thinking is the subject of a new book, Home For Now, by Berlin publisher Gestalten. 

It features the homes of renters from all over the world.

Take Daniel and Kim, one of the couples featured, who transformed their London Barbican flat into a blend of memories, cultures and colours, without a single structural change.

Here are some tips to enliven your house - and actually transform it into your home.

Dress the furniture

In Dublin, renting means inheriting your landlord’s taste, most of the time.

And if it doesn’t align with yours, it’s quite difficult to get rid of the given furniture, unless you rent a storage unit as well.

Chances are the sofa isn’t one you’d have chosen, and that table – it’s just not for you.

That’s where throws and mats come in, and that’s how Daniel and Kim dealt with sofas and floors in their Barbican flat, adding patterns and details through vibrant covers and funky cushions. 

Adorn the walls

If you’re not able to repaint the rooms, posters, bargain paintings, and colourful postcards can add instant personality to the room.

While statement pieces such as freestanding bookshelves add structure to the environment, filling the place when stocked with books, records, and ornaments.

Something I did to colour my walls was to add adhesive hooks that leave no marks on the walls.

It means they’re easy to reach, but by visibly aligning coats and jackets, you also add texture to the room.

Share influences

For a lot of people, renting means sharing - often with strangers, rarely letting you design the space entirely on your own terms.

But this is no deterrent: there is nothing more authentic than a merge of perspectives, resulting in a space tailored for everyone - just like Daniel and Kim’s Barbican flat, blending Native American, Asian and Mexican influences altogether, creating a whole new personal style.

Warm up the space

The difference between an atmosphere that says cosy corner and one that screams dentist’s surgery is just a couple of Kelvins, the measurement of light warmth, in the wrong direction.

The use of warm-coloured white LEDs will turn dental white to dreamy.

A floor lamp with a warm white light bulb instantly evokes the homely ambience of my grandma’s home in Poland.

Recycled Christmas lights above my bed bring in another layer.

Ceiling lights can also be easily adjusted to your taste: a new lightbulb and lampshade in the right shape and colour can do more than you’d think.

Set up your scene

What I brought to Dublin when I first arrived here from Milan was two very large suitcases and loads of tangible memories.

On my wall hangs a greeting card my friend made for my graduation.

On my bedside table, crystals and a personalised ashtray, a friend gave me, filled with jewellery laid atop coasters.

Every small memento you own is just another item to make the place yours - and placing each with intention brings you closer to the feeling of home.

You can buy Home for Now - Living Well Without Staying Long, published by Gestalten here. Price €45, excluding delivery