If you’ve rented in New York, you’re probably intimately familiar with the boxy layout of an empty apartment. dipped in “owner’s white”. And if you’ve recently moved to a new place, you might want to upgrade to some DIY-grade lights and blank walls.
Fortunately, there are renter-friendly, DIY video creators who post on Tic Tac, offering plenty of tips and tricks to help you make your NYC apartment a home away from home. But before you dive into what could be hours of scrolling through DIY videos, be sure to read your lease so you understand what changes you can and can’t make.
A good rule of thumb is to don’t do anything you can’t undo. In general, you can make small improvements, such as painting, replacing light fixtures, installing shelves or pictures, as long as you return the apartment to its original condition when you move out. (That includes repainting if you decide to ditch your off-white walls).
If you’re not sure your landlord would agree to a change, it doesn’t hurt to ask, says Yaro Zuarich, a Home Depot marketing analyst and DIY TikToker.
“Always check with your landlord,” says Zuarich. “You don’t want to destroy the property, you don’t want to damage the walls and you certainly don’t want to compromise yourself in the process.”
Most leases prohibit renovations such as add wallpaper or finish the floors, and it’s generally a good idea to fill the holes paintings or shelves before leaving your accommodation to be sure to get your security deposit back. (Speaking of which, your landlord is required to return your deposit within 14 days of your move and must provide a detailed receipt if they are holding back part of your deposit to make repairs.)
Keep reading to learn about three of The Brick’s tenants’ favorite DIY ideas.
Refresh your kitchen without going kitsch
Your kitchen backsplash may not take up a lot of space, but giving it a little color can make your apartment stand out, not to mention hide a previous tenant’s tricky style choices.
Redecorating your backsplash — aptly named because of the splash zone for your dirty dishwater — also presents an ideal opportunity to give the area a good scrub before replacing it for less eye pain.
Bushwick-based Freelancer and TikToker Julien Thomas recently covered her kitchen backsplash with iridescent green tiles to make her orange kitchenware stand out.
“This is absolutely my favorite DIY for renters that I’ve done,” Thomas says. “And once I move, I can easily peel them off and put them on wax paper for the next place.”
Thomas has rented five apartments in New York, all within a two-block radius of each other, since moving to Gotham 15 years ago. During his last rental, his landlord actually paid him for some of his renovations because he was able to charge new tenants more because of the improvements he made, Thomas says.
While updating your kitchen backsplash may not fill your pockets with money, it will help revitalize your apartment.
If you don’t know what to buy, here are some of Brick Underground recommendations on peel and stick tiles.
Mirror, mirror on accent wall
Let’s be real, plain white walls are boring. A white wall looks unfinished, especially in a cramped New York apartment where there is more stuff than space.
An accent wall can be a great way to make your apartment more unique, and incorporating mirrors will help add more light to a room and make it feel larger. In a city known for its lack of square footage, a little smoke and mirrors can go a long way.
You can use peel-and-stick Velcro strips to attach lightweight wooden planks to your wall to create texture. You can also center these strips around mirrors to add a focal point to the wall.
Be sure to use the correct strips for the weight of what you’re hanging and follow the instructions for removing them to avoid accidentally chipping the paint. Thomas recommends Command strips, that we saw at Brick used to mount everything, from a magnetic knife holder with decorative lights.
Think outside the box for your terrace
If you’re one of the lucky few in New York to have an outdoor patio, why didn’t you invite us over for a drink? Second, did you know that a DIY hack can transform your patio into a cozy seating area without sacrificing storage space?
This tip is something Zuarich discovered when he was looking to spruce up the balcony of his Atlanta, Georgia condo. Due to strict rules from his homeowners association, Zuarich was unable to make any major changes to the deck. Luckily, he had discovered an obsession with tenant-friendly DIYs during the pandemic.
“I wasn’t allowed to paint, drill or light the exterior, so I had to get really creative,” Zuarich says. “I wanted something that was useful but was also pretty to look at…I had this vision in my head of an L-shaped bench but for the bench to also function as a storage unit.”
Its DIY is quite complicated. Zuarich built three benches to give her additional storage space outside and covered them with pillows and blankets to keep the patio both accessible and aesthetically pleasing. (Renters looking for a simpler hack can also purchase furniture equipped with storage, but what’s the fun in that?)
When attempting a DIY, from bathroom to balcony, Zuarich recommends going big. Choose bright lights and funky colors and don’t be afraid to test things out. After all, it’s a tenant-friendly DIY. You can always cancel it.
“With a little research, we can all achieve incredible results, no matter what space we work in,” says Zuarich.
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