Easy to install and renter-friendly: Peel-and-stick decals transform any small space

Final Makeover Photography: Katherine Holland; Step Photography: Autumn Hachey

Decorating a rental can be tricky but I am happy to share that there are so many great ideas out there that can help you transform your cookie-cutter condo or apartment into something that feels a lot more like home. A lot of people will put off decorating their space because it's "temporary". The advice I have for renters is to not wait.There are a lot of little changes you can make to your space that 'follow the rules' while making it feel more like your home. Today I am sharing one of my favourite rental hacks to date (part of a full kitchen makeover), to take a space from bland to outstanding in just a few hours.

Let me introduce you to your new best friend: peel and stick wall decals — 100% renter friendly. They are easy to install and just as easy to remove. For this makeover, we used this amazing "Tangerine" wall decal pattern, but lucky for you there are endless options on the internet for you to choose from. Keep reading and I'll show you how incredibly easy it is to achieve this custom wallpaper look in your own home.

Here's what you'll need:

• Peel and stick wall decals/wallpaper/murals
• Scissors
• Putty knife
• Patience ;)

Here's how to do it:

1. Order your wall decals. Be sure to measure your space in advance so you know how many rolls you will need to purchase. For this kitchen nook we used three packs.

2. Roughly cut each wall decal individually. You don't have to be exact as it won't impact how the decals are applied.

3. After you've cut out your decal. peel off the non-sticky side, leaving you with a sticky wall decal with translucent paper on top.

4. Decide where you're going to place your decal and stick it to the wall sticky-side down. For this particular installation, I chose to place some of my biggest clusters first —there were 5 or so different versions of the decal in this pack. I found it easier to spread out the big decals first and then fill in the gaps with the smaller decals.

5. Once stuck to the wall, start smoothing out the decal against the wall with your hands.

6. After the decal is in place, ensure there are no air bubbles by using a putty knife to go over the decal, further smoothing everything out.

7. The edges are very important to get smooth; if they aren't pressed into the walls well they will peel up when you peel off the backing so pay extra close attention to the edges and all the finer areas, in my case, the stems.

8. Slowly and carefully peel back the backing leaving only the decal on the wall. Be patient and take your time during this step to ensure that you don't tear any of the decal.

9. Easy as pie! From here, rinse and repeat. Be sure to stand back every now and again to get a wider view of your work as you go and ensure you've got even spacing. For this kitchen, I really freestyled how I put them up as I didn't want them to look to uniform. The best part about these decals is if you mess up or want to move one, you can simply peel if off and stick it back on. They can also easily be peeled off when you're ready to move. Ta da!

Autumn is an interior decorator & stylist, and the owner of Make Moves Vintage, a badass vintage shop based in Toronto, Canada. Follow along on Instagram and say hey!