How to elevate a small rental kitchen - 9 ways to make your basic kitchen feel boujie on a budget

Figuring out how to elevate a small rental kitchen is no simple task. Peeling laminate, unsavoury colour schemes and poorly planned storage are just some of the things you might be dealing with in your rental kitchen, and even if it's in good condition, it might just not be to your taste.

Renting doesn't mean you should have to put up with basic kitchen ideas that doesn't feel like home, or a reflection of your interior style. More people than ever before are renting and it's often a long-term housing solution, so finding ways to spruce up your space will be essential to making it feel like an inviting place to come home to.

Unlike a bedroom or living room, the majority of kitchen decor comes down to what your landlord has chosen, so it's harder to put your stamp on it without going against your contract. So, we've looked into affordable and simple ways to elevate your small kitchen to bring you joy - and ensure you get your deposit back.

1. Add extra storage for pots and pans

In a small rental kitchen, finding space for pots and pans can be a challenge. Without deep drawers or a corner cupboard, they might end up living on the hob which can create a cluttered look.

Instead, make use of empty wall space with a rail and hooks. As long as you aren't overloading the rail with too much weight you'll be able to adhere it to the wall using Command Hooks, which can be removed without any damage to the paint. You can also use the hooks to store mugs and utensils, freeing up valuable cupboard space and keeping essentials within reach.

2. Add storage through shelves

Open shelving is one of the biggest kitchen trends right now - it's a great way of adding more valuable storage to your kitchen without having to put up wall units, which are costly and not possible to do in a rental.

Instead, either with permission from your landlord to drill a few holes or using adhesive strips, you can put up a shelf to display your favourite cookbooks, decorative objects and essentials, like tea and coffee. 'Bare walls can make your kitchen feel cold and unfinished. Introducing artwork and photographs add a touch of visual interest and personality to a space,' adds Molly Woodward-Moore, interior designer, and creative director at Stone Superstore.

Shelves are super easy to find secondhand in charity shops or antique markets so you can keep the cost down, simply finish with a tester pot of your chosen paint and your rental kitchen will be instantly updated.

3. Switch out handles

Cabinet handles are the jewellery for your kitchen - a simple tweak will have a huge impact on the overall appearance of the scheme. Maybe your rental kitchen has silver handles which aren't quite to your taste or perhaps they're a bit worn - either way, switching them out is a simple task.

'By replacing drawer handles with something more unique, whether it's a novelty design, a stylish option, or simply a different colour, you can showcase your creativity and add a personal touch to your room,' explains Dan Roberts, director at Mystudenthalls.com.

You can pick up kitchen cabinet handles very affordably secondhand or from retailers such as B&Q, so you don't need to worry about investing money into a kitchen that isn't your own. All you need to do is unscrew the old handles, make sure your new ones line up with the same holes (we recommend switching like for like in terms of style), and find a safe spot to store the old ones until it's time to move out.

4. Use vinyl floor tiles

Grimy laminate, orange faux wood, rotten floorboards - if you've rented, you're likely to have experienced at least one of these kitchen flooring woes. Renovating flooring will be out of the question in a rental, and while kitchen rugs can hide a number of sins, you might want an entirely different look.

This is where vinyl floor stickers come in. Available in a number of different patterns and colours, they're a fast and affordable fix for a rental kitchen. They're unlikely to stand the test of time but if you want a quick update for a year or two it's hard to go wrong.

These faux-wood stickers from Amazon will bring warmth into a cool-toned kitchen, while these patterned floor stickers from Dunelm are great for adding much-needed interest.

5. Keep storage hidden with a curtain

Finding small kitchen storage ideas is difficult when you can't add permanent fixtures, so working with what you have is essential. It might be that you can add an extra shelving unit in but it isn't the prettiest, or maybe you have a dodgy door hanging off its hinges - whichever it may be, a cupboard curtain might come to your rescue.

It's a super easy budget kitchen DIY too - all you need to do is have some fabric cut by the metre and hemmed, attach to some curtain clips (like these for £3.50 from Dunelm) and hang a pole.

6. Create a clean, white look

Often times the issue with rental kitchens is that they're lacking light, and the design hasn't been planned around creating a bright inviting space. To bring as much as this as possible into the look, add neutral tones through the walls and work surfaces.

You can sometimes get permission from your landlord to revamp walls with neutral paint (especially if there's a case for adding value) but if this is out of the question, then using vinyl work surface wrap will have a huge impact on how your kitchen looks.

You can easily peel them off without causing damage to the worktop and they're affordable. We love this concrete-effect wrap and this granite-effect option, both from Amazon.

7. Create a makeshift backsplash

Adding a backsplash isn't as hard as it might seem - or as permanent. Instead of tiling kitchen walls, which your landlord might raise an eyebrow at, there are workarounds to creating a similar look that can be removed if needed.

Peel and stick tiles are renter-friendly because they can be easily installed by just peeling off the back and can be removed, when necessary, without damaging the walls. If your rental kitchen is quite neutral then this is a handy way to add a pop of colour.

Alternatively, purchase regular kitchen tiles and apply them to a piece of plywood, which can be attached to your wall with less damage to the walls. You want to be careful not to choose tiles that are too heavy, but for a small feature, this is a convenient solution.

8. Make up for an island with a table

It's unlikely that your small rental kitchen already features a kitchen island and there probably won't be room to add one in, but creating informal dining in a cooking space will transform how you use it.

While an island might be out of the question, it could entirely still be possible to squeeze in a small dining table that will provide a spot for weeknight dinners, quick breakfasts and catching up with whoever is cooking. Position against a wall to make the kitchen easier to navigate, then pull out for more room when you have guests.

9. Bring in your own lighting

The question of whether to put a lamp in a kitchen has been largely discussed on the Ideal Home desk and the conclusion is that we're big fans - especially in a rental kitchen.

Kitchen lighting is generally fixed and unable to be changed when you live in a rental property (unless it's the odd lampshade), but it is still possible to bring in added sources of light. This will make a kitchen feel warm, cosy and illuminated in all of the right places. We love rechargeable options that make it easy to move around different rooms, depending on where you need it.

Which tricks are you going to use to elevate your small rental kitchen?