Color on walls with strict lease modification rules?

15 years ago

So I just moved into this super cute bungalow that my boyfriend and I are in love with. But we are very colorful people and we wanted to paint but that's a no according to the lease, though she said she can paint it gray (no thanks!). So we were thinking of using temporary wallpaper from Sherwin-Williams that goes up and down easily without damaging the walls (like a big post-it). But the lease also says no adhesive on the walls? I'm pretty sure that wallpaper has some kind of adhesive otherwise I don't know how it stays up. There are even crazier demands on the lease but I can live with those. I just want more color on at least one wall. We already have a lot of colorful canvases and framed art. But can anyone offer suggestions for bringing color to the walls? Maybe I just have to live with it.

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Comments (4)

camlan
15 years ago
Don' forget that anything you do to the walls will have to be reversed before you move. And that means that in the midst of packing and cleaning, you will also be dealing with the walls. And if your landlady enters your apartment and sees anything on the walls, she'll have you for breaking a clause in the lease.

Some people put lightweight fabric on the walls with liquid starch. But you have to clean the walls well when you leave.

Can't offer any advice on the temporary wallpaper because I've never known anyone who tried it.

A couple of suggestions: Bring in color with curtains, rugs artwork and your furniture. One decorating show I saw took 3 large stretched canvases, I'd say about 7 feet by 3 feet, and painted them a solid color, then hung them on one wall for a big impact.

Or you could find a fabric that you love and hang it from a curtain rod on the wall. Or thumbtack it to the wall, if you want a more tailored look.

Just remember, you will need to clean up and remove all traces of whatever you do to the walls. I've always opted for artwork and curtains, because I don't want to be caught moving and repainting or washing walls at the same time.
fredwolf
14 years ago
You'll damage the walls and be charged for repainting the place.
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fayeryder
14 years ago
I live in an apartment to. As an alternative to painting, I used wall decals for the kitchen and my daughters room. They have a pretty big selection of themes. I did the arabian in the kitchen and a dolphin theme for my daughters room.

Here is a link that might be useful: www.thintwin.com
nightcrawler1961
14 years ago
When I moved to my very first apartment 100 years ago, the lease said no painting colors. So for a while I was nervous and didn't. Then I thought to myself, I am living here, I do not want the walls white, I want a little color, so I just bought paint and painted it. The LL had to come in several weeks later to fix something and commented on the dark color. It was actually mauve a popular color in the 90's (lets not go there). He then said I would have to repaint it when I moved to get the secrity back. He is a nice man and was not nasty.
Anyway, 5 years later I moved and when the apartment was empty, I just bought cheap off white paint and re-painted it. No big deal, he was happy, and I was happy I got my security back. It is actually easier to repaint everything the same color especially with nothing in the apartment.