Touches of color turn plain apartment into a home

DEAR GAIL: My husband and I just transferred to Las Vegas and only will be here about two years so we've decided to rent instead of buy. Because we move a lot with our jobs, it never seems like I ever get to decorate. I know we can't do a lot to our apartment but this time we'll be here a bit longer so I really want to dress our place up. Can you give us any suggestions? -- Gloria.

DEAR GLORIA: Just because you're renting doesn't mean it can't be your dream home. Most rentals are decorated to be very plain and generic so that they will not offend any prospective tenants and coordinate with a majority of renters' furnishings. Consider your home a blank canvas that you can add your personal touches, personality, color and style to turn bland and boring into appealing and exciting.

Here are seven ways you can decorate your home without over spending or upsetting your landlord.

1. Color your world. If your lease allows it, paint the walls. Paint is the quickest and least expensive way to dramatically change any room. Consider just painting your focal walls: the wall behind your bed, your sofa wall, fireplace wall and if you have a wall that you look directly at when entering your home. Painting one entry wall can be very dramatic.

If painting is out of the question, there are other quick and easy ways to add temporary color. Purchase a couple of large canvases, paint them your favorite color and hang them wall-to-wall for a fabulous look. Or, purchase an inexpensive folding screen and replace the plain fabric with one from your color scheme; place it behind your bed, in the entry, behind your sofa or to fill a corner with color.

2. Pattern play. Since most apartments' walls and floors are a neutral color palette, don't be afraid to add pattern with fabric. Plus, since these are all items you can take along with you to your next home, if you find a fabric that you really love, splurge on it. Bring in a variety of patterns and mix and match two or three. Start with a large print, then add a plaid, check or stripe and finish with a coordinating small print.

3. Light Up Your Life. Lighting can make such a big difference in how you feel in your home. In your kitchen, under-cabinet lighting is great for both function and accents when the ceiling lights are off. Place small accent lamps inside your bookcase, bakers rack, any open shelving or on your kitchen breakfast bar. If there is not a plug nearby, purchase battery operated lamps.

Add picture lighting to your artwork. Use can lights to accent your floor plants and light any dark corners to brighten up a room.

4. Wall works. Besides painting, you can jazz up your rooms with removable wall treatments. Buy inexpensive medium-weight fabric and hang it from drapery rods or attach it to the walls with small staples (the staples will leave small holes that will need some patching and painting.) You also can wallpaper your walls with the fabric using liquid starch. When you move out, just peel the fabric off and wash the starch off the walls. Double check to make sure the walls have at least a satin finish, although most will be semigloss. Either way, make sure you test this before covering a wall.

Another fun wall treatment is removable wall words. You can have any saying or words printed in any size and color. They rub right on, even with textured walls, and will peel off.

5. Down under. Do you hate the carpet? Use room-sized area rugs to completely change the look of any room. Purchase a decorative area rug, paint your own floor canvas or have a remnant bound. This will make a tremendous difference in how you feel when you walk into the room.

6. Window wear. To dress up your vertical blinds, purchase ready-made panels or valances to add color and pattern in all your rooms. Window treatments really help finish a room and make it feel more like home.

You can purchase discount fabrics and make no-sew treatments with seam tape and decorative drapery clips. This treatment is nice for both valances and panels. For a quick, easy and inexpensive cornice box, purchase the foam cornice boxes from a craft store and simply cover with your fabric.

7. Finishing touches. Accessories are those wonderful items that make you feel at home. Since you can take them with you no matter where you go, buy things that you love and want to keep. To give your rooms that punch or color, think bigger versus more, plus it's less to pack when you move.

So no matter if you rent or own, you can make your space into the home of your dreams. Enjoy Las Vegas while you're here.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 7380 S. Eastern Ave., No. 124-272, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.