bubblyjock Some really fresh colourful ideas here - thanks, Laura - I always enjoy your articles!

A. Peltier Interiors Really great tips! I think renters often feel frustrated that hey dont own a home because they dont feel like they should be decorating it. By applying these tips you can have a rental thats just as amazing as something you would own!

tcufrog decals are definitely a great way to add color. A friend of mine put decals on the upper cabinets in her rental kitchen. They looked great and she could take them with her. If you have knobs instead of handles on cabinets you can also switch them out with cheap, colorful knobs that you can later take with you. If you're not allowed to put holes in the wall you can add color to windows with lightweight curtains on tension rods.

Transforming Rooms Love the photos Laura! Cheerful colors can be so invigorating! Soothing colors can create a nice haven after a hard day at work. For more photos of adding colors to rooms (without wall paint)...check out this blog article

http://www.interiordesigngreensboro.com/2011/02/ease-your-way-into-bold-colors-with.html

denit I used to hang large, colorful Indian bedspreads on the walls— a different color for each space. It helped define zones in my studio apartment and broke up all the beige.

Dura Supreme Cabinetry Great ideas! Thank you Laura Gaskill!

nasoto After years and years of changing wall colors in every room about every 5 years I seem to now be drawn to neutral walls. Thank you for this article, for me it is right on time.

lrakestraw Love these ideas. I am in my own home, but still afraid of color on the walls. Adding color with throws, furniture and folk art is more my style.

typingn Your mention of using outdoor furniture inside made me think of a 2-seat unit with table in between that I have. I think it would fit well in a small space where seating and end tables could be a problem. If it were painted a nice color and seat cushions and pillows added, I think it could make a nice piece in a small place.

frenchdecor In my daughter's apartment all walls are creamy, very pretty color, but too much. As she bought without me creamy lather sectional we talked to superintendents and they let us paint wall very pale gray which would be easily covered with cream if she'll move out. She had many favors when management was doing renovations in the building. She got new range, fridge, re-done some kitchen cabinets after removing old cook-top and wall oven, added vanities and new faucets... Contractors said her apartment was the best and the cleanest in the whole 10 store building and was pleasure to do in it great job, that why she had many, many Extras. One day contractors came to do back splash in some apartment and lady was chopping veggies on yesterday installed new counter top!!! Of course, they were frustrated and wouldn't spend their time for excellence. I convinced my daughter to make her apartment as she would live there permanently even it's for 5-6 years, maybe. We bought nice furniture and framed my older daughter's (Fashion Designer) art projects, as they are one of a kind art pieces. Well, overall my daughter's rental apartment looks fancier (with some exceptions) than my house.

wantsideas Very colorful ideas Laura. Great tips.

Casart Coverings Great ideas but what about temporary, self-adhesive repositionable wallcovering? No glue, mess -- easy, DIY to apply and no permanency. You can remove whenever you want, leaving no residue on the wall or surfaces. You can decorate over cabinets and other surfaces like bookcase backers to add pops of color. You can even use on the ceiling. The best thing is when and if you move, you can take it with you and reuse => a pretty practical alternative solution to paintng. Here are some examples. See what a simple stripe can do and the Mural is from one of the most commented on Houzz ideabooks. More can be viewed on our Houzz profile and gallery: http://www.casartcoverings.com/gallery.html

CAROLE MEYER Great post.....I love the way color pops off from white walls!

Engineer Your Space Love these ideas for adding color for renters - not being able to paint walls shouldn't mean you can't have color in a rental! Another way to go is to add wall panels that you can paint any color or add wallpaper to. You can also incorporate lighting on the panels, shelves, charging stations for cell phones, coat racks, notice boards.... installing these items on the wall panels instead of directly on the wall also minimizes the number of holes in the wall. Here are a couple of examples of panels I made: the floating lighted wall panels I made for my own rental apartment (click here to see how I built them: http://bit.ly/XH8LKF) and the blue wall panels I made for a rental apartment shared by 3 roommates (click here to see how I built them: http://bit.ly/Z7Ygmz).

epatrickphoto You CAN switch out cabinet handles as well as knobs. Just measure the distance from center hole to center hole. Home improvement stores have tons of styles and options and mutiple "sizes" so you can easily find the same size and change out the hardware without damaging the cabinets. Just make sure to keep the original handles/knobs so you can put them back when you move.

Faith Towers Media I love that polka dot "wallpaper." That a great solution to white wall syndrome. Here are some other colorful rooms: http://designfixation.blogspot.com/2012/10/daring-color-combinations.html

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel Once, when I had just moved back to the US and was short on cash, a friend gave me her rattan patio set: a couch, love seat and chair. They were white with 1980's teal and coral print fabric. I sprayed two of the rattan pieces a chile red, and one pecan, then recovered the cushions with a beautiful coordinating paisley, and voila! More my Eurasian taste, and less California beach house.

Beth Parks Another easy one not mentioned is tacking up a large piece of fabric. For my daughter's college apartment we put a bold fabric print from IKEA on the wall behind her bed. It looks great and can be used later as pillows, a quilted throw, etc.

kimstjohn wow, pretty amazing rentals! It would be great to see some of those ideas in real rental spaces.

marlie graves Another way to add color/comfort value is with live plants. Who doesn't love their fresh green; they can fill space if you have a limited amount of furniture; and they call to people on a subliminal level.

Lisa Rogalsky Your decor style is the colour of my dreams! If only you could wave your magic wand over my house...

Ky Christiansen There's something about turquoise that's seems to never go out of style, but renews itself when we are finished looking away. However, there is no amount of turquoise that can make up for avocado counters and dark brown trim everything that is in my apartment. I notice the shower curtain has many shades of greens and pinks I think I can work with. Thanks for supplying me with tangible ideas.

mskivers I love seeing suggestions for rental places: all I have ever lived in - (69). Lived in Europe 11 years and they still use wall hangings as decorations, to add warmth, cut off cold air (wing chairs were develped for that). More ideas please - have 70's chocolate brown kitchen cabinets with bad floor plan, tiny bathrooms- horid tan carpeting >> hope to move this year!

em57 Another way to introduce colour is to buy poster sized canvas picture frames from art stores and paint them a solid colour you like.You should put them up in groups such as 3 above a sofa or sectional. You can use latex paint. You will even be able to paint over them easily if you want a change.

Pamela Gatens Fine Art The pillows shown in the third photo are perfect! Ideas should be colorful and floral!

nanaanne Great article -- amazing how much difference the changes made. Two additional suggestions that you can take with you: bookcases and screens. Bookcases can add interest to bland walls. And there are many different kinds of screens, some quite large, that can be painted, wallpapered, covered in fabric, etc..

noakorem Deccolla was able to recollect the vintage living room, check it out here: http://deccolla.wordpress.com/2013/02/27/126/

sheryding Very nice pic, I like it very much.

printedartcollectiondiane Great ideas! Here are some super colorful photographs from the collection at www.printedart.com that are available in a variety of sizes and mounting styles!

For photos below: http://www.printedart.com/content/blowin-breeze
http://www.printedart.com/content/yellow-airplane-0
http://www.printedart.com/content/no49b
http://www.printedart.com/content/moroccan-shoes