Budget
Meet DIY Blogger Medina Grillo: She’s A Renter’s Best Friend
Updated on July 27, 2020
Medina Grillo doesn’t let lousy linoleum floors stop her from having a stylish rental. You shouldn’t be discouraged by “blah” decor, either. That’s the raison d’être behind Medina’s multifaceted design website, Grillo Designs, that receives about 200,000 hits a month. Launched in 2015, the DIY blogger shares creative and affordable ways to decorate with a hands-on approach. “I’m just your average renter, making a home a house,” says the Birmingham, England-based design expert, who left a job in healthcare to focus on her lifelong passion. “As a child, I was very creative and crafty, and I can’t tell you the amount of times I redecorated my bedrooms over the years, much to my mum’s dismay,” says Medina. “I’ve always appreciated the importance of living in a space that reflects your personality.”
The average part is totally humble: Medina is the author of the book Home Sweet Rented Home (published in August 2019), creator of the series #howirent, where design buffs show off how they’ve circumvented rental hurdles to make their space shine. Medina lives in a three-bedroom, semi-detached house with her husband, Vince, and their eight-year-old son.
Scroll down to learn how the space-saving pro assembled her own home sweet rented home!
A wall treatment goes a long way to personalize a rented space. This Isolines wallpaper from Coloray Decor can be easily removed, and is so atmospheric! We love how Medina only did half the wall (it was actually a way to save money). An Ikea cabinet has one door removed “to open it up,” says Medina. Plus, baskets, a mirror and pegs create a welcoming and functional foyer.
In Medina’s world, there’s opportunity for style everywhere. She carpeted this once-bare staircase with a gorgeously nubby number from Carpetright, leaving the risers plain, so she could paint them a rich hue that’s stencilled with eye-catching numbers. (Of course, you’ll have to get permission to carpet in a rental, and it’s an investment.)
As a parent, Medina prefers her son to get out of his bedroom now and again — and to monitor his internet usage. Voilà! A homework station under the stairs. Lined with slats for texture, the sweet space is fitted with a filing cabinet and a wood slab for the top. There’s even shelves for storage and a peg to hold his backpack.
Decor doesn’t have to be expensive or limited to convention. Medina did a sartorial switch-up by hanging vintage straw hats for an eclectic vibe. “I love the idea of wall decor that isn’t just restricted to picture frames,” she says.
“If a corner feels dead and vacant, introduce a plant or indoor tree,” says Medina. “Plants will instantly add color and make the space come alive.” The DIY expert’s philosophy is on display in her boho-styled living room, where trailing plants bring pizzazz to a basic bookcase.
Aw, the bespoke banquette! Everyone loves the space-saving seats. Medina created hers by upcycling an Ikea cabinet for the base. A kitten-soft velvet headboard was installed for the back rest. A bistro table, pom-pom pillows and always-essential storage baskets pull the lovely dining nook together.
Work with what you’ve got is Medina’s mantra, and that goes for the notoriously bland rental kitchen. To bring style to the bagel-toasting zone, Medina removed the cabinet doors (carefully stashing the screws and doors, so the rental can return to its original state, if needed). She didn’t like the look of the insides, so she covered them in fresh removable wallpaper. A great way “to inject pattern or color in a non-permanent way,” she says.
In its previous life, this thrifted mid-century modern nightstand was a basic blonde. Medina gave her a dye job and the result is this redo — the smouldering finish feels like a custom piece from a high-end design shop.
Medina joined forces with UK-based furniture retailer Habitat to create a trendy DIY hanging outdoor garden. Plant boxes, rope, a drill — those beautiful geraniums need drainage! — and sweat equity brought this project to life. “I have now become that person who potters around in their garden,” says Medina, who wasn’t much of an outdoorsy person before.
Medina Grillo, Grillo Designs