Budget
September 21, 2020
Learn How DIY Expert Alexandra Gater Makes Rentals Feel Like Home
Alexandra Gater is on a mission. She’s determined to help millennials turn their small spaces into personality-packed homes — all without breaking the bank. As a former magazine editor, she’s always had a knack for style — and her 331,000 YouTube subscribers and 94,000 Instagram followers seem to think so, too. You can’t help but smile when you catch a glimpse of her projects: they’re almost always filled with juicy colors, playful patterns and a handful (or two) of pom-poms. “My motto when it comes to design is that it shouldn’t be intimidating,” says Alexandra. “I truly believe that anyone can decorate their space without dropping a ton of money, regardless of experience. Sometimes it’s just the simplest things — like changing the knobs on your dresser — that have a big impact.”
Scroll down to discover her tips and tricks for making a rental feel like a home!
“To inject personality into a rental on a budget, the key is layering in tons of accessories, and mixing and matching patterns and color,” says Alexandra, pictured with her cats, Harriet and Lottie. “Think throw blankets, cushions, decorative plant pots and bold art prints. These are all things you can collect over time and bring with you from home to home.”
The biggest rental myth she wants to bust? Rental living is only temporary. “I really believe that your space should feel like a home, even if you rent,” says Alexandra. “There are so many temporary solutions that can add style and personality to your space.” For example, she overhauled a client’s front closet with chevron wallpaper and four different types of storage — all under $300.
“Paint is the easiest way to transform a space,” she says. “I love painting semi-circles or large circles on a wall behind a bed to create a faux-headboard, or just to accent a bed with a low headboard.” Benjamin Moore’s Allspice is a sweet touch in this little girl’s room.
“One key thing I always recommend people splurge on is lighting,” says Alexandra of this boho bedroom makeover. “You’d be amazed at what a statement pendant light or new floor lamp does to a rental!” Another must? A DIY scalloped wall using Behr’s Maple Glaze — a perfect shade for fall.
Would you believe us if we told you this kitchen makeover cost less than $600? Alexandra painted her client’s kitchen cabinets with Sico’s Cool Current: a muted, mossy green hue. She also added open shelving (top left) for even more storage. “I love taking mostly anything out of its package putting just about anything into jars or baskets,” she says.
“One of the easiest ways to jazz up a small powder room is to use paint and a sponge to create a pattern that could double as wallpaper,” says Alexandra. She also spiced up a plain circle mirror by painting wooden beads black and hot gluing them to the outside. Talk about an easy weekend project!
“There’s so much room (no pun intended) to have fun with color and pattern in a small space,” says Alexandra. “Patterned wallpaper (like Carter + Main’s peel-and-stick Crane Migration print) or a bold color always stands out in a smaller home.”
In Alexandra’s 860-square-foot Toronto apartment, the foyer shines with an exposed brick wall. She made her Ikea console even more hardworking by storing her cats’ litter boxes inside. (She also cut out a cat door for easy access.)
“I’ve learned that anything is possible living in a small space,” says Alexandra of her closet-turned-home-office. “I only have one full closet in my apartment, and I make it work!” A floating desk, pegboard and woven basket means all of her design supplies and stationery have a home.
Alexandra wanted to makeover a blank wall in her bedroom, so she took a paint brush and Behr’s Black Suede, and created parallel slashes to mimic the look of a wallpaper.
When overhauling her petite bathroom, Alexandra used peel-and-stick floor tile to create a custom look without the commitment of real tiles.
Alexandra Gater