Welcome home to your new beige box! If you just signed a lease on a rental, you’re probably eager to start adding your own personal touches and vibe to the space. But before you pop open the paint cans or break out the hammer, it’s smart to explore ways to personalize without getting into a long-term standoff with your landlord. Your challenge is to work every surface to create a visual story of how you’d like to feel at home. Here are some ways, from easy to more involved, to make it happen.

Paint, but with caution

If your instinct upon moving into a rental is to paint it black—or red, or purple, or whatever your bold color of the moment—there are some legal ramifications to picking up the paintbrush. Interior painting is usually not specifically addressed by rental agreements, says law

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