Renters often have trouble thinking of decorating ideas that don’t involve painting or putting holes in the walls. But there are many ways to add colour and style to your walls with simple and creative techniques.

Here are four decorating secrets that will inspire you to transform any apartment:

Removable Wall Graphics
Removable wall graphics are often the go-to method for decorating without paint. They come in hundreds of different designs and are easy to put in place. You can buy wall graphics and decals already made or have them custom designed to reflect your personal taste. They can be applied in any room from the den to kitchen, whether to cover the entire wall or a section that catches the eye. Wall decals are designed with adhesives that make them easy to remove.

Colourful Frames and Art
Photographs and paintings can be colourful, but people often overlook the potential of the frames. Explore thrift stores and antique shops like Ottawa Antique Market for frames with a variety of colours and textures including wood or metal. They don’t always have to contain art. Empty frames can be used on their own to create a sequence of colours that either match or contrast the original paint. They can be hung with removable wall hooks found at any dollar or hardware store.

Flowers, Decal Tape and Scrapbooking Paper
Decorating is a chance for residents to be creative. Simple craft supplies like transparent decal tape, papier-mâché and scrapbooking paper can be found at any art supply store like Michaels. These materials can be used to make your own designs. Artificial flowers can be taped in any design and decal tape can accentuate the edges. Decal tape can also be used to create shapes like diamonds or hexagons and scrapbooking paper can be used to fill the centres.

Wall Murals with Photographs
Small and large wall murals are a great way to add a unique touch to a living room or bedroom. A DIY photo mural can be made from a collection of personal or reproduced photographs printed on normal or high-gloss paper. Subject and theme is your choice: landscapes, oceans, cities or portraits can all be used to make a stunning collage. All you need is scotch tape, velcro or poster putty to easily apply and remove the sections.

These decorating secrets can help unleash your creativity. Best of all, they can be added, changed or removed without leaving scratches, marks or holes on the walls of your rental apartment.