Can't Paint? No Problem! 9 Easy Ways to Add Color to Your Home That Don't Involve a Paintbrush

So you live in a house or apartment that's, well, vanilla. The walls are white, the carpet is beige, the kitchen is white, the cabinets are beige … you get the idea.

You would really love to paint the place with some splashy colors that banish the bland. But if you're renting, you would also really love to get your security deposit back when you move out, so painting walls and cabinets is not an option. Don't worry. Whether you're a renter, or you simply don't have the time or budget for a full interior painting project, it doesn't mean you have to live in a color-starved home. You can add color without picking up a paintbrush or permanently altering the property. Here are some ideas to add style to your space — no painting required.

How to add color to a room without painting

1. Add art

Hang a colorful piece of art on your wall, and, presto, your style is in the house. For maximum effect with minimal effort, hang a single oversized, bright piece. It will change the vibe of the whole room. A framed print works, or a canvas, poster or tapestry. (Tip: If you're on a budget, scout out secondhand or vintage artwork at your local flea markets or thrift stores.) You don't have to put nail holes in the wall to hang your art, either. Use an adhesive picture hanging kit, and you can put art on the wall without damage.

2. Hang bright curtains

A window treatment can add a streak of color fast and become the star of the show in your room. Hang drapes on a rod over the window and let them flow to the floor for drama and texture. Roman shades, curtains, valances and swags add color too. Pick the style and color that best expresses your personality and fits your space.

3. Put a rug on it

Rugs are like art for the floor. Put a colorful area rug in a room, and you'll transform the whole vibe. Roll out a room-sized rug to add a large swath of color, or put smaller rugs under a coffee table or chair. Rugs are low commitment, too. Tired of the kilim rug? Swap it out for an art deco pattern. Think of it as a wardrobe change for your room.

4. Bring on the plants

Plants bring color as well as life to a space. Put a tall, potted tropical plant, like a parlor palm or a fiddle leaf fig, on the floor. Put a spider plant or philodendron on a shelf and let its leaves trail down gracefully. Choose plants with multicolored leaves and pot them in colorful containers for maximum vibrancy.

5. Get a bright piece of furniture

An armchair or sofa in your favorite shade can make a space. If you don't have the budget to buy the red sofa of your dreams, pick up a coffee table or side table at a thrift store and paint it a bright color. Or buy a used sofa and cover it with a colorful slipcover.

6. Work it with wall decals

Wall decals are like a cross between a sticker and removable wallpaper. They're made of vinyl and feature printed patterns and designs. Decals let you make a statement without investing in art (or rolls of removable wallpaper, which can be more expensive). They don't come in rolls like wallpaper; instead, they come in small sheets. You can peel off the adhesive backing and stick them to a wall, a cabinet or a piece of furniture. Use a bunch of decals to cover a wall or backsplash in a repeating pattern, or just put one or two decals on a wall or piece of furniture for emphasis. When you want a change, peel off the decal, and throw it away. Easy peasy.

7. Discover removable wallpaper

Removable wallpaper is your best friend if you want to transform a room from meh to marvelous. Unlike wallpaper of yore, which had to be pasted to walls and scraped off with a blade when you no longer loved it, removable wallpaper has an adhesive backing that lets you peel and stick it on a wall. The best part? When you want to remove it, just peel it off and toss it. It won't damage the walls, so it's a low-commitment way to make boring white walls go away for a while.

8. Add big color with small appliances

Bring color to your cooking space by buying brightly colored versions of everyday items. Small appliances in bright, retro hues are having a moment, so you can find candy apple red toasters, millennial pink coffee makers and turquoise toaster ovens. Brightly colored small appliances were once the exclusive domain of high-end brands, but there are a lot of dupes out there to fit your budget.

9. Throw on some color

Put throws and pillows on your furniture to add splashes of color and texture without damaging your walls. Mix patterns and colors to create dramatic contrasts. Best of all, throws and pillows add color you can cuddle up in. Wrap yourself in a throw, lounge on your pillows, and you've got a cozy, colorful style.

Discover more apartment decorating ideas in our Renters Guide.