While there are some owners who will allow their tenants to paint the walls what ever colour the tenant wishes (this is mostly for long term rentals) there are also landlords who request that you respect their preference of keeping the walls a natural neutral colour like white or biscuit.
Just because you cannot paint your walls blue does not mean that you cannot spice up your rental property to make it feel like home.
Here are some very easy and inexpensive ways to add colour and personal touches to your home.
Keep your walls neutral as this makes swopping colours easier when you get bored with the space you are living in (which happens to me about once a year).
Neutral couches are also recommended as they are the biggest items of furniture in your living room. You can spice up the colour factor by adding brightly coloured scatter cushions, beautiful throws to drape over the couches, your curtains or blinds can also be coloured or patterned.
Vases and interesting candles and candle holders add personal touches and colour too and the great thing about these splashes of colour is that when you get bored with the colour you have chosen it is not that expensive to swop them out for another set of featured items. I keep a set of a few different colours in my cupboard (mixing blue's and purples in one set and then reds and oranges in another for example) and when I get bored with the reds and oranges they go in the cupboard and out come the blues and purples and suddenly my living room feels like a whole new space.
Another way to add colour is by having your favourite photographs printed onto canvas and using those as art work for your walls. Printing images onto canvas is an inexpensive alternative to paintings.
Shaggy carpets or mats not only keep the floor clean underneath but also bring together a selection of features in and around your room. Bounce colours off each other to create a theme.
Keep in mind that decorating your home does not have to be expensive. If you have good quality couches that will last a long time those count as a good investment, but there is no need to spend huge amounts of money on the trinkets like pillows and throws that you may become bored of very quickly. Find factory shops around your area and browse their goods before heading over to the expensive furniture and home dcor shops.