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Living in a rental? 5 DIY ways to upgrade the living room

Just because you're renting your home doesn't mean you can't make it feel like home.

Just because you’re renting your home doesn’t mean you can’t have fun decorating it and making it your own. For our series “Improving Your Rental,” TODAY.com is looking at landlord-approved ways to make your space more personalized with easy DIY tricks.

You spend a lot of time in your living room, so it’s important to make it feel personal. Check out these little tweaks you can try that will help give your space a more unique ambiance and set your rental apart from others.

Swap out the switch plates

Me, Myself & DIY

Small changes can often make big differences, even if they’re oh-so-subtle ones. While the switch plates aren’t necessarily a huge focal point for the room, the little details are the things that make a home feel more polished. This blogger created rich-looking plate covers with picture frames found at the dollar store. See the tutorial.

Replace the ceiling shades

Gregory Han / Apartment Therapy

Can’t stop staring at that hideous overhead light above your head? It’s actually a pretty easy fix. Simply change out the ceiling shade with something that’s more modern or fit to your taste. The bonus is that you can take it with you when you move. See the tutorial here.

Fake crown molding

Hi Sugarplum!

It’s no secret that crown molding can add a lot of elegance to a room, but most rentals don’t come with that extra touch. Now, thanks to this blogger’s genius idea, you can create the same type of feel in your home on a temporary basis. This particular project works especially well on colored walls, so ask your landlord if you’re allowed to paint. See the tutorial here.

RELATED: 5 DIY ways to upgrade the bathroom in your rental

Hide ugly blinds

Champagne Lifestyle

If your landlord won’t let you take down the blinds (or they’re just too big to store while you’re there), take a cue from this blogger who figured out a way to hide them with DIY curtains. See the tutorial here.

RELATED: 5 DIY ways to upgrade the bedroom in your rental home

Add carpet

The Lettered Cottage

Not only do most rentals not allow you to add carpeting, but it’s a major expense to put into a property you don’t own. Enter carpet tiles. These can be fit perfectly to a room and taken with you when you leave. Bonus points: If you spill something and stain it, you can just replace the square — not the whole thing. See the tutorial here.