Amara: Queen of damage-free rental hacks 👑
If you've made the plunge and committed to purchasing a home, it's then your prerogative to do what you want with it. But what if you're renting your home, but still want to put your stamp on it? Well, there's heaps of ways to do just that. Ask Amara, the genius mind behind @thepajaamahub.
Being married to a pilot has meant that Amara and her family have relocated several times throughout the years, so rental properties have offered them the flexibility that they've needed. But rental properties don't always deliver on the home comforts we all know and love, right? Those little details that make a house a home. Rental or no rental, Amara wasn't putting up with it 💪Say “No” to mag-no-lia
"I have always been a creative person, so you can imagine how dull it must have been for me to live in magnolia boxes. In every rental house we moved into, I would try to put my own stamp on it by experimenting with unusual hacks, designs ideas and DIY projects, to create a space that reflected me as a person and us as a family.Renters often feel quite limited when it comes to personalising a borrowed home, and rightly so. Having experienced the positive sense of ‘belonging’ in temporary homes, I wanted to encourage renters to step out of their comfort zone and experiment with damage-free decorating, irrespective of their budget."Hacks: A renter’s best friend
"You might be familiar with my love affair with vinyl. I've used it for several projects around the house to maximise colour and pattern. I think it's a renter’s best friend — one can be as creative as they wish to be, without worrying about damaging the walls. I always recommend a patch test, so you feel more confident while using it. I particularly love the blackboard stick on vinyl that I have used in my bathroom to paint a mural on top. The mural is very personal to me — it has initials of my family members, as a nod to my roots and, most importantly, the glyph of a woman to express my strength as one.Gallery walls are also one of the quickest and easiest ways to update a boring property. I opt for light weight frames, preferably with plastic fronts instead of glass, and use Ikea PLUTT hooks and command strips to hold them in place."A dose of drama 🎭
"I'm quite the advocate of statement furniture, for its ability to set the mood of a space! I use it as a styling pillar for any room I'm curating. But, as you know, it’s hard to deny that a statement piece can be pricey!By using an old set of drawers to create a bespoke faux bone inlay piece, I wanted to share that you can give your old furniture a dose of drama with a bit of paint and creativity — no matter how basic your DIY skills are. I chose the LOVELL Circular Knobs to pair with this project, since they're effortlessly classy and pack quite a punch! Brass hardware has come back in a big way, and I was thrilled to find the LOVELL Circular Knobs in my desired matt finish, to add a touch of sophistication. They're easy to clean and maintain, which is quite essential for me for fuss-free styling."
Amara chose our LOVELL Circular Knob for its effortless class ✨
Cohesion & Complication ⚖
"I'm most definitely a colour fiend and I derive energy from my surroundings. You can imagine how drawn I am to colourful interiors! I love a happy balance of cohesion and complication, so my process normally involves layering and repetition techniques when designing a space. It's equally important for me to go with my personal taste which, over a period of time, has become somewhat fearless and bold!"
Never doing solo 👨👩👧👦
"My top tip for managing DIY projects as a family? Involve your brood wherever possible. I'm very lucky to have a super supportive home team, who are always willing to get stuck into a project. So doing DIY becomes more like a team effort.I must say, my family is also my first panel of judges, and they're pretty generous with their opinions!"Amara’s “DI-Why”
"Oh, it's just so rewarding when an idea you've been toying with comes to life. All the loose-screw-searching, paint spillages and sore fingers are forgotten about when you get to see the finished bespoke product.I still remember the buzz I got when I replicated a beaded chandelier that I saw being sold online for hundreds of pounds, whereas I was able to achieve the look for just £60! A DIY project gives you a feeling of connection with the project, and not to forget how eco-friendly it can prove to be ♻ "
An intricate faux-bone inlay design, perfected by the talented Amara 👌
Must-follow DIY’ers
"I'm a heavy Pinterest user and I spend a lot of time unlocking my personal style there, followed closely by Instagram. A great deal of credit goes to the interior books and magazines that I love to collect for all the "A-ha!" moments.The list is very very long but I thoroughly enjoy @beataheuman, @comedowntothewoods and @the_idle_hands for non-stop inspiration."Friendly podcasts 🎧
“DIY sessions are my time to catch up on my favourite podcasts. I absolutely love listening to The Great Indoors Podcast by @sophierobinson and @mad_about_the_house when I work, because of the spontaneity and friendship, along with the design insights. It totally feels like one is sitting in the same room as them and enjoying the whole discussion.DIY can get boring if things don’t go your way, but an uplifting podcast can surely do wonders in keeping you focussed I’d say!"A huge thank you to Amara for joining us for a TEA BREAK. Why not follow her rental hacking journey at @thepajaamahub?
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