A Scandinavian-style bedroom with framed prints illustrates how artwork can personalise a temporary space.

Guides

How Do I Decorate a Rental Home with Art Prints?

First Published: 26 October 2026

Last modified: 26 October 2026

Make a rented home feel personal with portable art prints, thoughtful layouts and suitable existing fixings. Explore ways to display artwork while managing wall damage and moving-day practicalities.

Decorate a rental home with art prints by choosing pieces that can move with you, using existing fixing points where suitable and checking your tenancy agreement before making new holes or applying adhesive products. A few well-scaled prints can give a temporary home personality without a permanent decorating scheme. No hanging method is guaranteed to leave a wall undamaged.

Begin with the tenancy agreement, not the blank wall

A rented room can feel impersonal because the walls, floors and larger fittings were chosen by someone else. Art is one of the few decorative elements you can select entirely for yourself. It can introduce colour above a neutral sofa, make a narrow hallway more welcoming or give a bedroom a focal point without changing the paint.

First, check what your agreement says about picture hooks, drilling, adhesives and making good at the end of the tenancy. A clause about returning a property in good condition does not automatically mean every fixing is permitted, and the rules can differ between homes. If the wording is unclear, ask the landlord or managing agent in writing before altering the surface. Keep a copy of any permission.

Look at the walls before buying frames. Note existing hooks, rails, shelving and areas where artwork could sit on furniture. Photograph the current condition, including any old holes or marks, so you have a useful record. If you share the home, agree on placement before anyone reaches for a drill.

Choose the art itself for the life you lead rather than for an imagined permanent house. The right print can be taken down, packed and enjoyed again somewhere quite different. That flexibility is a strength, not a compromise.

Living room with a brown sofa, framed artwork on the wall, and a lamp. — Framed artwork above a brown sofa: consider using an existing, suitable fixing point.

Use existing hooks and picture rails intelligently

The simplest rental-friendly approach is often to reuse an existing, sound fixing. A previous tenant may have left a properly installed picture hook, or an older flat may have a picture rail. Neither should be assumed safe merely because it is already there. Check for movement, damage and the actual load capacity before hanging a framed work.

If the fixing is suitable, work backwards from its position. A single portrait-format print may look better on a narrow wall than several small pictures squeezed around a hook. Above a sofa, two smaller works can be balanced around an existing fixing only if both have their own appropriate support. Do not hang a heavy group from a hook designed for a lightweight frame.

Picture rails can be useful in period rooms, but the rail, cord, hooks and frame attachments all need to be compatible and rated for the load. Old decorative timber and unknown previous installations deserve particular caution. If you cannot establish the condition or capacity, seek professional advice rather than improvising.

For placement, measure the distance from the floor to the fixing and from the fixing to the frame’s hanging point. A frame’s top edge may sit well below the hook. Before ordering, compare the finished frame dimensions with the furniture beneath it. Westloft’s guide to picture-hanging height explains how to judge the result from normal viewing positions.

Existing fittings are a useful constraint: they can prompt a more thoughtful arrangement than simply filling every patch of empty wall.

Gallery wall arrangement of several framed art prints — A framed gallery arrangement: plan the overall layout before deciding on fixings.

What if you cannot put holes in the wall?

Start with displays that do not depend on new wall fixings. A modest framed print on a stable sideboard, a group of smaller works on an existing shelf or a suitably rated freestanding easel can introduce art without drilling. The furniture or support must be stable, deep enough for the frame and positioned away from knocks, children and pets. A large glass-fronted frame casually propped against a wall is not a damage-free solution.

An existing bookcase can be a useful place for a smaller print. Try standing a print among books and ceramics, allowing enough clearance so nothing presses on the glazing. In a bedroom, a compact framed work on a chest of drawers can create a focal point without occupying the entire wall. If a frame might slide or tip, rethink the display rather than assuming a decorative object will hold it.

Removable adhesive strips are sometimes marketed for temporary hanging, but suitability depends on the particular product, frame weight, surface, paint condition and removal instructions. Some products exclude wallpaper, textured surfaces, recently painted walls or particular finishes. Even when used as directed, adhesive removal can lift paint or leave marks. Ask permission where required and never assume 'removable' means risk-free.

A leaning display is one option among several, not a universal recommendation. For more ideas and the relevant safety considerations, see how to display framed art without hanging it.

Botanical wall art prints — Botanical art prints can move between rooms as the home changes.

Choose prints and frames that suit a home which may change

A rental home often changes shape over time. The sofa may be wider in your next living room; the bedroom may have a lower ceiling or an awkward alcove. Consider a small collection of prints that can work individually as well as together. A botanical print that suits a bedroom today might be equally at home in a future study.

Westloft’s Fern Leaf print and Pomegranate Fruit print offer distinct botanical subjects. The Grey & Mustard abstract can introduce stronger colour, while the Peacock butterfly print offers a different kind of detail. Select subjects you genuinely enjoy; a coordinated colour scheme can be adjusted more easily than a collection bought solely to match someone else’s wall paint.

Compare the print-only and framed options actually offered on each product page before ordering. Print-only artwork may give you more flexibility if you already own suitable frames, but it needs proper protection and mounting before display. A finished frame is convenient, yet its weight, glazing and outer dimensions affect how and where it can be supported. Do not assume all frames have the same hanging requirements.

For a hypothetical 160 cm-wide sofa, an artwork or group about 100–120 cm wide may be a useful visual starting point, not a fixed rule. In a smaller room, a pair of modest prints can sometimes feel more settled than a single oversized piece. Check what size wall art suits your room before committing to a format.

A consistent frame finish can help a varied collection feel deliberate, but there is no obligation to buy matching sets. Let the pictures have some individuality.

Living room with a couch, coffee table, and abstract art on the wall. — Abstract artwork in a living room shows how a single print can add a focal point.

Plan a gallery arrangement that can be rearranged later

A gallery wall can be appealing in a rental, but many small frames may mean many fixing points. Before buying a dozen pictures, consider whether two or three stronger works would make the same impression with a simpler installation. A gallery is a composition, not a requirement to fill every centimetre.

Lay your prints on the floor first, using the outside dimensions of their intended frames. Start with one piece you want to anchor the group, then add others with a reasonably consistent gap. For medium frames, 5–10 cm between pieces is a useful initial test; adjust according to their size and visual weight. Photograph a few versions so you can compare them without repeatedly moving everything.

For a hypothetical 140 cm-wide clear wall, two framed prints each 45 cm wide with a 7 cm gap make a group 97 cm across. That leaves roughly 21.5 cm at either side when centred. A third print might improve the composition, but only if there is room and an appropriate way to support it. A layout that looks balanced on the floor can feel crowded once lamps, doors and switches enter the picture.

Mixing a graphic work such as Westloft’s Black Mirror print with an animal subject such as the Leopard print can give a small grouping more character. You can also choose a single statement work instead. See one large artwork versus a gallery wall for the trade-offs.

Keep a photograph of the final arrangement and the frame measurements. When you move, the same prints can be regrouped to suit the new architecture without treating the original layout as sacred.

Framed abstract wall art in a sunlit bedroom — Framed abstract artwork in a bedroom: check frame weight and wall construction before hanging.

Make moving day part of the decorating plan

Before installing anything, think about how it will come down. Keep the packaging for larger frames where practical, note any specialist fixings and retain the instructions for the hanging hardware. A temporary home deserves the same care as a permanent one, especially where glazed frames and painted walls are involved.

When the time comes to leave, follow the manufacturer’s removal instructions for any adhesive system and the terms of your tenancy. Do not pull strips away at an angle or force a stuck fitting off the plaster. If removal reveals damage, document it and agree on an appropriate repair rather than covering it hurriedly with paint that may not match. Requirements for reinstatement and fair wear will depend on the agreement and applicable rules.

Pack prints flat in protective sleeves or suitable rigid packaging, and cushion framed pieces so corners and glazing do not rub against one another. Label the outside of boxes with the room or picture name. A photograph of each arrangement can make it easier to decide what to recreate, but do not feel obliged to repeat it exactly.

A good rental scheme is not a room decorated apologetically. It is a room that looks considered while acknowledging that you may one day carry its most personal details through another front door. Start with one print you love, check where it can safely go and build the collection at a pace that suits the space. If you need ideas for compact rooms, Westloft’s small-flat wall art guide is a useful companion.

Recently Viewed

How Do I Decorate a Rental Home with Art Prints?

Begin with the tenancy agreement, not the blank wall

Use existing hooks and picture rails intelligently

What if you cannot put holes in the wall?

Choose prints and frames that suit a home which may change

Plan a gallery arrangement that can be rearranged later

Make moving day part of the decorating plan

Shop the Editorial

Abstract Wall Art Print 'Grey & Mustard', Modern Abstract, Large Abstract Art, Abstract Wall Decor

Botanical Wall Art Print 'Fern Leaf' - Plant Prints, Botanical Art Prints and Botanical Illustrations

Pomegranate Fruit Wall Art Print

Butterfly Wall Art Print ‘Peacock’

Leopard Wall Art Print

Renaissance Inspired Male Figurative Wall Art Print 'Black Mirror'

Further Reading