Marie Claire UK - 09.2019

149

Deluxe

EDINBURGH

THE GLASSHOUSE HOTEL

Behindthe historic walls of the 19th-century

church (careful restoration has preserved

the gothic façade) hides five-star modern-

day luxury. Thanks to a central location at

the foot of Calton Hill, yet with a countryside

feel, it’s the very best of both worlds.

LONDON

ENNISMORESESSIONS HOUSE

ThisGrade II listed former courthouse near

Clerkenwell Green is run by the team

behind The Hoxton and Gleneagles.

With six spacious rooms to hire – including

an impressive lobby – it’s a Palladian-style

venue that accommodates up to 230.

MANCHESTER

KINGSTREET TOWNHOUSE

Witha stylish rooftop that can host up to

150 at an informal reception (alternatively,

book the more traditional seated wedding

breakfast for 100), this Italian renaissance

townhouse in central Manchester sets the

scene for an unforgettable party.

Bride lights, big city

Weddings don’t have to be country affairs – get hitched at one of these buzzing locations instead

Guestcolumnist and interiors blogger

Medina Grilloon how to give your place a

fresh update, without losing your deposit

PRE-LOVED IS YOUR FRIENDIf you’re looking for

large furniture, try second hand. My favourite is a dresser

I got in a charity shop for £10. I took it home, sanded, waxed

and painted it, and now it’s amazing by my bed. Ebay and

Gumtree are my go-tos, but I also love Emmaus for mid-

century pieces, British Heart Foundation for sofas and

Facebook selling pages for expensive brands at low prices.

MIXUP THOSE TEXTURESSoft furnishings are an easy,

inexpensiveway to add interest to a room. I regularly change

cushioncovers, throws and bedding for a quick update. Rugs

aregreat at adding fluidity – my motto is: the bigger the

better– and brilliantly covering up unsightly floors or dodgy

carpets.Match accents of the rug to your decor to bring

things together, but avoid light colours in high traffic areas.

REMOVABLE WALLPAPER: IT’S A THINGOur porch

used to feature an ugly red floor – I hated it. While you can’t

replace the flooring of the property you’re renting, youcan

use removable wallpaper to give a bit more character (and

not just on walls). With normal glue and wallpaper, then

varnish,I covered the kitchen floor in my old house, and

I can tell you now it was a total breeze to pull up. I also

STRIP,DON’T HAMMERHanging picture frames,

mirrors and artwork can be tricky when you’re renting,

so I use Command hooks to create galleries – they’re

great. You can use them to hang really heavy pieces of

art as they have different weight limits. If you follow

the instructions closely they won’t damage the walls.

added a stylish monochrome pattern to our hall walls

• it brightened the space without damaging the surface.

TINY TWEAKS = BIG IMPACTUpdating the lighting is

an easy way to alter the mood of a room. I’m not talking

about rewiring, but swapping lampshades (or spray-

painting them – with permission!) and adding contact paper

[removable vinyl] to switches can look brilliant. Changing

hardware is easier than you think. Just unscrew the old and

replace it, keeping the original safe to put back on before

you move again. I love Anthropologie or Ebay for handles.

Home Sweet (Rented) Homeby Medina Grillo (£15, Octopus)

HOME

HACKS

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RENTERS

COMPILED BY CHARLOTTE VOSSEN