Welcome back to another episode of the #howirent home tours! If this is your first time visiting, hello! Let me give you a quick run through . . .  #HowiRent is a monthly home tour series that started as a way to champion renters, who are transforming their homes into abodes of personality and style. Check out  previous home tours here, or apply to be a guest here. 

[All the beautiful photographs in this series have been shot by Kasia Fiszer. This post may contains affiliate links ]

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 INTRODUCING THIS MONTHS GUEST . . .

Rida Suleri-Johnson!

Rida is mama (to two beautiful girls), creative, activist and photographer. She writes occasionally about family travel on her blog and is also quite a powerful voice on Instagram (follow here) when talking about issues surrounding race, representation and inclusion. Rida and I first met at an interior event in Birmingham last year and have since become friends!

I really hope you enjoy this tour. Over to Rida!

Tell me a little about yourself? What are your hobbies? 

I am of Pakistani Welsh heritage and British. I was born in Pakistan and lived there for 7 years before moving to England, so I have lots of fun memories of growing up with my aunts who were more like my cousins.

I traveled around the world (well more of a hop and skip around the world) for my honeymoon and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done!

My hobbies are dancing around, eating good food (that’s a hobby right?), taking pictures and exploring places near and far. I love trees so darn much. I think instead of lots of new builds we should be fixing up old houses and planting trees where new houses would be built.

Where do you live? Who do you live with? Where did you live before?

We live in Birmingham; we being me, my husband Chris and two daughters. Both girls were born in Sussex but we moved back to Birmingham just a few weeks after Dalia was born.

What type of house do you live in? Do you know when it was built?

We live in an old Victorian terraced house but it’s been very well modernised whilst maintaining some of the charm.

Is this a private rented home? How much do you pay for rent monthly

Our home is a two bed privately rented and we pay £850 per month

What do you like most about this home? Can you share any before pictures of your home?

We don’t really have any before pictures but we haven’t had to do much in terms of fixing/painting. We are super lucky that the landlord is actually a renovator and so everything was done to a great standard!

I love the dining room the most I think. It has a wooden clad feature wall and I feel it’s the most complete room in the house. It gets beautiful light in too.

Is there anything you dislike?

There’s nothing I dislike as such but I’d love the bathroom floor to be tiled rather than grey lino (but understand it’s handiness!) I think I need to give your removable wallpaper idea a go for that floor!

[RELATED: HOW TO WALLPAPER A FLOOR]

How would you describe your decorating style?

I think subtly eclectic ? Haha! I love classic pieces and since you came over, I’ve added a gorgeous rug and cotton linen shade to our bedroom, which has really made it feel more complete! I like timeless pieces of furniture and things that age well.

Where do you source most of your furniture from?

It’s a mixture of second hand, self made (kind of!) and IKEA! I know people don’t feel IKEA is great for long term, or so I get that sense! But they have pieces that I feel suit short term to life long depending on your need/budget.

[RELATED : HOW TO PAINT A CHALKBOARD WALL]

Describe your relationship with your landlord. How do they feel about you decorating? Is there anything they wouldn’t want you to do?

I need to be brave and ask them! I’d love to paint a wall or two! But I’ve never asked so I don’t really know. I feel like if it was tasteful they wouldn’t mind! Maybe!

Do you have any favourite brands? Small Business shout outs?

Well I do love

• IKEA,
• MADE.com,
• Rowen & Wren
• Weft by We Are Here Now has the most amazing vintage rugs
• This Little House Shop has great pieces new and vintage!

Oh my god, and Eve Sleep literally do the BEST mattresses (I did work with them I should add BUT it was life changing! Honestly!) We also have a few things from our travels!

Do you have a favourite piece of furniture in your home?

Our bed! For the above reasons! Haha. But also love our table which we bought off of friends, it’s old Muji!

Have you ever done any DIY? If so, can you share what it was?

I have tried a fair few things from up cycling old frames to putting our pallet bed together but I’d like to try some more. You’ve definitely inspired me! Especially that clear window shelving for plants you made! So dreamy!!

How do you feel about renting? Do you ever see yourself buying a home one day?

I don’t mind renting in honesty, it’s never been a big deal for me and it’s so normal in other parts of the world. But in a classist society it’s hard to not feel the pressure / shame about not owning a house! My husband definitely would love to buy, me? I’d like to buy a holiday apartment abroad first! Haha.

Do you have a top tip for renters?

I think if you want to do anything up or see potential in a rental property, ask the landlord during a viewing whether they’re open to changes. Setting those boundaries from the off is great so you don’t feel like you’re overstepping or anything. But also, invest in good furniture and furnishings!

Sofas, tables, rugs, paintings/photos and lamps are great at making your rental feel like your home in an instant and you can take those with you. Just because you’re somewhere that may not be permanent doesn’t mean that you need to get cheap/throw away pieces.

So what do you think of Rida’s rented Home? I would love to hear your thoughts. As always your support and shares are always appreciated. You can also share your rented homes on Instagram using #HowIRent. Don’t forget to Leave a comment below!

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