New rental? How to turn a bland space into a personal haven

Even though she was moving into a rental apartment, Alexa d’Argence was eager to put her personal stamp on it.

“Loving my space is more important to me than my security deposit. So I just went for it with paint, shelves, window treatments, and upgrading the medicine cabinet,” says d’Argence, who as a senior designer at BAR Architects in San Francisco knows something about creating a stylish space.

“My landlord actually appreciated the improvements. I’d say, consider changes that add value, and that wouldn’t be removed if you moved out,” she . . .