How to Style Your Home, Even During Transition

This post is sponsored by CORT. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting content that keeps Jojotastic going.

Let’s be real here: life is totally unpredictable, especially when you’re a renter, renovating, or moving to a new city. Often, I find that those transitional phases in life are the most stressful. For example, during our renovation, our tiny bungalow has become an absolute disaster! It can feel like our home is just a house… full of chaos. So today I teamed up with CORT Furniture Rental to share tips to make those times of life easier!

How to Make Your House a Home During Times of Change like renting, renovations, or small space living! Learn more about how @cortfurniture  helps decorate my small space and makes it more cozy with their Rental Services on jojotastic.com! #sponsored #CORTatHome #myCORTStyle #smallspaces #tinyhouse #furniture #interiordesign

How to Make Your House a Home During Times of Change

When I first moved into the tiny bungalow, I was totally overwhelmed with pressure to immediately settle in and make it feel like a home instead of just a house. Some of that pressure comes from seeing everything looking so perfect on social media… and some is because I just really wanted to celebrate having my first real, true home! But here’s the thing… that can get expensive! And after the cost of moving and buying a house, I was pretty much tapped out. Thankfully, CORT is the perfect furniture rental service because it helps you to accomplish so much — and all in one place.

How to Make Your House a Home During Times of Change like renting, renovations, or small space living! Learn more about how @cortfurniture  helps decorate my small space and makes it more cozy with their Rental Services on jojotastic.com! #sponsored #CORTatHome #myCORTStyle #smallspaces #tinyhouse #furniture #interiordesign

With CORT, you’re able to try out different styles of decor and furniture without a huge financial burden and without having to commit longterm. Living small is all about flexibility, so being able to rent furniture and test out different styles helps a ton. Personally, I know my style has evolved in the 3 years since I bought the house, leaving me with pieces that don’t feel right anymore. Instead of buying a totally new sofa, I love that I can rent one and test out the aesthetic… and maybe change my mind again!

How to Make Your House a Home During Times of Change like renting, renovations, or small space living! Learn more about how @cortfurniture  helps decorate my small space and makes it more cozy with their Rental Services on jojotastic.com! #sponsored #CORTatHome #myCORTStyle #smallspaces #tinyhouse #furniture #interiordesign
How to Make Your House a Home During Times of Change like renting, renovations, or small space living! Learn more about how @cortfurniture  helps decorate my small space and makes it more cozy with their Rental Services on jojotastic.com! #sponsored #CORTatHome #myCORTStyle #smallspaces #tinyhouse #furniture #interiordesign

If you’re a home owner, CORT can work for you, too. Renovating really takes a toll on your budget, so being able to furnish your home affordably is huge. I’ve always though of the bungalow as an investment property, something that we’ll use for profit in the future. Because of this, we have to make really smart decisions. As we renovate the bungalow (and turn it into a vacation rental), we are extremely aware of the financial decisions that we need to make in order to be profitable. CORT will allow us to stylishly furnish the house, so that it’s inviting for guests.

How to Make Your House a Home During Times of Change like renting, renovations, or small space living! Learn more about how @cortfurniture  helps decorate my small space and makes it more cozy with their Rental Services on jojotastic.com! #sponsored #CORTatHome #myCORTStyle #smallspaces #tinyhouse #furniture #interiordesign

Here are a few more tips to help you update and refresh a small space:

Scale

When decorating a small space, don’t be afraid to mix in a few large scale pieces for drama and a focal point! An arc lamp is one of my favorite ways to add drama to a space, but with a small footprint.

Dual functionality

When I bring anything into my home, I always consider how it can do multiple jobs. For example, a coffee table with storage.

Trick the eye

Hang your curtains high to draw the eye up and make the room feel taller. Also use flat paint on the ceiling. Flat paint helps to create the illusion of space and higher ceilings because it doesn’t reflect as much light as a satin finish.

Ask for help

Sometimes you need a second set of eyes! CORT’s experienced team are pros and reviewed my Pinterest board to see what was the best fit for my home’s style.

Organize creatively

Don’t worry about storing things by room or category. For example, we store our bed linens in the credenza under the TV.

I’d love to know more about how you cope with living in transition! And if you’re living in a rental, renovating, or planning to refresh your space, definitely check out CORT Furniture Rental to help you turn the space into a cozy home.

Photography by Jojotastic, video by CORT Furniture Rental. Hair and make up by Kendra Springer.

Behind The Blog

Joanna Hawley-McBride is a Pacific Northwest-based social media strategist, content creator, and former textile designer. Joanna is the founder and editor-in-chief of Jojotastic, a lifestyle blog focused on Joanna’s work-in-progress cabin, finding the best pair of underwear through #UnderwearThesis, and empowering women to explore nature — all in her signature unfiltered style. Her work has been featured in Domino, CNBC, and Eating Well.

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Please note that I use affiliate links at times here, as well as on my social media accounts. This means that if you click on a link to a product and purchase that product, I may receive a commission based on your purchase. I only feature products that truly inspire me. Any products that have been gifted to Jojotastic for review are noted at the bottom of the post. Sponsored posts are noted as such. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting content that keeps Jojotastic going.

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