Danielle Fowler
As any renter will know, it can be hard to make a small flat feel like home, especially when you have a strict landlord calling the shots.
Whether you’re desperate to paint the walls or throw out mismatched furniture, there are plenty of obstacles that can get in the way of your dream interior.
But renters, there is a clever solution to the problem.
While saving for a place of their own, some renters (myself included) are turning to an AI-powered website to hunt down affordable furniture dupes.
Whether you’ve spotted your dream sofa on TikTok or want to recreate a boujee dining set, ShopHomeStyles can find budget-friendly alternatives from just a screenshot.
So, how does it work?
Using ShopHomeStyles is simple.
All you need to do is upload a photo or screenshot of the item you're looking for to the platform here. If you don't have an image to hand, you can describe the item you're after using a few keywords.
To save hours of scrolling, the AI-powered site will then pull options from over 100 furniture brands, including the likes of Emma, Dunelm, and Marks & Spencer.
According to ShopHomeStyles, its recommendations are based on shared design features - such as silhouette, materials, and tone - helping you recreate the look for less.
To see if it really works, I decided to put it to the test.
For instance, a brown leather sofa has been at the top of my wish list for years, but I don't have a spare couple of thousand pounds knocking about.
So, I uploaded an image to ShopHomeStyles to see what it would find. Within seconds, the site suggested several affordable dupes inspired by the sofa in question.
Excited to see what else it could source online for me, I tried other items spotted on TikTok, from screenshots of Tekla striped bedding to the Nessino lookalike mushroom lamp in every millennial bedroom right now.
The best part? If you're not sure where to begin, you can even upload a photo of the room you'd like to decorate.
The search engine will then source furniture pieces to complement the room in question on your behalf, which is great if you have no idea where to start.
If you're locked into a contract, there are a couple of ways to feel more at home without getting told off by your landlord.
The easiest way to brighten the space on a budget is to hang framed posters or artwork to the walls using adhesive hanging strips, which can be found on Amazon.
You can also use the same hack to put up wall mirrors, which will make the space feel bigger. Large leaning mirrors will also achieve this if you're nervous about tacking anything to the walls.
When it comes to faded carpets, a large rug will cover any suspicious stains, whilst curtains are a brilliant way to hide unsightly washing machines or wardrobes.
If you're unsure, it's worth speaking to your landlord about making changes.