Why buy your furniture when you can rent it! 

My glass coffee table glitters in the afternoon light, complementing the colours of the brand new art on my walls. The pink sofa in front of my window, meanwhile, is ideally placed for me to peruse the books on my statement shelf.

My once sparsely decorated living room is suddenly a riot of elegant decor — but not a single item is mine.

I have rented each piece from companies that hire out everything from armchairs to artificial flowers.

In a world where everyone is looking to boost their green credentials by living less wastefully, there’s huge appeal in borrowing rather than buying — whether it’s music, clothes or furniture.

Antonia Hoyle (pictured) revealed the outcome of transforming her living room with rented furniture from a variety of UK-based service providers 

So it’s no surprise to hear that business is booming. Recent research revealed the global furniture rental market is expected to rise by 6.8 per cent a year, reaching £7.5 billion by 2031.

When John Lewis launched a rental trial last year, almost its entire collection was hired within 48 hours. It has since expanded its range to 200 items, from beds to bar stools. The demand is due in part to rising property prices, meaning more of us are renting for longer while still hoping to make our homes look welcoming.

Then there are environmental concerns — buying a new sofa simply because the old one has become boring is hard to justify.

Meanwhile, social media sites encourage us to take pride in and show off our homes, which requires changing our decor more often — search the hashtag #interiordesign on Instagram and 139 million images appear.

Little wonder, then, that so many of us are lusting after rentals, not least because hiring allows us to enjoy items that would ordinarily be far beyond our budget. So how easy is it to hire the contents of your home? I decided to find out with a full redecoration of my living room — and I’m completely shocked by the transformation.

Everything is so elegant and chic, it looks like it belongs in the pages of a magazine.

The process does have its downsides, however. For example, some products simply aren’t suitable for families, others were not cost-effective and, while every firm made the process convenient, some delivery fees felt very steep.

Finding local rental companies would cut down on costs and cause less damage to the environment. And, in future, I’ll be mindful of the fact that while we may frequently change our minds about our home, it pays to keep rented items for longer, to cut down on cost.

I hope there will be a next time. I am seeing my home with fresh eyes — which I suppose is precisely the point.

‘PROPER’ ART

Gertrude.com

Antonia said a firm called Gertrude, which offers the opportunity to rent paintings for £50 a month is innovative, but has expensive delivery fees for non-Londoners

HOW IT WORKS: My husband, Chris, has an inexplicable aversion to hanging pictures so, frustratingly, our living room walls are bare.

A firm called Gertrude, I hope, can come to the rescue by renting paintings for £50 a month.

I choose a striking £4,200 work by artist Alex Crocker. After three months, you can swap your painting for another for £50. Or you can buy it, with 80 per cent of your subscription payment going towards the cost.

When the painting is hung, I’m delighted, while Chris begrudgingly admits a splash of colour on our wall does the room good — even if I do realise later that it’s upside down.

WHAT IT COSTS: There’s a £50 refundable deposit and £25 handling fee. Delivery fees are fairly high — mine is £135 from Gertrude’s London HQ.

VERDICT: Innovative, but expensive delivery fees for non-Londoners.

SALVAGED STOOL

Loop (sofology.co.uk)

Antonia said Rental scheme Loop, from sofa company Sofology is eco-friendly but won’t save you money 

HOW IT WORKS: Rental scheme Loop, from sofa company Sofology, refurbishes furniture to save it from landfill.

WHAT IT COSTS: This one is £45 a month for a six-month rental — £270 in total. But you can buy new footstools from Sofology for only £199.

VERDICT: Eco-friendly, even if it won’t save you money.

BLING ON A BUDGET

Instanthome.co.uk

Antonia said Furniture Hire UK is speedy but the quality could be better, while Instant Home is ideal for renters not wanting to commit

HOW IT WORKS: Splashing out on a new coffee table felt a waste — but I can hire this glass-and-oak number for £34.56 a month. Sets to fill whole rooms are available, too. You have to pay a damage deposit, but wear and tear is accepted.

WHAT IT COSTS: Rent for up to two years; minimum order £1,140. My delivery is £81.60.

VERDICT: The best customer service. Ideal for renters not wanting to commit.

SOFA FOR A DAY

FurniturehireUK.com

HOW IT WORKS: For those who change their mind by the day, Furniture Hire UK offers a 24-hour booking service and next-day delivery. It will even deliver and collect on the same day — though you’d still pay for the full week.

I choose a Vintage Pink Laura Sofa, which arrives on a Sunday — another advantage is seven-day delivery — and looks considerably classier than the budget price tag suggests. But as its legs creak ominously under my weight, I realise I might have been better off buying a brand new, cheap sofa instead.

WHAT IT COSTS: My sofa costs £111.44 a week. The minimum spend in my area is £125, but delivery costs £94.

VERDICT: Speedy, but the quality could be better.

FOREVER-FRESH FLOWERS

Daylinflavellflorist.co.uk

Antonia said the service offered by Daylin Flavell is best for busy professionals who tend to let fresh flowers wilt in the vase

HOW IT WORKS: Daylin Flavell creates artificial bouquets to suit individual rooms. ‘I then pop back each month with a new arrangement,’ says Daylin, who delivers within 60 miles of her shop in Newmarket, Cambridgeshire, for free. This bunch is virtually indistinguishable from the real deal.

WHAT IT COSTS: £35 a month.

VERDICT: Best for busy professionals who tend to let fresh flowers wilt in the vase. 

HIRE HIGH-END

Harth.space

HOW IT WORKS: This red glass side table with a striking cork top is beautiful and, at £1,700, way out of my price range. But I’ve hired it from Harth, where people offer their furniture for others to rent, with the firm taking 15 per cent commission.

Harth is at the pricier end of the market, but the Hemghar rug I choose (£20 a month or £450 to buy) is as soft as a pillow.

WHAT IT COSTS: The table is £85 a month, with no minimum rental period. Delivery is £180, but I’m 110 miles from the depot.

VERDICT: Better for immaculate London homes than families with small children.

BORROW BOOKS BY THE YARD

Booksbytheyard.co.uk

Antonia (pictured) said the service offered by Books By The Yard is a great-value gift for bookworms

HOW IT WORKS: I think books make a house a home, and this Bristol-based company literally hires them by the yard. There are Penguin classics, coffee table tomes… Fearful of looking a poser, I choose two yards of contemporary fiction. Rented on a three-month lease, 78 books arrive in two boxes, working out at 64p per book.

WHAT IT COSTS: £25 per yard, plus £9.99 delivery.

VERDICT: A great-value gift for bookworms.

STATEMENT SHELVES

Roomservicebycort.com

HOW IT WORKS: Now I need statement shelves for my books. I’m the first person to rent these particular shelves, so they arrive in flatpack form, taking two delivery drivers around half an hour to assemble (included in the cost).

The oak unit costs £176.40 a month, or £48 a month if you want to rent it for a year. I add a gold lamp for £70.80 (or £19.20 a month for a year). As with most rental companies, if you ruin something beyond repair you’ll have to pay for a replacement. Fortunately, everyone in the family seems so in awe of these that they give them a wide berth.

WHAT IT COSTS: You can rent any item for up to three years so long as you spend at least £900. Because I’m more than 100 miles from London, delivery and collection costs £350.

VERDICT: Sophisticated furniture at mid-range prices.

COSY TOUCHES

Neshinteriors.co.uk

HOW IT WORKS: Despite all the new pieces of furniture, I’m still missing the accessories that complete the look. Nesh Interiors rents out everything from pot plants to picture frames. I tell owner Lorna Rayner my colour scheme and she sends three boxes filled with a vase, a 4fthigh faux plant, a candle and cushions. I find a place for it all, and the room looks so cosy.

WHAT IT COSTS: Lorna accessorises whole rooms for £120 for three months, but will loan individual items for £11. My delivery costs £40 each way.

VERDICT: The expert styling advice is so helpful — and you can buy if you love the results.

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