So, you have just arrived at your university and after unpacking, you are slightly panicking at the prospect of spending the majority of your year in that room. It looks dull, it has stains all over the place and there is not much space for your things.
If you are just like many other students on a low budget but desire to spruce up your room a bit, here are some simple yet effective tips:
1. Organize your space
Before you start purchasing new things or decorations, it's best to organize your space a bit. If you have space under your bed, the best thing you could do with it is buy some boxes – those can be pretty too – and place them under the bed as a storage for your clothes, some of your books and other things. This way, you'll have a lot of space to move around and your room will remain tidy.
2. Plants
Now, we know that having live plants and maintaining them through the year is a hard job and definitely not the one made for students. However, that's why fake plants exist. The point of having them in your room is to add some colour and life to bleak walls.
You can buy fake cacti as they look good in any space and definitely seem more alive than fake flowers.
3. Hang pictures
If it's allowed in your dorm, then you should definitely use that wall space and transform it into something that looks more like home. It doesn't have to be pictures of your family, you can also hang inspirational quotes, poems etc.
“However, if it's not allowed, you can put them up by the walls or use some washi tape to create fake picture frames and still have them on the walls”, - explains Sue Emerson, an Office designer at Essay Roo.
4. Purchase some mirrors
Mirrors serve as more than as a way to show you what you look like before you leave – they can also make your room look bigger. You can use command strips to have them on your walls. This way, your space will look amazing and you'll be sure to look great.
5. Put up some fairy lights
To be honest, lighting in most dorms is terrible. It's either too bright and it burns your eyes or it's too dark and you can't see a thing. But with delicate and popular fairy lights, you can have the perfect mood lighting.
They are cheap and look good in any room. You can also use these to hang your pictures or inspirational quotes. Hang them above your headboard or wherever else you wish.
6. Create collages
“Collages are another popular way to introduce some of your own personality into the room. You can mix your personal pictures with the printed out patterns, quotes or images. Create any shape that you like with them and use some washi tape and other DIY tools to make it unique and amazing”, - comments William Whitehead, a College Advisor at Australian Help, and Stateofwriting author.
You can also grab some quirky pieces of material on flea markets and make some interesting wall decorations with them. While IKEA is cheap, flea markets are even cheaper and you can find many interesting things there to help you bring your room to the next level.
7. Buy new bedding
Lastly, your bed is the biggest piece of furniture in your room and that's why it needs special attention. New bedding is a perfect way to make your room look amazing. Make sure it works well with the rest of your room – the style should not clash with other pieces of your furniture or colours that you have in your decorations.
Janet Peters, an Interior Designer at Big Assignments says: “Some pillows might be a good idea too, they will make your bed more comfortable. After all, you'll spend a lot of time there, not only sleeping but also hanging out with your friends and studying. Adding some throw blankets can look good while keeping you warm during cold months”.
Wrapping Up, following these tips will bring some life to your room and you'll definitely be more comfortable in it. You'll spend a year in it and you'll probably make many more interior design changes, as your style develops and as you explore what you can do. Enjoy your new, good-looking room!
Author's bio: Freddie Tubbs is a design blogger and writer at Write My Australia. He regularly takes part in online conferences and contributes his posts to online magazines and blogs, such as the Vault, Australian Reviewer and Revieweal.