Welcome back Wildcats! It’s that time of the year again, the time where we all move back into our tiny Ellensburg apartments. Or maybe you’re moving into your very first apartment! Either way, its hard to make your home feel cute and well decorated while being a broke college student. Here are a 5 tips on how to decorate without breaking the bank while also optimizing space.
1. Push your bed to the corner of the room
This will instantly add so much space and its 100% free! Also, if you have to buy a bed for your apartment getting one low to the ground can give the appearance of more space in your room and turn it into an open area. You could also get one high off the ground so you can put storage bins under for extra clothes or miscellaneous objects
2. Lighting
Christmas lights add a pretty ambiance to any room and are fairly inexpensive, usually around $5.00 per box. Whether you want a classic twinkling white light or you can spice it up with some color changing lights! You can never go wrong with some extra lighting. Another fun decorating idea is lava lamps. You could find one at garage sales for fairly cheap, or check Goodwill! You could also splurge a little bit and pay about $20.00 for a brand new one. Lava lamps are a fun little addition to any space. I currently have two in my room to give it a fun little hippy vibe.
3. Invest in some colorful tapestries
Tapestries are a cheap fun way to decorate those boring white walls. You can get them in all kinds of colors to match the rest of your stuff and you can find them online for as cheap as $6.00!
4. Multi-Use Furniture
Get furniture with multiple uses. Like a coffee table in your living room can also be your eating area! I do this myself. Another fun thing I did was get beer pong tables and foldable chairs. That way you can put a cloth over them and have a meal with your friends and then clear it and play some fun drinking games!
5. Build Up
One of the best ways to optimize space and add some storage is to get tall bookshelves or a vertical dresser instead of one that is horizontal. Having vertical furniture adds lots of storage but takes up little floor space so your apartment doesn’t look too crowded. You could also add shelves to your walls! A lot of apartment complexes, especially the ones close to campus, have built in bookshelves. USE THEM! Add things to the shelves that you don’t use on a daily basis, add some picture frames, mix in a cute plant and boom, you’ve made it decorative. Try antique stores, Goodwill, and yard sales to cut out on the cost.
However you decide to decorate, there are many inexpensive ways to add a little of your own personal style to every room! Hey HC girls if you have any tips on how to decorate on a budget, let us know in the comments below!