The start of a new year means one thing: a new home. In many ways this is very exciting, but initially it can also be slightly depressing; you’ve squeezed all of your home comforts into the car, and upon arrival you find yourself faced with a bare, cold, clinical room that perhaps looks a bit more ‘shabby’ than ‘shabby chic’. Your room is undoubtedly important, as it serves many purposes for you: your walk in wardrobe, your cosy pit to spend hung-over days in, your own private study room, your safe haven. Perhaps most importantly, your bedroom is an expression of who you are, so when faced with that bare shell of a room, don’t panic. Instead, grab the chance to make your room your own – here are HC’s top tips on how to make your uni digs beautiful…
Photos, Photos And More Photos
If you’re living in halls or a student house, your walls are most likely looking very bare, almost certainly cream, and oh-so dull. So inject a bit of life and colour into them, and plaster them with photos. Whether they are reminders of your travels this summer, or your best nights out last year, pictures of your favourite people and places will brighten up your room in seconds.
If you’re more of an iPhone photographer, there are loads of websites that will print your digital pictures for you; photobox.com even allows you to choose your prints from Facebook. Even better, why not go a little bit old school and pick up a cheap and cheerful throwaway camera? The excitement of waiting for the photos from that night you can barely remember to be developed makes it all the more fun! Just remember to use white-tac or a notice board, to keep those pesky landlords at bay…
Paint It Black
If you’re someone who’d forget their own head if it wasn’t screwed on, this next one’s for you! Blackboard paint is really affordable and a great way to create a memo board that’s a little bit different.
All you’ll need for this is a cute photo frame of your choice – the one pictured was around £5 from Wilkinson’s – and some black board paint, which is around £5 from Amazon.co.uk. First, open the back of the frame and ditch the glass. Take out the back panel, where the picture would usually sit, and paint it with two coats of your paint. Let it dry for as long as it says on the tin, then put your frame back together and voilà: a cute memo board! It will sit nicely on your desk, reminding you of that looming deadline, or those tickets you’ve got to buy.
If you’re feeling really adventurous, why not check with your landlord what their policy on painting the walls is? If they’re happy with you painting, as long as it’s painted back at the end of the lease, then why not get creative and paint some of your kitchen wall in blackboard paint? Perfect for writing lists, or little notes to your housemates. My housemates and I made our fireplace into a canvas for any guests to leave their masterpieces on…
Let There Be Light
Candles are great to light up your room, giving it an inviting, warm feel. Urban Outfitters do some great ones that smell amazing, and aren’t too costly at £6. The Fig and Pear scent is heavenly! An option for a slightly tighter budget would be tea light candles. Sounds a bit boring I know, so why not save the next jam jar you finish, clean it out and use it as a pretty tea light holder. You can also find glass ramekins online for next-to-nothing, which cast a really pretty light that will create a relaxing atmosphere in any room. Adding a string of fairy lights around your bed will instantly give you room that cosy feel on cold winter nights in Leeds.
Let’s Get Comfy
The bed is obviously the most important feature of your room by far; you’ll no doubt be spending a lot of your time in it, so don’t neglect it. New bedding can be expensive, so instead why not choose a few new and affordable cushions to give your bed some colour. Ikea do some great ones in a wide range of colours and designs starting at £3. If you want something a bit more exciting, try H&M: our go-to store for high-street fashion has recently started to do some really lovely home décor too. Here are some of HC’s favourites…
Blue | H&M | £7.99
White | H&M | £7.99
Black and white | Ikea | £9
Not Your Average Poster
Slightly bored of the, shall we say, obvious posters? You know what I mean… Keep Calm and Carry On, that Pulp Fiction classic, or Che Guevara. We’ve seen it all before, so if you want something a little different on your walls, Etsy.com has a selection of really unique prints to hang on your walls. Also, why not have a browse on Society6, a cool website where graphic designers sell prints of their work? If you want something a little cheaper, notonthehighstreet.com have world map wrapping paper for just £3. Rather than using it as wrapping paper, pop it up on you wall, and get dreaming of you next holiday destination.
Map | Not on the High-street | £3
Elephant | Society6 | £9.89
Red sun | Society6 | £12.34
Just a few simple changes like these can make all the difference. So don’t neglect your room – make it somewhere that you can enjoy!
Image sources: (In order of appearance)
1) Original Image
2) Original Image
3) Original Image
4) http://www.hm.com/gb/product/11482?article=11482-B
5) http://www.hm.com/gb/product/18873?article=18873-A
6) http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20230873/
8) http://society6.com/product/Ornate-Elephant_Print
9) http://society6.com/product/The-ocean-the-sea-the-wave_Print
Bella Brooks