When you move to a student room, whether is located in student accommodation or rent a room in a shared house, you are usually very limited in what you can do to make it looks nice. Most student accommodation will have basic standard equipment like furniture, and bare walls. If you are smart, you may rent in a new building where developers already have chosen modern furniture but often, students chose house shares with outdated decor and old furniture. Student rooms are generally just small spaces with a bed, desk, and wardrobe. In this post, I want to show you how to decorate the student room on a budget, because we know that being a student you have very limited resources and working full time to get extra cash is nearly impossible.

*Post contains affiliate links and sponored content

Before we start,  we need to approach this as would approach any interior design project. First of all, you have to asses your space. Here, you need to look at around your accommodation and start with the basics.

The basics:

1. Walls. Are you able to paint or drill? In most cases no, and I will give you few ideas on how to get around this. 
2. Flooring. Same as for renters, whether its a shared accommodation or student hall room, floorings already laid and you not allowed to change it ( neither will your budget) so again will cover that too.
3. Furniture. It’s very rare to rent a room for a year which is unfurnished, sometimes it can be a blessing if you want to put your own personalization ( and it’s easier of course) but most rooms will have the basic functional furniture for students like a bed, storage & desk. There are few ideas on how can you personal these as well.
4. Personalization. Here is the most important part, how to make your room looking nice and cozy or modern with a very limited budget. I will cover that too. 

Also, an important part is to choose your rented accommodation. Most students chose their room based on location, price, and size. This is a great way to do, however, in most cases, the price will be the biggest factor. However, choosing an old accommodation with an overcrowded house can be more damaging to your studying environment so take a few aspects into consideration before your rent. House share can be a great way to save pennies, but you won’t know who you will be sharing your kitchen or bathroom with and this can be very difficult to change once you sign your contract. Also, most landlords still do a very minimum to their tenants especially in an old house, you can end up with no hot water when a boiler breaks or mold in rooms which can both have a negative effect on your health. Chose your accommodation where you have peace of mind and everything is taken care of, as well as where you have an ensuite bathroom. Any potential repairs or problems are resolved quickly. Perhaps choosing modern student accommodation like Nido Student where you have your own ensuite studio room, with a bathroom can be your best way to go. 

 

 

functionality

First of all your room need to be functional. Your study achievements are more important than your Instagram feed updates. Let’s focus first on ergonomics and the right working environment before you decorate the student room. Make sure you have the right desk space and chair that is fictional. Having a cool desk that has not enough space to do your homework, or funky chair will not let you work properly. Asses your desk first and your chair. Is it comfortable? Can you easily reach your essentials, like a note pad, move your laptop or place your desktop on be able to make notes? Is your chair allowing you to seat straight? does it have essential back support? If not, you can always speak to your landlord or renter and ask to provide you the desk and chair that meet the standards as you can’t risk your health in working in the wrong environment.  

Your desk should be near natural light  . Make sure your desk is positioned near your window to allow yourself working to as close to natural light as possible.

mood

Once you organize your essentials for your student room, and you have all the functional items in place, you can start with the mood of the room. Think of your personal style, daily tasks, and routine. Are you a morning or evening person? You can either stock up on candles or plants to uplift your mood. Think of a color scheme for your room and style you want to apply. Whether you want all pastel pinks or boho – you can start by gathering images to put together and this will shed some light on your personal style. Creating your own mood-board which be essential for your room. This will be your foundation and help with finding the right accessories.

 

 

storage

Practical storage is something you need. Perhaps one wardrobe may not be enough. You are away from home and you will need all your personal belongings to be hidden. Look for storage options, that can be easily moved or saves space. Instead of a huge and unpractical wardrobe opt for a removable clothes rack. Hang racks on your doors, and cute shelves. Create a beautiful shelfie at the same time. Use cute storage boxes and you can position them literally anywhere in the room.

soft furnishing

An important part of student room decorating is the personalisation of the space. You don’t need to particularly follow any trends, but if you do, this is the best way to create a mood of the room. Soft furniture can be an inexpensive way of creating a beautiful decor. By changing bed cover, cushions cover and throws as well as rugs, this can be done seasonally and you can achieve beautiful results. Using a different type of textures within your soft furnishing can create a stunning effect. Think of mixing wool, fur and cotton for example or linen, fringe, and pompoms for a boho style. Don’t be afraid to use rugs on carpet, as this can create a really cozy effect as well as extra soundproof, which can be essential for a noise student halls.

walls

In most cases, drilling in walls its a big no for renting spaces. Your way to go is command strips and hooks as well as washi tape. You can use washi tape to put all your beautiful prints, Instax photos or posters. Command strips can be used for framed artwork, small, not heavy plants or shelves. 3M has a weight load capacity so make sure you check these before you hang your items. It’s a beautiful ay of decorating your room.