MAKE YOUR UNI ROOM A TRUE HOME FROM HOME
Make your university room the envy of your classmates without blowing your student budget…
1. Fairy Lights, Fairy Lights and More Fairy Lights
A string of fairy lights may be a cliched essential for any student, but that’s because it’s a sure-fire method of creating an Insta-worthy bedroom. These can be draped around a room and are also perfect for holding up photographs from home with pegs. Amazon have some great options, both battery-powered or plug-in varieties.
2. Customise your bookshelf – and make that bookshelf the SENNEN ladder
Our Sennen Ladder Shelf - available in black and white - can become a cute storage feature with a bit of love and attention: it’s perfect for storing bulky towels, mementoes from home, textbooks and is the ideal perch for a potted plant (see Tip 6). If your existing bookshelf has a plain back panel, you could look to personalise it by adding photos into the empty spaces behind your books: that way, you’ll have all of your friends there (in spirit, at least) to support you through your next essay deadline.
3. Poke holes in a lampshade
Everything can be personalised – even a plain lampshade! Poking holes means you can project any pattern you want around your room. Word of warning – only do this to lamps you own though or you could face losing your deposit… So why not treat yourself to our Orbit Table Lamp, then it’s yours to do with as you wish!
4. Use Washi tape for EVERYTHING
Washi Tape is a magical Japanese masking tape that is completely removable and reusable (so no need to fret for your deposit on this tip!) Use this invaluable tape to make photo frames, craft removeable wallpaper and - our personal favourite - using it to create imaginative wall art.
5. Personalise hangers
If you have an open wardrobe with a visible hanging rail, things can look messy really easy, especially if it’s stuffed with a load of mismatched hangers. Instead, buy a set of cheap plastic or metal hangers and customising them to match your space: add sequins, cover them with fabric or spray paint them in your favourite colour.
6. Add some greenery
There’s not much to this trick, we’ll admit, but adding a few plants here and there is an easy trick to bring life to a room. They also come with a surprising array of health benefits, like making the air cleaner and helping you study better (seriously!). Aloe Vera, jade plants and rubber trees are all really easy to care for, or you could start with a few of these.
7. Use furniture to break up the space
If you’re living in a studio apartment, it can be hard to know what to do with the open space. However, there is an easy fix! You can use your furniture to create different ‘zones’: by placing a bookcase along the side of your bed, you can create a bedroom area. Setting up a desk along the side of the living room will also separate your study space from where you sleep. There are lots of ways to do it (and it’s quite fun thinking of them), so check out Houzz for some inspiration.
8. Switch your handles
If you’re bored of the fittings that came with your room, there’s a really easy way to change things up a bit. Unscrew the old handles on furniture like a chest of drawers, and screw in different ones that you’ve chosen yourself: these can be found anywhere, but we recommend picking up a bargain at Homesense, Dunelm or The Range. The best bit is that you can easily put the old ones back at the end of your tenancy so you won’t get in trouble!