When you move into your new student apartment, it can take a while for the space to feel like it’s your own. This is especially likely to be the case if you’ve lived in the same house with your family for several years and had the chance to accumulate many things that express your personality. To start feeling at home at university sooner, try some of these simple decorating tips.
1. A Peg Board
If you find that your desk quickly becomes cluttered, a peg board may be a better alternative than shelves. You can hang up all sorts of small items within easy reach — it’s convenient and it adds to the aesthetics of your room.
2. Fairy Lights
Create ambience without making your room too bright with fairy lights. These are ideal to use with a desk lamp while studying, or on their own when you want to relax, listen to music, or hang out with friends.
3. LED Strips
You may prefer to use LED strips instead of fairy lights. They come in various colours as well as white and produce a completely different effect. For the best results, install them around the edge of a board.
4. A Star Projector
One more option for lighting is to set up a star projector. This is particularly ideal for your bedroom, as it will help you relax in the evening and fall asleep more easily.
5. Posters
Bare walls always look boring. Posters are an inexpensive way to display your interests and add some colour. You could find posters of your favourite albums, movies, or TV shows or even just with a design you like.
6. An Area Rug
Keep the floor warm and make it more visually appealing with an area rug. As long as the rug complements the rest of your decor reasonably well, you can use this as a chance to be adventurous: go bright, fluffy, or contemporary.
7. A Tapestry
You can be even more vibrant than with a rug by hanging a tapestry on your wall. Find a design you love and instantly transform the room.
8. Indoor Plants
Freshen the air in your apartment with a few indoor plants. It’s best to find some low-maintenance plants that will be easy to keep alive, especially if you’ve never cared for plants before.
9. Thrift Store Decor
Pick up some unique items for your apartment by checking out local thrift stores and garage sales. This is great for giving the space a vintage theme.
10. Photo Collages
Print out some of your best photos and stick them together as a collage. You may like to use pictures of friends from high school, hobbies, pets, or something else that reminds you of home.
Of course, you’ll only be able to make your apartment inviting if you find comfortable student housing in the first place. Living on campus means sharing a cramped space you can barely call your own — a better option is to find a student rental. St. Catharine’s students have Foundry Lofts, which has several types of furnished and unfurnished suites to choose from. Contact us now for a lease before all the units are taken.