So it’s now 2021 and you are wanting a change. Your hair is looking glam, your nails are gorgeous and your wardrobe is on point. Why not add a little spice to your room?
House plants
There is a large variety of plants you can choose from a variety of colours and sizes to different plants needing different amounts of sunlight and water. The vibrant greens and exotic coloured petals will brighten your room and I find that they add a calming vibe. The best thing about them is that you can jazz them up with any plant plot to match the rooms colour scheme. You could even channel your inner Bob Ross, buy a blank plant pot and create your own design.
If you want flowering house plants, do not forget that they need a lot of water and sunlight, so make sure they are placed somewhere in your room where they have access to it, like the window sill. If you are like me and you are a little lazy, then buy succulents. They do not need as much water and some do not need a lot of sunlight. If there is not a lot of space in your room, consider getting small plants that can be placed on a shelf or desk.
Personal photographs
Photos of you, your family, friends or places you have been can make a space feel more like home, especially if you live away. In student halls, it can sometimes not be permitted to put things on the painted walls so students are given a pinboard. If you can, print the photos out the size of a keyring, then you can fit more on there and there will be room for university memories. Another trick I found handy is having photos printed onto soft furnishings, like pillows and blankets. That way you can still showcase the photos, but not take up space and they make your bed look nice.
Also, if you have fairy lights hanging in the room, buy small wooden pegs and hang photos from them. Then they look really cute when the lights are off and the fairy lights illuminate the photos with a warm glow.
For those who live at home or student housing, congratulations! You have free rein to do whatever you want. How I have decorated my room is that photos or art that do not have a theme go in a picture frame and all the frames are different colours, shapes and sizes. For any photos or art that do have a theme go straight on my wall, no frame, just White Tac.
Wall hangings
These can be quite hard to decorate with as many student halls prohibit things been stuck or nailed on the wall, so we are going to have to get creative. If you have any spare hooks on your coat hanger, jazz it up with a wall hanging. It will stop the hooks looking too busy and bulky. If you don’t have any space, buy a set of hooks that secures over the top of a door, hook them onto your wardrobe door and then hang your decorations from it.
You could even have a go and make your own. Got an old top that you don’t want or doesn’t fit? Cut around the design, leave a little room around the design so then you can sew a small seam around the outside. The seam will hide any messy edges made from the scissors and give the homemade wall hanging a neat finish. Hammer eyelets into the top corners if you want to hang it from some string. It doesn’t have to be an old top, it could be a front of the diary you haven’t thrown away because the front is really pretty. It could be a strip of some fancy wallpaper, a side of an appealing gift bag or the one side of a pillow that doesn’t have a stain on it.
Another big trend for wall decorations is record covers. If you have a broken record, do not throw the whole thing away, you can use the cover as a decoration. Shop in vintage stores, antique places or charity shops that may have some for a lower price.
Mirror
Many university rooms will come with a mirror, a rather thin mirror. Large mirrors can lean against the wall so there are no holes are damages done. Buy one with a plain wooden frame and add your own design with either paint or spray paint; another way to add colour to the room. Mirror stickers are becoming increasingly popular and can either be a picture, pattern or phrase. However, only put stickers on a mirror that you have bought with your own money and not university property. If a large mirror takes up too much space in the room, try a vanity mirror on the desk. Decorative ideas that look good on a smaller mirror are glueing things on, such as fake shells or fake petals. These can be bought in massive multi-packs, you could even spice it up and get a mixture of different colours. It not only adds a splash of colour but texture as well.
Desk accessories
A simple way to add colour and make your room accessorised is by decorating your desk. There are plenty of different styles of pen pots out there that will tickle your fancy, stop leaving your pens lying around and get a stylish pot for them. File holders are a good way to organise your notebook and university papers, and you can match them with your pen pot. I think they look so neat when tucked away in the corner of the desk, two or three in a row and all designated to different notes. Lamps are another way to decorate a desk as there are many styles to choose from, from furnished lampshades to an industrial look. Just remember to use environmentally friendly bulbs, such as an LED.
Don’t forget about the bed
It’s not just the walls and the desk that can be decorated, there are many ways to decorate your bed. If you are going to focus on the walls and desk, then choose a simple pattern or just coloured bedding. This is so your room will not look too busy. If you are going to go light on your walls, then make your bed the centrepiece of the room and choose a more intricate pattern and design. Students, I know you may only want one or two bedding sets but think of your hygiene, please. I mentioned earlier about putting photos on pillows and blankets, borg beddings and throws are popular at the moment. You can use pillows or blankets to bring out the unnoticeable colours and patterns in your room.