One of the most exciting things about packing off to university is surely having your own completely private space. Utterly parent and sibling free, this space is your haven to do whatever you like with (except blu-tack, nails, re-arranging the furniture... the list goes on). What you want is to strike the perfect balance of cosy and comfy for the single stir fry nights, with cool and sexy and effortless, which you obviously want to portray to those in your block when they come a-knocking.
From someone with experience, squeezing out the most of my dull university dorm room five (five!!!) years ago, here's a guide to how to make yours bloody brilliant.
Turn your bed into a paradise
Chances are you won’t have a sofa in your teeny tiny room, so figure out how to make your bed double up as a sofa. With throws and a ton of cushions, you’re there. H&M are great for cheapo cushions in scandi cool fabrics, coloured velvet and patterns work a treat.
Make use of those vodka bottles
My guess is you’re going to consume a lot of alcohol in those first few weeks days. Chances are everyone will keep their bottles, cos that’s just what you do at uni. This super easy DIY shows you how to paint the inside of the bottles and use as vases, or just to decorate your dull windowsill that looks straight out onto the rolling hills of… the library.
Source: Rustic Wedding Chic
And the whiskey…
Sorry but this is just too cool. Have a really fun night with the whiskey, buy a bottle of soap with a fancy pump and decant the soap into the bottle, screwing the cap onto the glass bottle.
Source: Curly Birds
Bring the party to your walls
These rounds of coloured tissue from Etsy are perfect for jazzing up a dull wall. Tape on with a tab of masking tape folded back on itself, to avoid leaving marks on the walls. These circles are super versatile, you could also thread a fine yarn through the middle to make a garland, all for only £1!
Source: Find And Keep (£15.94, Amazon)
Make your door your own
Mark you territory without resorting to a name label on your door, by taping washi tape in cute patterns. This stuff is amazing, and if this isn’t your bag, check out these alternative tips. You could also use the tape to stick along the front of your shelves, or to hang postcards. Find it on Etsy or London Graphic Centre.
Source: Objects & Use
Print out your memories
This instant printer is genius. It prints your phone pictures into credit card sized Polaroid style snaps, perfect for collating those first year memories. It’s a bit spenny at £129, but if you sweet-talk the parents this would make for an excellent ‘results’ or ‘leaving home’ pressie, or something like that…
Printer, £129, John Lewis
And hang them up…
Now you’ve got your nifty little printer, rig up a washing line style system on an empty wall, using tape so as not to mark the wall. Then paperclip or peg your photos creating a hanging masterpiece. Mix up some holiday pictures with some of your home mates, this will make you look totally popular to your new halls gang.
Decorate with lights
And finally, the key to any successful uni room is in the fairy lights. You could try hanging your lights to double up your photo wall as above, or simply around the bed. Once you’ve got your layout sorted, this will add a final flourish. Habitat always have a good selection. Go for warm tone if there’s a choice as the white lights can be stark.
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Follow Anna on Twitter: @annarosejay
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.