Your student apartment is likely to be your first home away from your family. This is where you first learn about being independent and managing things by yourself.
As such, your first student apartment needs to be warm, welcoming, and suited to your preferences. So, investing your time to make this place more comfortable for your student years is never a bad idea.
Below, we have included some tips on how you can spruce up your student apartment.
1. Get Creative With the Walls
Although some rentals might have a policy that the colors of the walls should not be changed, that does not mean you can’t play around with it. You only need to make sure to paint the walls the original color when leaving the apartment.
In this sense, the walls in your apartment are blank slates at your disposal. You can do whatever you want with it. You can paint them any color you want or try using wallpaper to add some patterns. You can also transform plain walls into gallery walls and fill them with photos or artwork.
2. Make Sure There is Light
The lights that come with the apartment might not be the most flattering for your room. If you are a student, then a desk lamp and a bedside lamp are pretty much essential. After all, you are likely to spend hours at your desk or even your bed, trying to meet the assignment deadlines. While we are on that note, we also have a tip for how you can optimize your time.
If the assignments are piling up, you can also check out academic platforms that can offer you support with writing assignments. For instance, students can choose the best paper writer at WritePaper to help them with a college term paper. You will receive the paper as per your requirements on the date you set.
This means that you might not have to pull all-nighters after all. Instead, you can curl up with a book. But nevertheless, you will still need to make sure that there is sufficient light for that. If there is no way to let more natural light in, you can try adding more fixtures or choose light bulbs with a higher wattage.
3. Add Some Greenery
There is nothing that makes a space feel fresh than some plants. However, before going all out and filling your rooms with plants, make sure that you know how to actually take care of them. So, we suggest getting started with a few or buying plants that don’t require much care. And of course, it might take you a while to learn how to take care of the plants, but it will be well worth the effort.
And if that doesn’t work out, you can also buy a whole lot of fake plants. These do not require any effort from your side, but they can charm your student apartment.
4. Add Some Textures
In all home renovation videos, you might have noticed the one thing that can make all the difference – textures. While you can add textures in wall treatments, this might not be possible with a rental apartment.
So, you can turn to your furnishings. Simply put, spruce up your place with stylish throw rugs. This is a great way to not only add texture and color but can also be a functional way to decorate your home. Further to rugs, you can also add some throw blankets and pillows to your couches, chairs, and beds. You can play around with different textures and colors. Even a completely white apartment can be dramatically transformed by adding furnishings of different colors.
5. Find Sufficient Storage
As long as you are still storing your personal items in moving boxes, or suitcases, your house will never feel like a home. Therefore, no matter the size of your student apartment, you will need to find storage for all your things.
Thankfully, these days, there are indeed several storage solutions available for small and tiny spaces. You need not even invest in bulky wardrobes or commodes. Instead, you can use space underneath existing furniture, such as beds.
Ikea has several organizers and boxes that can fit into small spaces but serves as excellent ways for storage. These are not costly and can easily be transported when you are moving. You can also buy pretty baskets and even display them as decor. If you are up to it, you can also undertake a DIY project to add colors and patterns to plain baskets rather than splurging money to buy them new.
6. Add Personal Touches
This can be something as simple as putting up a photo of your loved ones or hanging up artwork that you really like. You can also display any souvenirs you have, which could be a conversation starter when you have people over.
A personalized display of items can make your room feel a lot more like home.
7. Add a Few Mirrors
You would be very lucky if your rental apartment came with sufficient mirrors. If not, don’t hesitate to take things into your hand. Mirrors are not only functional, but they can also make any space look bigger and brighter. This can be your great budget renovation idea too.
If you can find full-length mirrors, it’s the best. But of course, they also cost more. But you can try flea markets or second-hand shops to find one, and luck might just strike.
8. Don’t Forget the Small Things
There are many aspects that make a home a home. For instance, you know where exactly to put your laundry or where to hang clothes you just wore one time. You know where the TV remote is (at most times), and you know which coffee mug you like best.
These are small things that make you grow with the place. But, when you think of moving in, you are likely to forget things such as laundry baskets and hangers. You should also stock up on items like scissors, rubber bands, and scotch tapes that you might need at some point.
Also, make sure to bring milk frother or plate that you already love or find one that you are going to love during your stay. As we all know, home is not only about good furniture and decor; it is all about how you feel about it.
9. Have Friends Over
So, once you have set up your student apartment the way you want, there is one more thing that can make it a home. Invite some friends over, have a party, or have a simple movie night. If you want to play the host, you can even cook dinner or have a potluck.
This way, your student accommodation will feel warmer and more welcoming and will ultimately help you love your home even more.
So, as you see, it is not so hard to put together a perfectly lovely home. However, the trick is not to decorate the house but rather to maintain it that way. Make sure that you are well-organized and keep the house clean. And then, every time you enter your student apartment, you will feel relaxed and right at home.