Photo by Emily Wang on Unsplash
Have you just walked into a plain, beige and boring room? Your uni room should reflect you and your personality. It should be an inspiring place to be for the next year as you do your assignments and hang with new friends.
We’ve rounded up budget-friendly and renter-friendly trends to help you create a stylish space without losing your deposit!
1. Bold Patterns and Maximalism
Maximalism is making a massive comeback this year with many people choosing the “more is more” approach to decorating their home. This is a trend that you can truly infuse your personality into. Medium dives into why maximalism and why now here.
How to apply it to your student room:
You can’t drill holes or make permanent changes so you have to be clever with how you make changes to your room. For this specific trend you’ll need:
Removable patterned wallpaper
To make it budget friendly only add it to one wall and make it a feature!
This one from Dunelm caught our eye with reviews claiming it’s very easy to remove!
Colourful, textured or patterned bedding
Your bedding makes the biggest difference to your room because it’s the biggest part of your room, make it bold!
You can usually find bedding on sale too, this one from Argos is only £12.
Artwork
Funky artwork applied with command hooks is where your personality is truly going to come out.
Photo by Nilay Sozbir on Unsplash
You’ll want to head to charity shops to find funky frames and use your library printing credits to print off your fave art, it doesn’t get more budget than that!
2. Biophilic Design
Photo by corey oconnell on Unsplash
You may not have heard of this, it essentially means: bring the outside in. Being inside studying might feel like a drag but the BBC proved that this style can actually make you more productive and happier here.
How to apply it to your student room:
This one looks difficult and expensive! The first question you need to ask yourself is: “Can I keep plants alive?”. This will help you to decide whether to go fake or real! Now onto the shopping list:
Potted Plants
If you have the time head to your local tip store, they usually salvage lots of pots that people would have just thrown away.
Then head to Gardening Express for a selection of indoor plants for only £2 each, this is a lucky dip so you don’t know what you’ll be getting but we think it’s worth it for the price!
Looking to go fake? IKEA have great fake potted plants from just £1.
Nature Inspired Artwork
Canvases like this from Wilko can bring the outdoors in for only £3.25 each!
Use natural materials
Using stone and wood in your décor can really bring in that outdoor feeling.
These wooden tealight holders are a simple example of adding natural materials into your space. These are from The Range , they also have a stone option.
3. Warm Neutrals and Earth Tones
Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash
Earthy neutrals such as clay, terracotta and sand are a trend that’s not going away according to House Beautiful. This décor is going to make your room feel very warm and cosy.
How to add it to your student room:
This trend is hard to get wrong, as long as your colours are warm, you’re doing it right.
Rugs
Getting the right rug adds warmth to your space and makes it feel elevated with little effort!
This rug from H&M Home brings texture, colour and pattern for only £19.99
Curtains
Changing your curtains from the boring standard ones to something more elevated and in your style is going to make a huge difference.
Curtains like these from George Home still let in the light and brighten up your space whilst still offering privacy.
Bedding
Now that you’ve added texture through your rug and curtains, add a pop of colour with your bedding.
This rusty, terracotta colour from Next is a great simple and affordable option to bring a little colour to your earthy toned uni room.
4. Multifunctional décor
You’re likely to have a small space to decorate whilst you’re a student. Finding pieces that have more than one function is not a moment but a movement according to Studio Budworth.
Photo by JP Lockwood on Unsplash
How to add it to your student room:
Furniture that can help you to easily transition from work to socialising, to relaxing will make you feel like you’re living in a home rather than a room.
Foldable furniture
Folding chairs, tables, clothes airers and treadmills can be found at Argos for a great price. This makes it easy to use your space for multiple purposes and fold it all away when you’re done!
Utilise your wall space rather than floor space
Pegboards are a great way to store items that would usually clog up your desk space. These pegboards from IKEA have tons of storage options for the board so you can personalise it to your items.
Optimise storage
You’ll often find that you have too much stuff and nowhere to put it. You’ll also discover that when mates come to visit you quickly run out of seating. These storage seats from IKEA are the solution to both problems. Plus, they’re only £15!
5. Tech-Integrated Comfort
Smart homes are becoming “the future of living” according to this Mintel report. With everything being automated or controlled by a remote.
How to add it to your student room:
With smart tech becoming more affordable it’s the perfect time to experiment and make your uni bedroom work for you!
Smart LED Light Strips
You’ll be spending so much time in your room, having mood lighting will make a huge impact on how your room looks and feels. These strips from IKEA are only £5 but you could spend more for colour changing options.
USB Desk Fans or Lamps
A lamp that you can move around without having to unplug and plug in, yes please! This one from Argos is the perfect stylish solution!
Bluetooth Speakers
When you need background music or a housemate dance break, you’ll be glad you got your Bluetooth speaker! The one pictured is from Wilko
Which trend would you try first? Let us know in the comments or tag us in your room makeover pics!