Illustrated by Abigail Phoenix

Must-Have Decorations for Student Accommodation

Decorating your new room and flat/house can help you feel more at home, easing homesickness and anxiety. There are a…

Decorating your new room and flat/house can help you feel more at home, easing homesickness and anxiety. There are a lot of ways you can do this, either through buying new decorations or bringing some from home! Decorating doesn’t have to break the bank, but it’s always lovely to spend a little bit of money freshening up your new place.

Decorations on your walls

Instead of leaving empty, bland walls, you could consider adding some simple and personalised decorations to add some personality.

  • Posters – You can put up some posters of your favourite bands, athletes, or art you like. You can buy them through official retailers or check out Red Bubble for some more unique and eye-catching designs from independent artists! I got a huge A2 poster based on one of my favourite bands’ first albums for Christmas, and it really adds to my room.
  • Lighting – Any kind of lighting is a nice way to brighten up your room, especially if you don’t get much light through your windows. You can add stick-on LED lights around your room or fairy lights. I used to have LED lights around my TV and some pretty lightbulb-style fairy lights around my bed.
  • Pictures – Using stick-on wall hooks, you can hang some framed pictures of family or friends or even just pictures you’ve taken that you really like. If you don’t want to pay for frames, you can just blue-tac them to the wall. To print my photos, I use FreePrints where you get 40 free photo prints per month and all you pay is postage! It’s usually around £3-£4 per order.

Spicing up your floor

Your carpet may not be the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen, so why not add something you really like over the top of it?

  • Rugs – You can buy nice and relatively cheap rugs from places like Home Bargains and B&M, not only will they add colour and cover up some of the carpet, but they’ll also be soft on your feet in the mornings and evenings!
  • Plant Pots – If you like plants, you could get some big potted plants (either real or fake) to put in your room. These will cover some of the floor and also assist in creating a calm environment for you to study and sleep in. You can find potted plants at places like B&Q, B&M, Home Bargains, and Homesense!

Making your bed cosy

Your bed won’t come with a duvet, sheet, or pillows, so you’ll have to buy these anyway. Why not add some extra furnishings to make it a little bit nicer?

  • Blankets – Adding a soft blanket can be really nice for when you’re just laying in bed, or for the summer when you don’t want to use your duvet. Similarly, it can help to keep you warm during the winter when it gets rather cold.
  • Pillows & Cushions – Adding some extra pillows and cushions will not only make your bed look nicer, it’ll be a lot more comfortable for you to lay and sit in! You can check out Red Bubble for some unique cushions and pillow covers, or bring some you may have at home.
  • Teddies – Some people might think this is immature, but who cares what some people think. If you love teddies and soft toys, why not add some to your bed? It’ll add colour and help you with any anxiety you may be feeling about moving out from home.
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