Do you remember how excited you were about house-hunting last year? The challenge to find the perfect house and, most importantly, the perfect bedroom! You probably lost count of how many house viewings you had to do before you found the right house, the house with the bedroom you fell in love with. Well, now that it’s September, it’s finally time to move in and set up your room.
But… wait a minute… this bedroom doesn´t look like you expected! Blank walls, a mattress with some unidentified stains, a tiny wardrobe and a not very comfortable-looking chair. I know, it resembles a prison cell rather than an actual room, but don´t panic! It doesn´t have to stay that way. You only need to add a few extra personal touches and some style inspiration before you will have turned your four walls into a masterpiece.
You will spend a lot of time in your room; it’s your own private space so you need to get it looking cosy, cute and, most importantly, cool & chic! Here are a few ideas that will help you in making your room feel homely and looking stylish…
Bedding
The first thing you need to do is set up your bed. Go for a duvet cover in white or pale pastel palettes. You can´t get it wrong with a floral-print white or pastel duvet, it´s classy and elegant. Don´t forget to add some cute cushions too for some colour and comfort.
If you’re on a budget, you can find some really nice cheap deals for bedding at Primark Home.
Posters
Empty walls are definitely not a good look but posters are your best bet here! You can easily transform your sterile looking bedroom into a chic Parisian-style space by adding a few classy vintage images. Again, go for pastel palettes and sepia tones. Be careful not to overload the wall with too many posters though; remember that “less is sometimes more”.
There’s usually a big poster sale in the Union building at the beginning of each term where you can find a wide range of options to prettify your room. There’s so many to choose from there is something for everybody, but if you are considering covering your walls with One Direction or football team flags, PLEASE re-consider!
The Storage Space issue
You probably moved in carrying four huge suitcases full of clothes and a lot of travel bags full of shoes, scarves, etc. But all you have in your new bedroom is a tiny wardrobe and a single chest of draws. This might be enough storage space for a boy but clearly not for a girl. Let’s face it, we have tons of clothes and we still hit Topshop every other week because we still think ‘we don´t have anything to wear´. The best option here is to get a clothes rail! White ones are very pretty and can add the chic touch that your room needs. If you have some really nice vintage-looking suitcases you can even turn these into a cool storage box just by leaving it open in a corner and storing all your scarves or handbags in it, just like the ones you see on the floor in every vintage shop!
Mirrors
Mirrors are a must in every girl’s room. Yes, I said mirrors in plural because you are going to need a large one to check that your outfit looks perfect head to toe before leaving your room; and another smaller one to do your make-up and hair in (you can even hang this one on the wall over your chest of draws recreating a dressing table). I would personally go for vintage mirrors which can be found at car boot sales (usually very cheap!) and in antique shops – the Retro Boutique next to Hyde Park Corner sells lots of pretty vintage mirrors and furniture.
Bits & Bobs
You now have lovely bedding, posters, a clothes rail and mirrors but you probably feel like there is still something missing… you are right! You need a few final decorative items to finish off your room.
Fairy lights are always a good option to add that cute touch that we all love, but be careful not to pick some kind of Christmas tree-looking lights! You don´t want your room to look like a Christmas market.
Jewellery holders and a pretty jewellery box are also essential. I personally love the wire type jewellery display stands.
Nice picture frames are another must-have in every room so you can fill them with snaps of your family and friends so you don’t get too homesick!
Forget those plain boring cork notice boards; a cute bulletin board is what you need. A floral fabric one is perfect! There are a lot of heart-shaped and cupcake-shaped ones which will go great with the posters on your walls.
You can find ALL these stunning decorative items at CATS, downstairs in the Union building. I strongly recommend visiting this shop where you can find a vast range of decorative items that you’ll fall in love with!
And last but not least… the window sill is there for a reason! Make the most of it by filling it with candles, a vase with artificial flowers or anything else you like, just be creative!