Seven boxes arrived on my doorstep last week. Seven boxes that held everything I’d ever owned in my life–mementos, high school art projects, and scraps of childhood trips. My mom recently sold our house and moved out of her apartment and in with her boyfriend. When I moved into my apartment this fall, I knew it was going to be a transition, but I had no idea just how much so. Losing a childhood home, a home-home, and moving into my first apartment all at once was a lot. But after unpacking those seven boxes, I realized it’s entirely possible to make your college apartment feel more like your home–even your childhood home. All it takes is small sentimental touches, and your space will turn from a rental into a home.
1.) Frame Your Photographs
Framing photos is an extra step that many college students don’t take (I, myself, am guilty of this). But framing photos, especially of family, close friends, or even artwork makes a space look not only more pulled together, but also provides a sense of permanence that, in college, one doesn’t always get.
2.) Bring a Classic Mug From Home
The way you start your day is the way you set your day. Starting your morning with a coffee in a familiar and classic mug is not only practical but fills you with that warm, fuzzy feeling of home. The more everyday objects you can touch and see in your home, the more the space will start to feel like your own.
3.) Try to Find Similar Soaps/Candles
While growing up, my mom always made it a point to fill the house with lavender candles. In recent years, she’s started to share my love for Bath and Body Works, and there are a few candles we look forward to getting every fall and winter. It’s common knowledge that scent is one of our strongest memories, and in order to trigger those memories and feelings of home, it’s important to fill your new apartment with the same scent.
4.) Make a Proper Bed
It may seem ~extra~ but think back to your childhood. Odds are, your bed, at one point or another, had all the makings of a ~proper~ bed. I’m talking a mattress protector, fitted sheet, flat sheet, blanket, comforter and two (or more) pillows. There’s something extremely soothing in taking the time to make a space that feels nothing short of a cloud
5.) Continue Traditions
When the air turns crisp and the cozy sweaters come out of the box, tradition always comes to the front of my mind. Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the Winter holidays, the next three months are jam-packed with tradition. My mom always filled a jar on our counter with candy corn and Spanish peanuts whenever Summer turned to Autumn, so I took an old Oui Yogurt container and filled it with the same mix. Even a small thing like that made me feel more connected to home, and I can’t emphasize enough the importance of continuing those traditions in your new home.