Everyone wants to decorate to some degree, whether it be buying a new sofa to match the wall paint, or a small flower pot. As fun as it is picturing how best to decorate your home or your room, actually doing it can be quite expensive. This is especially true if you are a student, since generally most students have tight budgets, which can make decorating a challenge.
On top of this, there is the fact that you aren’t really allowed to make permanent changes to the house, apartment or room you are staying in, unless you own the premises, which severely limits the options you have at your disposal. Thankfully, there are some inexpensive ways to decorate your place if you are a student.
Use posters
One easy and inexpensive way of decorating your house/apartment is by using posters. Posters have come a long way in the last few years and have blossomed into an art form within itself. Just take a look at this stunning gorilla poster from ArtFrill, how can you say this isn’t art?
One of the benefits of using posters is that they come in many different sizes, and you are bound to find one that suits our preferences. The choices are almost limitless, with posters of things like the great outdoors, lakes, forests, cities, historical locations, celebrities, animals and many more.
Another benefit is that they can be put up with ease and don’t damage the walls when being put up. They are also easy to take down and can be moved around the room countless times. Consider getting a poster as an investment for future decorative endeavors.
Carpets are great
When talking about decorating walls, it is impossible to not mention the floors, they’re like walls you walk on. It is very difficult to do anything with the flooring in apartments as you would need to ask permission from the landlord to make any permanent changes, not to mention retiling or varnishing wooden flooring is very expensive.
If the floors are scuffed, damaged or in need of repair, a simple fix and a great opportunity to decorate is to get a carpet or rug. Rugs and carpets come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and styles so it would be an easy matter to find one that suits your preference and the rest of the room. Fur rugs add a rustic, cabin-like charm, whereas a simple cotton carpet adds a minimalist feel.
Not only will a carpet or rug look great, it will also cover up any markings on the floor that are unattractive to the eye.
Lighting is a must
One of the fundamental principles of interior decorating is lighting, and for good reason. Lighting can change the very emotions you feel when entering into a room; it can motivate you or leave you feeling unoptimistic.
But just be cautious, too much lighting, especially at night, can keep you awake, unless that is what you are going for.
If you are looking to create an environment where you can truly focus, try taking advantage of natural lighting by moving your desk close to a window, or by using lighter and less intense bulbs. If you have put up a poster, try using task lighting to direct light to it and show it off.
If you are tired of the corners of your room looking dark and grim, use accent lighting to add visual interest and be amazed at the results.
Don’t overdo it
Sometimes the best decorating you can do, is doing less. One way to achieve this is by using a multi-shelf to store a lot of your things, creating more space in the room. Not only does having less clutter laying around the room look amazing, it also adds to productivity and removes the feeling of being cramped.
Instead of having many pot plants everywhere in the apartment, carefully choose where it would benefit each room the most. If you decided to use posters, consider not hanging one on every available space on the wall.
Choose a spot and a poster to make the centerpiece, and then use lighting mentioned above to really draw attention to it. There is truth in the expression “less is more”.
