Sprucing Up Your Space - A Mood Board

In September, I'll be moving in to a new house with my boyfriend and some friends while I study for my MA. At the moment, my new bedroom isn't quite my taste (I'm talking thick, red velvet curtains... ew!), but as it's a student house, there isn't very much I can do to change that! I thought quite a few people might be in my position, and as this will be my fourth year in student housing, I felt I could offer a bit of advice - so, I've put together a little collection of ideas to help make a room your own without dramatically altering it. Although some of these items are a little out of my - and the majority of students' - price range, this is just a mood board, offering you ideas and inspiration. A really great place to find lovely bits and pieces is TK Maxx or HomeSense - just go in and have a wonder around, and I guarantee you'll find something! I hope you like my choices and find my advice helpful :)

The first step to making the room your own is bedding; if the bed looks comfy and inviting, sometimes the rest doesn't even matter (that much...). I always think white or light coloured bedding looks lovely and fresh, or muted brights with flashes of white running through it to brighten up the room, though colourful bed linen also works well to do the same. I tend to stere clear of dark colours because they tend to darken to entire room and make it seem smaller, especially as most student accommodation isn't overly spacious.

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Next up - cushions, throws and rugs! I really love hunting down quirky and colourful cushions to brighten up the room and add flare (how cute is that little fox?!). In my first two rooms at university I had wooden floors, so I found that adding a rug made it feel a lot more homely, and  I just think that having a throw, on top of keeping you warm in the winter, can be a nice sophisticated touch. 

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Most rooms will already have the basic things, like a wardrobe, desk, chair, some storage, and maybe even a mirror if you're lucky, but it's your job to find the rest. Believe it or not, this is good news because it's another way to make the room your own! Practicality-wise, I always like to have a full-length mirror, and you can usually find free-standing ones for fairly cheap in places like Wilkinsons or Home Bargains. It's also useful to have some sort of notice board, like a magnetic or cork board, to pin/stick notes or things to remember, and some extra storage for books (or more clothes) never goes a miss!

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My fourth and final piece tip is to accessorise! I love little trinkets to decorate my room, and a lot of the time you can find the most beautiful and unique pieces in charity or antique shops, or in quirky little stores - I found three gorgeous candle holders (*) in a lovely local shop called Homewood Bound for only £3.50! I know that most student rooms don't allow candles, but I love using candle holders to store things like makeup brushes, pens, and hair grips/bobbles. Little bowls are also easily found in similar shops, and a really nice way to store jewellery or little bits and bobs - I keep two on my bedside table to store my rings and smaller pieces of jewellery.

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I hope you've enjoyed this post - I definitely enjoyed finding all the beautiful pieces pictured (and I may or may not have decided that I want to live in Ikea...). Thank you for reading :)