Monday 17 November 2014

Making A University House A Home




You'll have to excuse the awful photography and editing on this one (I have asked for a new camera for Christmas!) but I really wanted to write a post on how I achieved a homely bedroom at university when I'm 3 hours away from home.

Everyone who's gone to university will understand the struggle of being given a plain, clinical-looking room and having to attempt to make it somewhat homely in fear of going insane before the year's out. I have been so lucky this year to have found a really lovely home in Bath, but for those who haven't been so lucky, I've got a few tips to make your room seem much more live-able in.

001 // CHOOSE A CALM COLOUR SCHEME
My first year bedroom was way beyond the point of being calm. With clashing pink floral prints everywhere, it was almost enough to give you a headache. This year my taste has changed a lot and I opted for a grey and white colour scheme. Some people would probably say that grey's really boring and cold but for me, it's just really clean looking and calm. Make sure you try to stick to the colour scheme as well as possible. It will look much better in the long run.

002 // BUY AS MANY THROWS AND CUSHIONS AS YOU CAN GET YOUR MITTS ON
Honestly, this makes such a difference to how cosy your room feels. I'm speaking from experience when I say that you'll be so thankful you have all those throws and cushions to keep your bed as warm as possible at night time. I've definitely been wrapped up in 3 throws and a 13 tog duvet on numerous occasions, so bear that in mind! They not only keep you warm but they definitely make your room feel less empty and much more homely.

003 // HAVE WHAT YOU LOVE ON DISPLAY
For me, of course it's my makeup. Without my Muji stack taking pride of place on my desk, I'd probably just have to put uni stationery there and that's not nice for anyone to look at all day.

004 // PLACE PHOTOS OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY EVERYWHERE
Being a real home/family gal, it's really hard for me to be such a long way away from home for such long periods of time. For me, having photos of all my best friends and family in my room made things much easier last year. This year I don't have as many photos out simply due to space, but whenever I look at the photo of my baby brother smiling away, it always warms my heart.

005 // HAVE REMINDERS FROM HOME
Whether it's something you've brought from home, or a letter from home, it always helps to have something from home in your room reminding you of what there is to go back to. Last year I used to pin all my letters from home on my pin board so that when I was feeling particularly homesick I could go back, read the letters, and you know... feel even more homesick! Not really, it does help.

006 // BUY A REED DIFFUSER OR A NICE CANDLE
The world is a whole lot better when you come home from uni, walk into your room and it smells really nice. Sometimes student houses can be really old and often damp, so having a nice reed diffuser and candle in the room just really helps to mask the smell when there's very little else you can do to get rid of it. I'm not saying to go crazy and buy a Jo Malone reed diffuser and a Diptyque candle, but you can get some really nice and affordable candles that really make the room smell lovely and much more homely.

007 // TRY TO KEEP THINGS AS TIDY AS POSSIBLE
With me, this is a bit of a 'practise what you preach' situation, as the majority of the time I have underwear and worn clothes spread all over the floor and makeup I used that morning still on my desk. However, if I have the chance, I do like to tidy my room and make sure it's nice and clean. I know if any of my housemates are reading this, they'll laugh at the hypocrisy of me! It's not always easy to keep your room 100% tidy 100% of the time, but it's true what they say. Tidy room, tidy mind.


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