Decorating My Bedroom On a Budget

When moving into an apartment and faced with the task of its decor i was nervous.‎ Every person who walked into my new bedroom fell in love. It has high, ‎curved ceilings in an old Arabian Princess style with arching doorways and patterned ‎tiled floors.

The bedroom was so naturally beautiful on its own, whatever i chose to put in it ‎had to live up to it gorgeous structural standard.‎ On top of that, I didn’t have very much money, so I needed to figure out a way of decorating my bedroom on a budget.

Looking for Ideas:

Whenever I entered a cool shop I snapped pictures on my phone of different blankets, ‎bed spreads, lamps, etc so I could then check them out while in the context of my room. ‎I also took pics of the room with my phone so that I could compare the patterns and ‎colors to prospective purchases while in the stores. ‎

This way I could get a feel for whether things fit without having to commit to buying ‎anything. I like things simple and functional but with intrigue and uniqueness, so ‎keeping an eye out was key. Also, I like to use materials that I already have or can ‎come by easily to recycle them into something pretty and useful. ‎

Then came decision making time…‎

The Bedroom:

The heaters and doors are dark blue and the floor titles have a mainly dark blue pattern, ‎so I tried to look for little highlights in dark blue to keep things united.  I found a little ‎lamp at a home goods store for a great price.

I used the leftovers from our living room drapes to make my curtains which turned out to ‎be a perfect fit.

I wanted my big bed to match the eclectic grandeur of the room so I found a cool pattern ‎that included dark blue in it. ‎
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A flower pot from the home goods store became my trash bin and was a much cheaper ‎option than many of the actual trash bins!‎

The Bathroom:‎

There is a cool store that specializes in soaps and candles and I remember seeing their ‎sinks filled with colorful rocks. I thought this was a cool touch so I went for a walk and ‎picked up rocks along the way. They add a really nice zen touch to my sink. I also ‎picked up two cool sea shells and placed them on the top of the toilet.‎

To help with the color coordination, I also try to buy yellow colored toilet paper to match ‎the toilet seat. I find it’s the little things that count.‎

‎….‎
In the future:‎

My next project is to get some artwork up on the walls. Also it is so healthy to express ‎yourself. Why spend money on a picture when the act of making the picture is often the ‎best part? Even if your skill isn’t top notch, I’ve found that with a serious-looking picture ‎frame, anything seems professional.‎

I do love supporting artists but I think I’d be broke if I went to buy the art I really like.‎
Luckily, nature is the most detailed and intriguing art around… and for the most part it is ‎free! In this vain, I dried some flowers a friend bought me and am hoping to turn them ‎into some kind of picture or collage.‎

Dorm Room Decorating Ideas

At first glance, your dorm room might seem like a drag. With standard furniture, awful lighting and almost no closet space, your dorm room is a decor nightmare. But there are acutally many creative dorm room decorating ideas out there. With the right accessories and simple furniture you can transform your dorm room from a lame to awesome.

Your first task is to do your research. Different dorms have different rules. Check out if your dormitory allows you to paint the walls, hang thing up with nails and change the furniture. Then you’ll know what you have to work with.

Next it’s time to arrange your space. A dorm room is your home away from home so make it comfortable and welcoming to guests. Arranging your room like a living room is great if you want to have people hanging out there a lot. You can put the furniture around the room with open space in the middle. Placing an area rug on the floor with a bunch of cushions or large floor pillows transforms your floor into chilling space.

Another important element to keep in mind when decorating your dorm room is lighting. The bright florescent lights that dorms often come equipt are good for one thing only and that’s studying. To create a nice ambiance in your dorm room, buy a few inexpensive lamps or candles. You can try having one big and noticable lamps (you can find some great ones at thrift shops) and a few small ones. Putting a lamp on the floor behind a piece of furniture is a great ambiance creating trick.

Storage is always an issue in dorm rooms so if you are allowed to bring your own furniture make sure it has a lot of extra storage space. If not, a few key items to purchase are hanging storage (like one to put your shoes in that fits in the closet), a high shelf or closet (because floor space is limited) and under the bed storage. If you have a bed with storage space, then great but if not make sure that your bed is elevated from the ground so you can fit storage containers underneath. Wall shelves are good too if you are allowed to put them up. To hide messy storage space, try putting a funky room divider in front of it. They come in all different colors and designs.

Last but not least, make sure to have great music, lots of snacks and other fun things that will make your room the place everyone wants to be!

Stay tuned for more dorm room decorating ideas,coming soon!