In my freshman year of college, I barely had any decor. This year, as a junior, I upgraded from a regular dorm to an apartment-style dorm. Because of the change, I found myself with a lot more space for items. My way-bigger walls were almost completely bare as two tapestries fit my previous living space. My larger desk did not have many items on it. It looked as if someone wasn't living there full-time.
So, I went shopping, and here are the best tips I learned in my week-long decorating spree.
1. Be Open
While I think it's a good idea to come in with an idea of what your room is going to look like, I think if you decide to stick too closely to it, you will miss out on so many cute items and other ideas that would look amazing and serve you well. One example for me is my beloved diffuser. I wanted a darker colored one to fit my theme more but stumbled across a light-up one that I now think is perfect.
2. Stickers Are Amazing
Yes. Stickers.
I put them on my plastic dresser, my computer, my wood desk shelf, and more. It adds such a personalized touch to every item that I own. It really makes the room feel like a person lives in here if that makes sense.
3. Light Matters
I think everyone should get multiple forms of light in their room, each with different purposes and strengths in light. I personally have 4: overhead lights (that come with the room), string lights, a desk lamp, and a diffuser that I explained before.
When the overheads are too bright, the string lights are great. The diffuser light changes color to fit my mood. All of my light sources are great.
4. Stores That I Recommend
Redbubble is an amazing place to get stickers! There is a sticker for almost everything you can imagine. The images on many stickers can also be made into posters, small prints, shirts, and more!
Urban Outfitters is my favorite place to get tapestries. They're pretty high quality and have very pretty designs, and some of them are famous art pieces turned into wall art.
Etsy, like Redbubble, is a great place to get tons of custom, sometimes hand-made, items for your room.
Amazon is Amazon, they have everything.
5. Sometimes Less Is More
I bought too many tapestries. When I put them all up, I realized the walls looked too cluttered. I played around with them until I found my balance. Now, I think it looks perfect.
6. Coordination is King
I realize I said less is more, but the emphasis really is on sometimes. Sometimes, more is more.
All that matters is cohesion in my opinion. This could mean color scheme (my room has more darker tones: gray, black, burgundy), style, theme, and more. Truly, even no cohesive style is a style itself.
In the end, it's up to you and your room! Enjoy your space, and I hope these tips helped.
