After a long day, you want to go back to a place that makes you feel relaxed and at home. If you don't love your apartment, it's going to be a lot harder to find that relief after a day filled with the stresses of daily college life.
While your apartment may seem like a living space you just use during your time away from home, it's important to make even temporary residences feel like a place of comfort. Luckily, you don’t have to have an overly spacious or luxurious apartment to make it feel homey. A few relatively simple changes can make a world of difference.
Loving the space you live in is especially important for your health and sense of motivation. If your dissatisfaction is connected to your living circumstances, then why not implement a little change — starting with your apartment?
Put some get-up-and-go in your daily routine by immersing yourself in surroundings you want to hang around in. Not sure how? Check out the six simple living space hacks for college apartments below!
1. Add some sunshine to your day
Let's face it — you may find that you shut yourself indoors a little too often during your time in college, which can be inevitable when you consider the countless hours of work required to complete your daily tasks.
But while studying may be your number one focus, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a beam of fresh sunlight too.
Open up your windows during the day to let some natural light in. If that's not possible, consider taking a short walk outside before getting back to the books. Even a quick burst of the sun can enhance your mood while helping you sleep better at night too.
2. Transform your desk into an office
When you live in a small apartment, you quickly realize the importance of making the most out of your limited space. Since your first objective will be acing those exams and completing your daily assignments, you can anticipate spending possibly more hours at your desk than even in your bed.
Renovate a simple desk into an official office space you'll love to use. Hang pictures around your desk of your family members, friends and, of course, your dogs. Invest in files for organizing and small desk accessories to keep your pens, pencils and school necessities in place.
A cleaner and more official workspace may just help you clear your mind to power through your assignments with that added sense of motivation.
3. Spruce up your space with some plant life
Do you ever find yourself getting tired of the smell of your roommate's dirty laundry land longing for a breath of fresh air? Plants will become your new best friends! Fauna helps circulate the air in your room while also adding some style. Even a little bit of green will help, so don't worry if you have limited space.
Not only do plants offer a nice aesthetic touch to your room, but they also provide you with a variety of health benefits. Plants lower your risk for illnesses by enhancing the quality of the air that filters through your apartment. They can also boost your mood by reminding you of the beauty of the natural world on days you can't find the time to get outside.
4. Get organized
Of course, you can't expect to fall in love with space where seeing a kitchen full of dirty dishes is more common than seeing your roommate.
If you find yourself overwhelmed or stressed out in your apartment, try decluttering your living space to achieve a greater sense of clarity and relaxation. Invest in furniture with sneaky hiding places so that your room doesn't feel overcrowded with too many storage bins.
While it may seem easier to just drop your things on the floor at the end of an exhausting day, vow to put everything in its rightful place so that you know just where everything is when you need it.
5. Create depth by seeking out variety
When it comes to interior design, repetition can create a dull and lackluster ambiance. If your room seems to be lacking an appealing flow or something seems a bit off whenever you step foot in your home, your lack of depth may just be the culprit.
Make your room more interesting by displaying sofas, coffee tables, and furniture of varying heights and shapes that fill up any awkward or empty spaces. If you find your place lacking that special something, try infusing a little more variety into your interior decoration.
6. Add a little je ne se quoi with a touch of personalization
If you've ever walked into a friend or family member's apartment and found yourself liking the vibes and aura of the overall environment, chances are that interesting and unknown element was merely the sense of style that defines your family member or friend.
Design your apartment so that it's a mirror image of your personality. Hang up art that's relevant to your style, choose décor in your favorite form, and put up that poster of your favorite band. Sometimes, all it takes is a little bit of a personal touch to turn your apartment into your new favorite hangout.
Loving the space you live in isn't necessary about adorning your room with the coolest gadgets or investing in the chicest style.
With a little dash of your personality, a sense of organization and a breath of fresh air, you can transform even the most undesirable room into a place that feels just like home.
