What my apartment would look like if I wasn’t a poor college student.

This begrudging question looms over (almost) every college student’s head. More often than not, the question of “What piece of furniture do I want to buy next?” won’t take precedence over how badly your wallet will shrivel up in remorse. For me, as long as I have a place to sleep, a lamp, and a desk to put all my textbooks on, I’m good to go.

But if money weren’t a problem, this is probably what my apartment would look like.

Eclectic Bedroom by Calgary Home Builders Brookfield Homes Calgary

What I love about this room is how it looks simple, yet very elegant. There’s a very Victorian feel to it because of the detail on the mirror and the chandelier, but with a modern twist as seen by the quirky throw pillows and the striped curtains. I also really love the mannequin in the corner that I could use to plan my outfits on.

In order to add more of myself into the room I would add in a ton of nerdy artwork, like these:

All of these lovely pieces can be found on Society6. Society6 is one of my favorite places to look at for all my nerdy artwork. I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who, Totoro, and typography so a pretty substantial part of my room would probably be dedicated to these three things.

Alas, I am not fabulously wealthy enough to make my apartment look anything like this and since move-in day is just around the corner (bleck!) here are a few tips and tricks to decorate your room on a budget.

Make a collage of what you really want your room to look like. Before starting on a redecorating rampage, find what you really want you room to look like in the end so you aren’t redecorating every 2 or 3 months. I like using Pinterest and Tumblr, but another really good website to use is Houzz. They have a ton of cool ideas for rooms that can be easily replicated on a budget.
Utilize the internet and find some really cool Do It Yourself (DIY) pieces. With websites like Pinterest and Tumblr, there are so many ways to add fun pieces to your room from things that you might already have. There’s also no better feeling out there than making something really cool and unique from your bare hands.
Find some great sales. Since school is a little over a month away, there is no doubt that arts and crafts stores will be rolling out those back to school sales. There are also a ton of flea markets, garage sales, and even thrift/antique shops that are bound to have one or two things that will add a nice touch to your room. You can even find some great things in your parent’s or grandparent’s attics– and I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t charge you much for those items, if not give them to you for free.
Mix and Match. Of course, there are always those one or two expensive items that we just have to have an can’t find anywhere else. If you do end up splurging on those pieces, mix and match them with less expensive items to give it a higher-end look. The more expensive item will make all the inexpensive items look more high-end in that way.

Happy redecorating!

xoxo