You are all excited, going to university means also moving out and having your own place, even when it will be only a room. And now you can't wait to decorate it in your own style, no influence of your parents. It is not because it is tiny that it can't be a stylish space.
floorplan
It can be a challenge to find place for the different areas you need: sleeping corner, area to cook and eat, you need to relax, have your cloths nicely stored and most important a space to study. Make a floor plan so you have an idea of what enters before you start shopping. Don't buy bulky pieces of furniture as it will make the room look smaller. Keep it simple, don't use to many colours but at the same time do not be afraid of adding some bright colour touches.
So let us take a look first at the study area: a desk can be these days any table providing enough space to put your computer and some books. As we do almost all our work on the computer we don't need no longer a big classical desk with enough storage on the left and on the right and seeing our tasks spread out along our desk and being able to physically organise them. A writing table or even a normal small table will be good. Important is the height, there can be small differences in the height of a table, going from 74 cm till 78 cm. Just one cm can make a big difference, specially if you are working the whole day on the computer. So check this, don't just buy the desk because you like the style or colour, it can still be customised to reflect your personality. Take care you have some storage space to hide small things so they are not distracting you when you study: a clean desk shouldn't be an empty desk but organised desk saves you time.
Capisco Pulse Håg - picture via Chris loves Julia
We considered the correct height of the desk so our hands would be in the optimal position for typing and we thought we could buy an inexpensive chair: but don't forget ergonomics are important. A good office chair provides proper support which results in your back muscles being less stressed, promotes greater overall comfort, including improved concentration through long hours of studying. A well-designed chair allows you to sit in a balanced position. Cushioned seat pads are recommended rather than a hard textured surfaces, to ensure more comfort. Think if you need a normal chair or a swivel chair which will allow you to turn easily allowing you to reach areas on or around your desk without straining yourself by trying to drag the chair along. In case the chair has armrests than you should be able to change their height according to your body length.
desk lamp Sweden Maisons de Monde - Wood Lamp Muuto - desk lamp Ranard IKEA - Leti 23 table lamp via Ambiente Direct
Another very important item on your list should be the desk lamp. This lamp will provide the correct amount of light exactly where it is needed. They are very helpful for your eyes while reading or doing a task. You can study wherever you want: as long you sit comfortable with support for your back, where it is quite enough to concentrate, but the lighting does make a difference. A strong light reduces the effort the eyes have to make, particularly when you have to keep going for hours into the night. The light should shine on the material, not in your eyes.
Foldin shelving system Emko
We have our most important items to make the best of our study area. Now lets think of storage space. Most of the literature you need for your studies will be on the computer, but you will have books, folders with some paper works. Seen the space is not big we need to be creative. Multipurpose furniture, modular systems are given lots of possibilities and can be decorative. Did you think of using also the space high up the wall and create a library on top of the bed? Above the entrance door you can add a shelve and store some shoes, the towels can go on a shelve above the bathroom door. In order to make the most of the space you have you need to use the space from down till up. Take advantage of every corner.
Living in a one-room apartment can be challenging, you don't want to see all day your bed and you would like to sit comfortable while watching a movie or just hang out with friends. An extensible sofa is often not an option as it takes the space of a bed and you don't want to push everything in the room out of the way to be able to open the bed after studying late in the night. But a sofa which is transformed in a bed in just one minute is perfect. Don't forget to think of a space and boxes to store the bedlinen during the day. And in case you would go for a classical bed than you can make this corner also look inviting by pilling up some colourful cushions. And don't be afraid to add some bright colours and cool graphics. Give it a good vibe.
lounge chair Woodnotes - Harvesters wall mural Anewalldecor - bean bag Fatboy - IKEA hack with support of toilet paper holder Grundtal
Other option is the bunk type bed to safe space, also called loft bed. Your desk can go under or you can keep it for your relaxing area, in that case no hustle to store the bedlinen each day. A beanbag can be perfect to relax, add also some stools as they are a must-have when you live small but would like to invite some friends over for a drink once and a while. I wouldn't go for a wall filled with small frames, make instead a statement and choose a mural to give the space your special touch.
image trolley via Popsugar - nature photography print Anewalldecor - bar table Norråker IKEA - image bar chair via Tabulous Design
I don't think you want to spent to much time in the kitchen, but still a few things can be useful. Don't forget breakfast is important to start your day, a bottle of milk, some fruits in the fridge will give you all you need before heading out in the morning. And making a pasta in the evening is not so difficult, a small cooking top will be enough. Get the discipline to wash the dishes immediately after using them, it will safe you time afterwards. You don't need to buy a traditional kitchen, buy some multifunctional furniture, study some of the IKEA hacks. No space for a table? A folding table fixed on the the wall is the perfect solution. I would suggest to fix it on the height of the countertop as it will give you some extra space to prepare your dinner. Furniture on casters, such as a trolley, allows you to rearrange pieces as needed.
And what about your cloths? You don't want to live out of your suitcase. No space for a traditional wardrobe? No problem, there are a lot of modular options and by simply adding a curtain in front nobody will see the mess behind it. We all know it is good to keep things in order but there are days that studying is more important than organising our cloths. Small things can be hidden in boxes and drawers.
Think in a way that most of the furniture pieces you have in your space can be used for other purposes, because there is a time to study but there also should be time to have fun with friends.
Remember that moving into your first apartment can be exciting, don't let that excitement lead to rushing into something that doesn't work for you.
Most important things to take in consideration to make this space your perfect study room
- invest in an ergonomic chair and performant desk lamp, they should be of good quality
- make sure that the items you buy will fit through the door and will fit the room
- no bulky furniture as it will make your room look smaller
- look for multipurpose furniture
- make your furniture mobile so you rearrange easily
- start planning and organising in time before university starts
- keeping an eye out for cheap furniture and be creative to personalise
Now that your studio is all decorated you can concentrate on studies and make it a successful year.
Good luck!