How-To Decorate on a Budget

Post author:Kristin
Post published:January 23, 2019
Post category:Posts
Post comments:197 Comments

Hey guys!

I’m finally back at college! My semester abroad was absolutely wonderful, however it’s time to go back to reality. This is my first year living in a house that we have to fully furnish ourselves and honestly, my roommates and I were pretty stressed about moving in. From subleaser issues to questions about the cleanliness of the house to just making sure we have forks and knives, everything seemed like a hurdle. These hurdles weren’t as high as they seemed when we were first approaching them, and moving in was pretty seamless.

The hurdle that I really wanted to overcome well was decorating. I’m only living in this house for a few months, however I really like coming home to a comfortable space at the end of a long day. We can all agree college can be pretty stressful sometimes, so coming back to a space that calms you down and centers you is pretty important. But when you’re moving into a small room with yellow walls and weird windows this can be hard, especially when you don’t want to break the bank on a pottery barn approved bedroom. Here are my tips for moving in to your room on a budget.

String Lights!

My favorite thing in college is string lights. I use these entirely instead of the over head lights and it is so calming. Yellow lights are more relaxing than harsh overhead white lights. I buy white wire string lights from amazon and put them around the entire perimeter of my room. I mount them using clear double sided gorilla tape. This works pretty well, however have some on hand because you may need to put more up as time goes on!

Amazon Echo Dot

Ok, I know what you’re thinking: who the hell actually uses these things. I do. And I love it so much. Alexa sets my alarms, gives me reminders, makes lists for me, and even TURNS ON MY LIGHTS. Yes, I bought a wifi outlet form tp-link and set it up with my Alexa and I am a little too obsessed with making people come to my room so I can say “Alexa, turn on my lights” and watching their face as my string lights turn on magically. Alexa basically runs my life right now, and I love it. It really is helpful setting reminders, because I tend to be forgetful if I don’t write things down, so Alexa really helps.

My Bed is from Amazon

You heard that right my bed is from Amazon. And I got it delivered the same day I arrived so my friend Vanessa and I carried up our beds and set them up in about 15 minutes each. Does it sound too good to be true? It gets better! It’s wildly cheaper than a mattress store and insanely comfortable. A fold up bed frame that doesn’t require a box spring is $69 on Amazon. NO BOX SPRING. DELIVERED TO THE DOOR. AND THE LEGS JUST FOLD OUT AND LOCK INTO PLACE. And the mattress is a 10 inch memory foam mattress that arrives in a box for anywhere from $150 and up, depending on thickness and brand and what not. My dear friend Sarah got her mattress and box spring and bed frame from Mattress Firm. It was supposed to arrive Monday and about an hour before the delivery time they called her and said they fell into a ditch and that they would now come on Friday. Their suggestion was for her to get an air mattress until then. After lots of laughing and low-key panic attacks, she tied a mattress to the top of our friend Sammy’s car and got the same fold up bed frame as Vanessa and I. Moral of the story, Mattress Firm sucks and Amazon will forever be the move. Even my bedding is from Amazon. I got all white bedding from Amazon basics and brought a comfy blanket from home.

Really dig at TJ Maxx

I needed something to cover up my ugly yellow walls. I knew TJ Maxx had cute art so I started there (and ended there). The art in the front of the displays is usually not that cute. DIG! I found art for Sarah and I that we love and the ones we got were the last two in the back of the pile. Vanessa also found hers behind other paintings. And we all got something really different from each other! They also had cute little bins and some cute knick knacks for shelves. Take your time here and it will really pay off!

Walmart low-key bangs

I never thought I would admit that Walmart is the move. I grew up on Target, we’ve been through it all together. The ugly middle school bedroom decorations, the cheap yet surprisingly cute bathing suits, the Magnolia Home section, Target has never let me down, until this week. Suddenly when you’re thinking about a budget, $100 on an average desk that you’re just gonna put a TV on anyways seems like a lot. So I turned to Walmart, and I never looked back. I got a great desk with spacious cubbies for $25! YES $25! And I love it. It looks great and was easy to assemble. Also, they have K-Cups for a lot cheaper than Kroger, which is always a plus.

Moral of the story, Amazon is the best. I’m seriously unsure of what I would do without it. Thank you Amazon for always being there for me. Also, you don’t have to break the bank to be comfortable and happy in your living space!

XOXO

Kristin