How to decorate your uni room for under £50: Without breaking accommodation rules!
UCAS have messaged you….
You’ve been offered a place at your dream uni! It’s all starting to feel real and your stomach is full of butterflies! However, as we approach September, you may start to wonder: How do I decorate my university room?
Or, if you're already there, well done! Keep studying and enjoying this time - but don’t forget to decorate your space so it feels cosy and unique.
You may be thinking:
Are you allowed to decorate student accommodation?
Yes! 100% Yes! Whilst you have to be careful not to damage your walls, there are many creative ways to decorate your room without risking your deposit. Think removable adhesive strips and photo tiles, or pinning retro-looking prints to a corkboard; you can transform your space without spending all of your student loan!
Things you can do when decorating student accommodation:
✅Hang lightweight wall art with removable adhesive strips
✅Pin photos to a corkboard
✅Use battery-powered fairy lights
✅Add different textures such as blankets and cushions
Things you can’t do when decorating student accommodation:
❌No nails, screws or perminant holes
❌No painting or drawing on walls
❌Avoid adhesives that leave residue, such as glue sticks
❌Light candles due to fire safety
Now, for some cheap and easy, damage-free student room decoration ideas:
1. Bring your uni room to life with photo prints
Photo prints are a fun way to bring memories into your room and make it feel like home. Have fun printing your favourite snaps of your family and friends from home, then keep adding photos from your exciting new chapter!
Photo print ideas (no hooks, no marks):
- Retro-Style Prints - Adds a vintage look to your room
- Photo Tiles - Stick and restick without leaving a mark!
- Magnetic Photo Prints - Perfect for any magnetic surface (if you don’t have one in your room, either use some bluetack or stick it to your shared fridge!)
- Photo Mugs - Be reminded of your favourite memories with every hot drink!
2. Lighting
Lighting can make or break a room. Be prepared for your university halls to be fitted with bright lighting, which may prevent the cosy vibes! A quick fix is to add a lamp or battery-operated fairy lights with a warm orangey tone and your room will instantly look more homely.
Whilst lights range hugely in price, charity shops are often full of second-hand lamps (make sure they’ve been tested and align with the fire safety rules) or you could pick up some fairy lights for under a fiver. Some university halls don’t allow mains-operated fairy lights, so double-check before you buy any!
Some cosy lighting ideas:
- Battery-Operated Fairy Lights - There’s no right way to hang string lights, some people like them up against the wall, others like to drape them across the ceiling
- Lamps - Anything to prevent turning the big light on! Battery-powered LED lamps are good for saving your limited plug sockets
- LED Light Strips - Remote-controlled lights with multiple colour and design features
Lighting can complement your photo displays, you could either peg photos to your string of lights, or weave some fairy lights into your photo board to light up your memories!
3. Posters and wall art
Use wall art as a way to show off your creativity and add some self-expression to your uni room. Design your own wall art for a unique addition, add inspirational quotes, favourite memories or special people to your prints. At Max Spielmann, we offer a wide range of unique poster prints and framed wall art to fill any space in your uni room.
Wall Art ideas:
- City posters - Bring a piece of home to your new bedroom with a wall art inspired by your home town, maybe with some of your favourite pub names from home
- Personalised Wall Art - Create a collage of your favourite memories in a creative print to fit your aesthetic
Have fun finding the right piece for you and your space.
4. Soft textures and cosy accessories
There’s nothing worse than a cold, uninviting room - particularly after a long day at uni. You want to be excited to crawl into a cosy bed, surrounded by soft blankets and cushions. Rugs are also a good way to cover up cold, hard floors.
At Max Spielmann, we sell personalised fleece blankets and photo cushions if you want to take the personalisation one step further!
5. Add some life into your room with plants
Bring a bit of nature into your space with a plant or two. You could start from the beginning and plant a seed or buy an inexpensive plant from a supermarket or Facebook marketplace. If you don’t have a big window/don’t trust yourself to keep a plant alive, there are some realistic-looking artificial plants on the market!
Low-maintenance plants:
- Succulents
- Cacti
- Pothos (can grow in low light)
- Artificial Plants
6. Smart storage
University halls are known for being small, but optimising your storage will make all the difference! Keeping clutter to a minimum will also open up your space and keep it easier to clean.
Storage tips:
- Under the bed storage is great for saving space
- Over-the-door hooks for extra hanging space
- Small drawers for toiletries
- Desk organisers to keep your work environment clean and tidy
7. Add seasonal touches
Updating your room with seasonal accessories will keep it fun and exciting. If you go all out for Christmas at home, then why not add some Christmas fun to your uni room?
Seasonal pieces:
- Christmas - Pick up some tinsel or cheap second-hand festive decorations
- Photo Tiles - Switch up your photos to match the seasons. Warm themes are great for autumn and brighter pastel pictures are fab for spring
Final thoughts: Make sure your uni room feels like home
Starting university is exciting, but moving into student accommodation can feel overwhelming.
The good news? You don’t have to spend loads of money to make your room feel cosy and remember, you don’t need to keep the same layout forever, you aren’t hammering any nails into the walls!
We hope you can take some inspiration from our guide and have fun decorating your space.
Why not get a head start and start shopping for unique prints and decor?
Create your perfect room today!
