How to Decorate Student Accomodation

Moving into student accommodation is an exciting milestone, it’s often the first time you have a space that’s entirely your own. But while this new independence is full of possibility, student rooms can sometimes feel plain or a little temporary at first. White walls, practical furniture, and limited space don’t always reflect your personality straight away. The good news is that you don’t need to redecorate from top to bottom to make your accommodation feel like home. With a few thoughtful changes, clever storage ideas, and personal touches, you can transform even the simplest student room into a comfortable, welcoming place to study and recharge.

At LHA London, we know that feeling settled in your surroundings can make all the difference to your university experience. Whether you’re moving to London for the first time or simply looking to refresh your space, we’ve outlined how to decorate your student accommodation in a way that’s affordable and completely your own, without breaking the rules of rented living.

Start with storage

Before you begin decorating your accommodation, you need to consider what you can/want to hide away in storage and what you want to have on display. Sometimes a display can be one of the greatest storage options you have, as long as you do it in the right way.

The obvious example of this would be storing your books and textbooks on your desk, or hanging clothes on an open rail instead of inside your drawers. You could use mugs as pen pots, or stack your CDs on your bedside table. Use books as a stand for your bedside lamp, lean prints and put magazines on display stands. This frees up space for you to store more things in cupboards and under your bed, and helps make your space more homely.

Student accommodation usually provides you with a wardrobe and chest of drawers, and you’ll have space under your bed to tuck things away, but if you’re already in your accommodation and looking to decorate then you’ll know exactly how much space you’re working with.

Divide the space with a partition

Dividers can be one of your best friends in student accommodation, and yet they’re such an overlooked piece of furniture.

If you’re sharing your accommodation, then they can give you and your roommate some much needed privacy; if you’re living alone, they can make different areas of your room feel distinct from each other. So, when you’re studying, you don’t feel like you’re sitting in your sleeping space which can make all the difference in terms of productivity, particularly if you’re neurodivergent and are in the habit of getting easily distracted.

Dividers can also come in lots of shapes and styles that you can customise and add your own personality to. They can likewise be made more affordable:

Folding divider

Folding dividers are more classically known and can be better for smaller rooms because they take up less space, but it is possible to buy styles that come with inbuilt storage. This can be perfect for holding your folders and loose study sheets or even stationery to keep them off your desk. You can also hang scarves, ties, hats, or tapestries over them to make them more unique. Linen folding dividers are best for letting light through.

DIY divider

If you want a divider but you’re on more of a budget, you could create a DIY divider by buying a cheap clothes rack and hanging a sheet or blanket from some pegs. This is also a great way of bringing some colour to your accommodation. Some clothes racks even come with shelves/storage which can be handy when you’ve got limited options.

Open shelves

Open shelves are a slightly more pricey option and not always suitable for a smaller dorm but if you have the space and the budget, they can be a unique and cool way of creating separation and decoration in your accommodation.

Choose your own illuminations

A simple way to make a room feel homely is to play around with the lighting. Everyone has preferences for lighting: dim, warm, white, lamplit. You may be averse to ‘the big light’ or prefer a warmer bulb, or a twinkly atmosphere. Luckily you have so many options to play around with:

• Table lamps
• Free standing laps
• SAD lamps
• Touch lamps
• Fairy lights
• LED projection lamps
• Solar lamps
• Lava lamps
• Electric candles
• String lights

It is worth noting that your building will probably have regulations around whether you can change your own lightbulbs, so double check before you replace a white light bulb with a warm yellow. You just need to get creative.

Soften with textiles

When you’re not allowed to hang things on the walls, you might feel limited in the ways you can personalise your accommodation, but you can easily put your stamp on the space and add some colour and pattern that screams you with your textiles. A lot of students choose to bring their own bedsheets from home to keep costs down and bring a sense of familiarity, however for many students, particularly international students, this might not be an option.

Bedding is decoration, and you can easily find duvet and pillow covers that help the room feel like yours.

The same goes for the following textiles:

• Blankets: Blankets make a room feel cosy and warm, and like bedding, act as decoration. You could choose woven, chunky, tassled, weighted, fleece, patterned, electric. You could use them as a throw, chuck them over a chair, or fold them neatly on a shelf.
• Cushions: Choose cushions that you love and dot them on your desk chair and on your bed. Dot them on the floor to create a relaxing sensory space alongside your blankets, books, and twinkly lights. You could even buy multiple cushion covers so you can switch them around without needing to spend more money.
• Rug: Often forgotten about by students, a rug is a great decorative and practical addition to your room, especially if you have wooden or vinyl flooring.
• Tapestries: If you have a peg already on your wall, you could consider hanging up a tapestry (or blanket).

Add seating

There are two ways we recommend adding seating to your accommodation:

1. Buy a cheap armchair: Armchairs are a more rogue option if you’re on a budget, but you can find more affordable seating on second hand websites like Vinted if you’re thrifty.
2. Create a floor chair: Rather than buying a chair, you can create a relaxing space on the floor of your accommodation, almost like a grown up blanket fort. Spending time on the ground has been proven to settle your mind, and be a great space to read, study, practice your music, knit, or any other hobby you have.

Additional seating can help with your sleep and feeling more settled in your room because you won’t only be sitting on your bed or at your desk when at home.

Fill it with nice smells

Candles and incense can act as decoration and make your accommodation feel more comfortable and cosy to return to after a long day studying or long night out with your friends.

If you’re feeling homesick, you could even search for a smell that reminds you of home.

Note: Your accommodation might have rules about fire so check with your landlords or university before lighting a candle.

Have houseplants

Real or fake, house plants can instantly make a room feel more vibrant and full of life. If you fancy a project, an easy to care for plant or cactus could be a great addition to your life but if you’re not particularly green fingered then a fake succulent is ideal – these are cheaper so better if you want something more affordable but fun.

Make the space bigger with a mirror

Mirrors are practical but they’re also decorative. You can choose the size, shape, and frame, and they give the illusion that the room is bigger and brighter than it is. They are a really simple but effective way to personalise a room that you’re not allowed to modify.

Bring a touch of home with you

When you move to university, it is probably the first time you ever live away from home, so it makes sense that you would feel a sense of homesickness or melancholy amongst your excitement. That’s why we would always recommend making sure you decorate your accommodation with things that remind you of home.

This could be: 

• Keeping a packet of spices from your favourite home cooked cuisine
• Packing a cookbook that your family frequently uses
• Displaying imagery of home and family on cork/white board
• Decorating your bed with your favourite soft toys or blanket
• Storing meaningful jewellery visibly on a stand
• Packing one or two comfort books/ films that you watch with family
• Setting up your nightlight/lamp from home on your bedside table to recreate a familiar atmosphere
• Lighting a candle that your family burn regularly
• Creating a string of photographs

We know that homesickness can be potent when you move away from your familiar surroundings and people for the first time. If you’re struggling, take a look at our guide on how to combat homesickness at university for some tips and advice on how to feel more settled in your new environment.

Set up your desk

Creating a study space involves just as much decoration as the rest of the room. These are our best tips:

• Personalise it to you
• Make sure you have everything you need within reach
• Keep it clean
• Find the right lighting
• Have a white board
• Use a standing calendar
• Invest in a paper tray

If you’re relocating to London and need affordable accommodation with plenty of space to study for your upcoming exams, then there’s nothing like the comfort of LHA London.

Our hostels cover all major points on London’s map and cover your bills too, so you don’t need to worry about any additional costs while you focus on building the life you want.

For more information about how our charity can help you get set up in the big city, take a look at our available accommodation and don’t forget to check out our offer to discover what we can offer you.

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