Student Living - Creating Study Spaces

Student Living: A Room with a View

By Lorna Sixsmith

Your room is going to be used for quite a few different purposes: obviously, for sleeping in but also for doing some studying and for having friends around. 

Studying

Having a good light source is imperative for when you are sitting at your desk, cramming for exams or finishing off an assignment before a deadline. An Anglepoise lamp is one of the most stylish lamps out there as well as providing a good, targeted light source. 

Anglepoise can be used as another light source too, if you place them on the floor and angle them so the light is shining against a wall, they will create a lovely wall washer.

Injecting personality into your room 

More than likely, your room is going to be painted magnolia or something similar and you won’t be allowed to change the colour so think about how you can add your own personality to the room with some fun, yet functional objects.

Cushions and lampshades are a fun and inexpensive way to add some funkiness. Check out shops like Ikea for cheap and cheerful or Hunkydoryhome.co.uk have some wonderfully retro cushions and lampshades if you wish to shop online. Our C60 cushion by Mini Moderns is both colourful and retro. 

Use a moveable screen if you wish to divide away some parts of the room, for example, if you are chilling out on the beanbag, you won’t want to be looking at your unfinished assignment sitting on your desk.  These can be purchased from DIY stores and can be painted or covered with fabric. 

The Cable & cotton lights from www.cableandcotton.co.uk are an imaginative and eyecatching way to add some personality to a student room. They make a great gift too if you are wondering what to give to a friend or son or daughter when they are heading off.  They are very versatile and can be put around a mirror, a plant, a vase. They also look great when they aren’t lit. Affordable too at £20 for twenty.  

Seating

Bean Bags are amongst the most comfortable seating for lounging around and will be easy to move from flat to flat as you move dwellings whilst at college. Whether you want to sit, recline, flop, chill, sleep, eat, dream or play, the Fatboys are great.

Don’t forget to have a comfortable chair and desk for all that studying though! Positioned beside the sockets for your lighting source and for your PC/laptop.

Storage

College bedrooms don’t tend to be large so storage is going to be important.  If they aren’t already many shelves, ask your landlord to put some up - you will need them for your books but it would also be nice to place some personable pieces on them - to inject some character and colour.

The Black and Blum Ring-Ring are great for holding magazines and journals and you can add as many or as few as you like.  The Time Square clock is multifunctional - being a clock, a notice board and a blackboard - something else that will last you many years, being timeless in design too (forgive the pun!)

Most DIY shops have storage units that will fit under the bed too - use them for extra bedding, shoes, clothes and an extra coat. 

College life will involve a certain amount of time at college itself as well as partying but if you ensure your bedroom is a comfortable space to return too, you’ll ensure your room will have its own view as well as being a space to call home!  Enjoy J