10 College Apartment Decorating Tips

If you want to have a stylish apartment, then you’ll want to know about these 10 college apartment decorating tips. A college apartment is usually small and if you are in school, you are likely on a budget. 

1. Paint. If painting is allowed, then paint can add color to your apartment inexpensively. If you can’t paint your apartment, then hang up colorful items on the wall using removable hooks that don’t mar the wall. You can also add fabric to the wall for some inexpensive color and pattern.
2. Extra seating. College is a time to make friends. So, make a conversation area with an area rug and large pillow for extra seating. Chairs from the kitchen and footstools work as extra seating too.
3. Furniture layout. One way to make good use of the space in college apartment decorating is to have a furniture layout that allows for traffic around the furniture and is not just furniture pushed up against the walls.
4. Used furniture. Furniture can be expensive and since you are in a college apartment only a few years, it makes sense to save money by getting used furniture. Apply a new coat of paint  to freshen it up and make it fit into your decor.
5. Artwork. Just because you are in a college apartment doesn’t mean it can’t reflect your personality. Get a movie or music poster from a music store or print out your own black and white photos to put on the walls. Check out the college art department. A student might sell you an inexpensive painting for your college apartment.  If there’s no room on the wall, then put pictures under glass cut to fix a desktop or coffee table. This unique college apartment decorating idea can be a conversation starter.
6. Study. Studying at the table only works if you put everything you need nearby. If you have a wall near the table, put a bookshelf , cabinet or chest with drawers against the wall to hold supplies, books and your printer. Clip on lamps to save space and provide lighting for reading or studying in a college apartment.
7. Colorful bedding. Add colors that you can change out if you get bored.  Colorful sheets, comforters and towels can add just the right pop of color to your college apartment. 
8. Conversation wall. Tape off a space on the wall and paint it with chalkboard paint, or if you can paint on the wall, get a sheet of plywood and paint it. Provide chalk and erasers in a nearby basket and let your friends write messages on your board. 
9. Eating. Make a dining area, even if it is just pillows for seats at your coffee table or stools at a bar. You might be able to fit a small fold down table into the kitchen. Even in a college apartment, where you eat mostly pizza and sandwiches, eating on your knees every night gets old and can cause spills. 
10. Desk ideas. It’s usually better to have a designated desk for studying if your space and college apartment decorating budget allows. Make a desk if you don’t have one. Get a plain salvaged door or solid sheet of MDF (medium density fiberboard) and paint it. Then, place it horizontally on two filing cabinets. Or, use two bookcases facing outward for extra storage. This functional desk is also easy to move.