Finally, you’ve got a room and now it’s time for the most fun part of this process: decorating! Time to start searching through Marktplaats for deals and to plan a trip to Ikea. And the most fun part: You can choose what you buy!
Buy second hand
It’s trendy again these days: hunting down second-hand treasures. It’s often a lot cheaper than buying new furniture and, if you look carefully, you’ll often come across the greatest items that still look like new! You can look on places like Marktplaats. Or would you prefer a physical shop? There are a good number of second-hand shops in the Netherlands, so there's probably one in your neighbourhood too!
Take advantage of how tall your room is
Student rooms are usually pretty cramped. So don’t just dump your furniture on the floor, but think about the vertical space too. This will help you make the most of the space you’ve got. Think of things like a tall wardrobe or even a bunk bed. You can also use the walls effectively. Choose wall cupboards or shelves on the wall that you can store your things on, which will also save space.
Make sure everything fits together
Be careful you’re not buying furniture that doesn’t go together. This will make your room look really crowded and full, which isn’t what you want with a small student room. To avoid this, you can create a mood board before you start buying furniture.
First, decide what combination of colours you want to go for. What fits well together? Your space will instantly look bigger if you coordinate all the colours. You should also always choose at least one light, calm colour - it’ll make your room look bigger as well. Choose furniture based on these colours and you’ll have a gorgeous room before you know it.
Take room decoration seriously. After all, you can only spend your money once. But don’t forget to enjoy it - decorating your room yourself is fantastic fun!