How to make the box room the most enviable room in the flat

Pulling the short straw to live in the box room can be an awfully hard reality to be faced with. You've found a gorgeous flat and you're excited to be living it large with your besties, but sadly, that's the only "large" thing about it because you're now living in the box room.

A room full of character, characterised by its lack of square metres and its ability to make a single bed look King-sized. Although people are never quick to volunteer to have the box room, it can easily become the most enviable room in your flat.

Here's how it's done:

Bright bedding

Any interior designer would be able to tell you that dark colours absorb light and make a room appear smaller, which is a definite no-no for a box room. Instead, go ahead and opt for a brighter bedding colour, perhaps a pale yellow, baby pink, or even a white and your room will instantly appear more spacious and bright.

If you have lighter coloured walls, blending the bedding with the wall colour is another way to add to the illusion of space. Although a dark duvet may seem as if it would be a tad cosier on those cold nights, it's nothing that a good throw can't fix. In fact, throws are just so unbelievably underrated in general. If you're feeling decadent, I'd even suggest buying a couple.

Stacking those throws

Small space = intense smell

Your room may be tiny but it sure can smell delicious. Introduce some reed diffusers into the picture and see how your small space can instantly be transformed into a tropical getaway. I'd recommend keeping your blinds shut if you want to really keep this illusion alive, the rain pouring down outside may slightly give the game away.

Your pals in their bigger rooms may try and copy but they'll never recreate a smell as strong as yours; their big draughty rooms simply couldn't accommodate. If you don't believe me, well you have to because its science. Diffusion and all that.

Less is definitely more

You don't have room for clutter so if you've got a lot of stuff you need to think of an interesting way to store it. If you're not lucky enough to have a bed side table, get your Bob Ross on and get arty with it. How about getting a hamper from a charity shop and laying a pretty fabric inside it and using this to hold and display all your bits and bobs? I know this isn't ideal but you've got to be creative because when life hands you lemons all you need to do is build that lemonade stand and you're all up and running.

Your pals will think your room looks super cool and will just assume you're naturally artistic, even though the reality is that you're simply trying to maximise your already very precious square footage.

Say NO to clutter

Leafy greens

For a plant to make a statement in a big room, it has got to be a fairly BIG plant. However, you, my friends, are the lucky ones because you're amongst the few who can justify buying those ridiculously tiny cute potted plants since they almost look normal sized in your bedroom. To be honest, you could actually turn your box room into a greenhouse since your room will undoubtedly be the warmest hub in your flat, so if university degree seems to be failing you, at least you'll have your gardening business under wraps.

Plant to room ratio on fleek x

Mirrors

Mirrors are going to become your new best friend. If your room is small and narrow it's not the end of the world. Place a mirror either side of your room and make the space appear a lot wider. A mirror can magically bounce light into a room giving the illusion that the room has a whole lot more space and you can also catch yourself looking all fleeky! Manipulate those angles gurl.

Pillows

Your bed is going to be the centre piece of your box room, so it needs to be looking powerful. I'm talking big plushy mountains of pillows kinda powerful. There are plenty of different types of pillows so there are pillows to match every type of person. Fluffy pillows, velvet pillows, sparkly pillows. You name it, a pillows got it. So go on, make those pillows talk.

PLUSHY

Personalise

Your room may be small but it sure can be special. Make it feel homely and warm by personalising it in any way you can. Create a photo wall or highlight your favourite memories through displaying keep-safes, such as a past train ticket to visit your boyfriend or a society memoir. Although this can be done in any room, it will make more of an impact in your room since there is less wall space to fill creating the illusion that you have way more photos and therefore way more friends. Logic.

wholesome

So, there you have it. Box rooms are cool, okay? Also, you'll probably be paying less rent which means when it comes down to buying a flat when it really matters you'll have those savings to make it a good 'un. Swings and roundabouts my friends.