Easy student friendly ways to make your uni room boujie on a budget

No one likes coming home from a 4pm lecture to their gloomy, depressive tip of a box room; if you do, then this one isn’t for you. The student loan, as I’m sure we all know, can be unforgiving, so I’ve done some research into the easiest and cheapest ways to transform that dismal shell of a uni room into something fresh, funky and pretty damn boujie.

It can seem like an impossible task, with the hideous curtains, the dim lighting, and the static carpets that like to almost velcro the smallest pieces of fluff, giving the impression you haven’t hoovered since you moved in. But I can tell you from experience that if you look in the right places and put a little bit of effort in, it really is quite easy to transform your uni room into a place you enjoy being in. Not to mention, it’s pretty important mental health wise to make your room a comfortable and enjoyable place to live in. My house was an all boys house last year, so I’m sure you can imagine the state it was in…but with a little time and effort (and actually a pretty cheap budget) here is how I managed to make my room boujie, without causing serious damage to the student loan.

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Firstly, the Primark home section is an absolute must visit (it’s on the ground floor of the big Primark near Haymarket). I’m pretty confident in saying that Primark has massively upped its level of aesthetic in the home area, and with cheap prices and some good finds, it’s a definite place to go if you’re looking to spice up your uni room. Currently, they have a lot of the abstract print design going on, which I think is pretty cool. This throw I found, priced at £6, would for sure add a bit of boujieness to your uni room. Chuck it on the bed and you’ve already made a great start.

Primark also has a lot of vases, candles, ceramic pots (that kind of stuff) modelled off the human body, which I guess you could call abstract. I love this aesthetic, I think it gives your room a luxurious feel. Here are some of the favourites I found, ranging from £2.50 to £7. Chuck a bunch of flowers in there or light a candle and job’s a good ‘un.

Also in the home section (yes I’m still banging on about Primark, but I promise I do have other suggestions) is a HUGE range of bedding and cushions, as well as some pretty artsy rugs.

As I mentioned previously about the accommodation carpets clinging onto to any piece of debris, get yourself a Primark rug, lay it on the floor and bam – your room looks fresh and clean. The rugs are slightly on the pricier side, but I think definitely worth it if you’re looking to appear boujie. The bedding and cushions also add a good touch, coming in an array of colours, shapes and sizes and ranging from £3 to about £12.

Another cheap yet boujie touch to add to your room is greenery or plants. Whether they be fake or real (I suggest if you struggle to keep yourself alive then opt for the fake option), Primark (yes Primark again, I’m just a big fan) has a range of good fake indoor plants to give your room that extra bit of life, also on the cheaper side at around £5.

Wilko also has a large selection of indoor plants around the same price range. However, if you’re looking for real indoor plants and are able to keep them alive (I envy you) then Katherine’s Florist is a great place to stop by and grab yourself a £1 bunch of flowers to put into that abstract vase.

Walking through Eldon Square, I came across a stall selling every form of salt lamp you could possibly imagine. They are slightly on the pricier side, with the cheapest and most simple lamp being £15.99, but if you’re up to date with your trends then I’m sure you know that salt lamps are very in.

Typo, also in Eldon Square, is a good shout too. Whilst being a bit more expensive, if you look properly, you can find some good bargains to brighten up that dreary uni room. They have a range of scented candles, which I have smelt individually myself and can confirm they are gorgeous, that will definitely get rid of that smell of damp we all inevitably have.

Scented candles are pretty easy to find, and with a little bit of a search you can definitely find candles and diffusers for cheap prices all over Newcastle.

Typo also have a range of DIY room decoration kits, from painting by numbers to diamond art to embroidery, which are a two-in-one, being a fun activity and also producing something decorative for your room. You never know, painting by numbers could become your new thing. They come to around £15 which, as both something to do and a cute piece of room decor, doesn’t seem too bad. If being creative isn’t really your thing, Typo also have a range of wall collage sets, coming in at £20, slightly more on the expensive side. If you’re looking to really cheap out, head to Amazon for sets of wall collages for under £10.

Sticking to the theme of walls art, HMV in Eldon Square have a HUGE selection of 61 x 91.5cm posters ranging from Hello Kitty and Super Mario, to stylistic Japanese print and even classics like Queen and Nirvana. There is something for everyone’s room decor taste and come at a bargain of 3 posters for £12, which is an easy and cheap way to cover those slightly off-yellow walls.

It is also worth mentioning pop-ups that take place within the SU. Keep an eye out for things like poster sales, fake and real plant pop ups and many more that can help contribute to that boujie looking room.

With a bit of time and effort, it really is quite easy to reconstruct those dismal looking uni rooms and on a budget that will help to save pennies for all those trebs on a night out. Have a look around the city centre and I’m sure you will find some great things at cheap prices that can help transform your room, whilst adding your own personal touch.

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