It’s way too easy to feel blah during the winter months—cold weather, cloudy days, nightfall at 4 pm. One of my favourite ways to chase away the winter blues is to update my living space. It always feels like an accomplishment to add some aesthetic touches to my room (and it motivates me to tidy up a little). Here are some tips to help you make your home a little homier this semester.
Mood Lighting
Grab some LED lights from the dollar store or order some online. These can be a very versatile addition to your dorm setup, depending on what type you get. If you get string lights, you can use them to hang photos using paperclips (don’t forget to also grab something to hang these ones). If you get strip lights, they often come ready to stick to the wall, so you can get creative by bending the lights in certain shapes (hello, DIY neon sign) and you strip lights often come with colour-changing modes so you can have lighting that’s literally catered to your mood. ƒ
Get artsy with it
Organize a paint night with some friends from res. Go to the dollar store and grab some cheap canvases and paints and Command hooks and have fun with it. Now you don’t have to choose between a fun night in with friends and updating your space.
Now is also a great time to update your photos so you can look back on last semester and see all the great memories you made. Print some photos for cheap at Walmart and hang them up around your dorm. If you’re feeling no-fuss, a little sticky-tack on the backs of your photos will do the trick, but feel free to get creative with frames and placement.
Organization is aesthetic
We’ve been working hard for a month now, so no judgement if your desk is a little messy. However, a little update to your organization can help boost your mood. You can grab some cheap drawer organizers online or at the dollar store to give all your supplies their own space. Having designated spots to put certain items helps me to keep my desk tidy.
For desktop items like notebooks, or syllabi that you want to have on hand, try this DIY desk organizer made from cereal boxes (functional, cheap, and recycled? We stan).
Which redecorating tip are you most excited to try? Let us know in the comments, and if you do try them out, take some pics and tag us on Instagram @ubcostudents!
About the author
Sarah Kloos is a transfer student from Okanagan College. She’s a Creative Writing major, a collector of cool rocks, and a lover of novels. While she’s still not 100% sure what she’s going to be when she grows up, she’s okay with that. For now, she’s learning everything she can from her co-op work term, and loving every minute of it.
