Styling your bedroom - On a budget

So you've just moved in, are planning your dorm room, are sick of the way your bedroom looks or are just wanting a bit of a change. Changing up your room can sound like a bit of a daunting and expensive task but with a few simple items it can be easy.

Starting with a blank canvas is of course the ideal place to start but if you don't have one, don't panic! Take these simple steps and you'll become a styling genius in a spiff.

This is the colour scheme that I have in my current room at home. Blue and white with a small bit of pale pink.

1. Choose your colour scheme

Every bedroom you've ever seen, whether it's been on Pinterest, in a styling magazine or on T.V, has a colour scheme, so why should yours be different?  Now I'm not saying you have to have colours like purple, pink and yellow together. It could be as simple as having white and beige, or blue and white together.  You could go with your favourite colours or just a combination of colours you think looks fantastic! The trick is to only pick a few colours, you don't want to pick 10 different colours as it will make the bedroom look as if there's no colour scheme at all. I'd say just choose between two or three colours and then a your neutral colour and you've got your scheme. But all in all it's your bedroom, so its completely up to you!

2. Pick a neutral colour

Choose a neutral colour to fit on top of your already chosen colours. Using this trick by always having a neutral colour, such as black, white or brown, in there somewhere, just gives the room a little more balance and continuity.  Having a neutral brings another element and some light to the room that you would otherwise not have. This also helps when it comes time to buying things, as some things will not come in the colour you want them too, but most items will have a neutral option. You don't have to go looking for things in this colour as it should just be a base colour for the room instead of part of the colour scheme. 

3. Buy expensive things in your neutral colour

If you're on a tight budget (or any budget if you're me) and you need to change a fair amount of things around or purchase in the first place, buy things such as sheets and furniture in neutral colours. This will help when and if it comes time to changing things again, as you won't have to replace as many things the next time. This also makes sure that your colour scheme doesn't over power the room. Have things that don't really get noticed unless they are a statement piece in a neutral, as it makes the room seem more cohesive. These things can also be brought on sale quite frequently. Always look out for sales when buying things that you need, one thing is to make sure that you're not just making a purchase because it's on sale. You have to really ask yourself "would I buy this if it wasn't on sale?"

4. Remember that even the little things can make a difference

When you have a colour scheme in your room even little things such as a lamp or photo frames that are a different colour will really sick out. This may be a good or a bad thing depending on the look you are going for. Say if I had a room that was all grey and had splashes of  yellow, the yellow would really stand out but the colours would compliment each other nicely. Whereas if I had the same colour scheme but had red photo frames and no other red in the room it would look out of place in the room, making the room look like its not been pulled together precisely. This may be the look you are going for, but personally I like having everything in the same colours, even right down to the tissue box! This just makes everything look like it all goes together really  nice and like it fits together well. 

Creating a "Mood Board" can really give you some inspiration when it comes time to setting up your bedroom. The colour scheme I have chosen here is yellow and orange, with white as my neutral.

5. Choose your style and look for inspiration

If you don't have or know what what your style is, look for inspiration. There's always loads of bedrooms on both Tumblr and Pinterest that you can have a look at. Whether you like boho, with lots of pattern and wall hanging, something more preppy, with chevron and monograms, or something chic, with luscious accessories and glittery cushions, I'm sure you'll find something that you like. When you have chosen your style you can start looking for items you would like to have in your room, these could be based on things that you have seen during looking at other bedrooms, and start thinking about making purchases.

6. Start with the big things

If you need to purchase the big things such as bedding and furniture start with making those purchases first. This will give you a basis to start with and you'll be able to start planning the layout you want of your room according to the furniture you have.  Bedside tables, lamps, and shades are all things that can be bought in neutral colours. Although items such as curtains and rugs can all be bought within your colour scheme. This will bring a bit life and colour into your room. Remember that your room is only a certain size so don't buy things that you aren't going to be able to fit, an idea would be to measure up your spaces before you go shopping just to be 100% sure that they'll fit.

7. Planning your layout

Planning your layout is a big part of the process and can make or break a room. I have always liked the head of my bed to be furtherest away from the door against a wall, but not against a window, but that is just personal preference. Draw up a plan of your own room including the windows, doors, and wardrobes and then plan out where your furniture will be going. Start with the bed, if you have anything over a single you may want to have space on either side of the bed, but with a single or king single you can have it against a wall. Then larger items like a desk, dresser, book shelf or draws and work everything else around that. 

8. Buy your accessories

To make your room less boring you may want to have some art work, a large mirror, or a wall decal to fill up the room. Even little ornaments or place mats for bedside tables or dressers can make all the difference. One of my favourite space fillers are candles, they give a nice atmosphere to your room and make your room smell lovely too! Even a blanket over the back of a desk chair can make a room look a little softer.

The finished product:
I am working towards gathering all the things I need for a yellow, orange and white colour scheme. This is what I will be having in my dorm room as I am starting University next year! I have kept some of the same items that I already own and will incorporate them into my new room. This is easy to do as the things I will be keeping are all in white. I am very excited and think that its going to be an exciting experience setting up my dorm. Following these simple steps I have have sorted out and brought the things I need and now all I have to do is set it all up! I'll keep you updated when I do move in as to how everything is going.