When a close friend of mine entered my studio apartment for the first time, just smiled and said “sweet”. Honest feedback for my interior designing skills, I would call it! The look of my room says a lot about me and my personality but God knows it’s a task to redecorate small spaces, especially when you’re a working woman and you’ve just moved to a new area or city.
I prefer living in a studio apartment as it’s easy to maintain them and it’s not too big, not too small, but just the right size for one person. My studio apartment had the basic amenities that I needed, like a bed, mattresses, hidden storage, RO and so on, but I eventually had to redecorate the space as per my needs and personality. And the best way to do it is by keeping in mind a few tips and tricks because obviously, I didn’t want to go overboard with the budget and also, I wanted to save time so here are the things I took care of.
1. Mirror Mirror On The Wall
As it was a small space, I had to be specific about the shape of my room mirror. I opted for a round mirror as it looks beautiful and creates a space-saver illusion. I actually bought a plain round mirror from the market and got a carved wooden frame attached to it, so it hardly cost me 500 bucks, I would suggest you do the same to save money but if you are planning to order it online, The Urban Store Hand Crafted Wooden Wall Mirror (Rs 1,891) is similar.
2. Breathing The Good Life With My Plants
Image Source: Instagram
Green makes everything look fresher and brighter, doesn’t it?! I cannot do without plants in my room, so of course, I bought the small plants which can survive inside the house and are low maintenance like money plant. The easiest and most space effective way to do it is through a vertical garden. I grew my plants as per my needs. I bought the seeds and pots separately. I made it a mixture of low maintenance plants, herbs and spices, you can choose to customise the set as per your needs.
The pots come in multiple ranges but if you go for the basic ones like Bio Blooms Vertical Wall Pots (Rs 1,240), one pot will cost you around Rs 25. Also, remember to place the pots close to a window or in the balcony. It’s easier to maintain them when they receive natural sunlight. I also kept a couple of plants close to the mirror, it creates a good view.
3. Created A Balance Of Affordable Art
Image Source: Instagram
I’m an artist and hence, I know that art has no price until and unless you decide to take print outs of a quote of art piece you like. Luckily I didn’t have to spend much on the prints as I painted a few small art pieces and got those framed. A big frame will make the room look smaller so be careful about that. I used the most basic black frames and my paintings were a mix of coloured and black and white. This helped me create a balance on the wall without making it look overwhelming.
You can use photographs as well to decorate the room corners. If your room looks full, you can decorate your washroom walls using the same ideology. Ideally, you must choose the emptiest wall for your frames.
4. Spread Out The Rug With A Pattern
In smaller apartments, it is good to choose a rug that has a defined pattern and a colour scheme as it makes a very signature impression. Even the simplest of rug gives an elite vibe because of the pattern. So I chose a black and white rug with stripes. It’s the simplest pattern to find and looks incredible. I found my rug at Seelampur market which is known for all kinds of fabrics. I bought it by metre so it hardly cost me Rs 400. However, if you are ordering online, you can go for something more fun like The Home Talk’s Cotton and Jute Rug (Rs 799).
5. Bought Diffuser On Discount
Image Source: Instagram
Ah… can’t live without scents! The thing is, only when you or somebody else walks into the house, you realise how weird the room is smelling and I certainly wouldn’t like someone to feel uncomfortable in my house because of a smell I didn’t know, exists. So diffusers are a very important part of my room decor techniques.
The Fragrance People, a home decor brand, had a huge clearance sale last year at one of their stores and no, I did not miss out on a chance to buy lemongrass, lavender, tea tree, sandal and ocean refills. Thanks to the timing, the diffuser or its refill that were priced at Rs 300, were available to me in Rs 100. If you like the brand, you can shop on The Fragrance People website.
Tip: Just buy the refill and use jam glass jars, old perfume bottles or juice glass bottles as the container.
If you are into candles, you can always get the one with an interesting scent like Green Apple Scented Candles (Rs 299) or Ocean Breeze Scented Square Pillar Candle (Rs 599) to add the fun element. However, to be honest, I go ahead with the classics like Lemon Scented Round Pillar Candle (Rs 499) or Vanilla Scented Square Pillar Candle (Rs 499) as everybody likes them. So doesn’t matter who enters your room, they’ll always like the vibe and the scent.
6. Used A Pegboard To It’s Best
Image Source: Instagram
A Pegboard has a ton of unexpected uses. It’s super adjustable. Anytime I want to switch things up, I have the liberty to rearrange the shelves. I used it in my kitchen for jars and spices. Just make sure you are buying a wooden board or is made of durable material. You can get Ikea Pegboard (Rs 1,200).
7. Colour Coordinated My Cushions
Image Source: Instagram
Just like when you nail a colour coordinated outfit, you know your style is on point, colour coordinated cushions or colour coordinated room in general, light up the style of your room. I went ahead with a black and white look as it enhanced the frames and plants that I had in the room.
Featured Image Source: Instagram
Also Read: 11 Cheap & Awesome Ways To Decorate Your Room When You’re Living Alone! and Just Married? Here Are 15 Cute Things To Decorate Your New Room!
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