Walking into a new apartment or dorm is kind of like opening an old closet drawer — you never know what you will find. But usually one comes across an empty room with some scary-looking marks and a color palette of muted browns and grays. Once the essentials are unpacked, it’s time to make your dorm or apartment into a home.

The Badger Herald spoke with some students about how they decorated their rooms and whether you’re living in an older or newer apartment, dorm or somewhere far from campus, there’s something for everyone.

DIY

One of the most creative and unique ways to decorate your space is by making your own decor. UW junior Izzy Provisor said she and her roommates were working on a DIY project for their apartment at VERVE Madison.

“We’re all over the place because there’s five of us but we got a lot of our inspiration off of Pinterest and we’re working on making a photo wall right now, like a gallery,” Provisor said.

Photo walls are a college classic, transforming your apartment or dorm into a collection of memories and friends. Here’s a few ways you can make your own photo wall:

Polaroid: If you or your roommate has a Polaroid camera, take Polaroid photos of every friend entering your apartment then have them write their name in Sharpie on the photo. 

Collage: Use some cork bulletin boards as your base. Print out some photos you love at Walgreens, then grab some art supplies and hot glue from Artist & Craftsman Supply Madison. 

Fridge: Perhaps the most low maintenance way to show off some photos in your dorm or apartment is to print some photos out at Walgreens and use magnets to stick them onto your fridge.

Other forms of DIY decor include making your own chandeliers, paintings and pottery.

Pinterest and Etsy

Gen Z is Pinterest’s fastest-growing audience, so it’s no surprise college students would use Pinterest for inspiration. UW Junior Sam Stevens said she makes Pinterest boards to visualize what decorations she wants in her room. Pinterest is a great tool to use not only because it shows you personalized photos based on your previous likes, but also because artists and companies can post and link their home decor.

Etsy is another good platform for room decor, especially because of its accessible prints. Third-year UW student Julia LoBello used Etsy to buy prints for her apartment.

“This is the first year I had my own room in all of college so I wanted to really make it my own,” LoBello said. “So, I looked a ton on Etsy, that’s where I got all my prints and then I just printed them all at Walgreens and got cheap frames from Amazon.”

Thrifting

If you want a room unlike anyone else’s, you may consider shopping secondhand for home decor. Your decor is not only guaranteed to be unique, but you’ll also save money. UW Junior Nick Winer said if he could describe his room decor style in one word, it would be “thrift.” He suggests students go to thrift stores like St. Vincent de Paul Society, Goodwill, Dane County Humane Society and especially the St. Vincent de Paul Dig & Save Outlet, because they allow you to pay by weight. He said one example of thrifted home decor he has in his apartment is a giant shag carpet to lay on and do homework.

But thrifting isn’t only good for bigger pieces like rugs. Don’t shy away from finding fabrics you love to turn into tablecloths, art pieces to hang on your walls and fun mugs or tea sets.

Other shops students said they found home decor at include T.J. Maxx, At Home, Target and HomeGoods. If you don’t have a car to drive to these shops, apply to get your bus pass or consider using Facebook marketplace to find some eccentric decor.

Colors and accents

So you have some decor, but how do you bring it all together? First, coordinate your decor so you have a few main colors like black and white and a few accent colors. Stevens said she would describe her apartment as bright and beach-like, echoing the fact she’s from the East Coast with white, blue, green and wicker furniture.

“I started out with a nice rug … I have a wicker basket, mirror and bedside table … getting some nice wood accents in there is good,” Stevens said.

A bright and beachy aesthetic helps bring color into rooms, but when it’s time to get cozy, some mood lighting might be necessary. Winer said he suggests mood lighting, like bigger lights you can change with a remote, to make your space more comfortable. He also said plants can provide a similar feeling of comfort and liveliness.

Do what makes you comfortable

At the end of the day, there are no rules you have to follow when it comes to how you choose to decorate your space. LoBello said to make it feel more like home, people should incorporate stuff from where they’re from.

There are many different aesthetics in interior design, ranging from coastal and cowgirl to dark and moody. But you can’t go wrong with getting the things you need and adding whatever makes you feel happy. Your room should be your safe space, so get to decorating!