Are you running a business involving student accommodations, such as rental properties or student-focused room decorations? If so, this article is for you: Read on to learn how to incorporate canvas prints for making your property feels like home.
In years gone by, student accommodation may have been dominated by dilapidated terraced houses and hall bedrooms that amounted to little more than boxes with beds, sinks and desks. Now, in the big student cities there’s a wealth of options available, making it easy to choose something that suits students’ social style along with their personal preferences.
For students heading to university halls this year or moving into a private rental for the first time, they may be looking forward to putting their own stamp on their surroundings. They will probably already be aware of rules that prevent them from making changes such as painting walls. So, how should you, the student-related business owner, solve this this decorating conundrum for your young clients? Here are some creative ways to help their digs feel like home.
Décor essentials
Students can find lots of checklists online for essential student items to pack, so here we’ll be sticking to items used to dress their room along with a few functional pieces that can be used to add colour and interest.
Remember that students may want to consider taking things from their home. The thing to remember is, some of the student halls are very comprehensive in what they provide, so students may find they don’t need to take some of the more obvious items like a waste bin or pin board. Other than that, it’s your opportunity to provide the essentials.
If you’re looking for ideas for items to sell, here are some top décor essentials you may want to consider:
A laundry basket
No, it’s not strictly a ‘décor’ item but it can certainly enhance the look of student’s room and with so many styles to choose from, picking out a cool laundry basket is an easy way to add pattern, colour and texture.
A waste bin
As above, it’s not strictly a decoration but students can buy a bin to match their chosen colour scheme or turn an empty bin upside down to use as a lamp table.
A pin board
A board is a true student essential in rooms where any wall decoration is forbidden. Students usually decorate it with photos, postcards, ribbons and pins to decorate your board with.
Cushions/bean bags/throws
Chances are the only seating in a student room may be his/her bed or computer desk, so you may want to provide some items to help students and their guests to sit more comfortably. Choosing bold coloured and textured cushions and throws is a great way to add a new dimension to your space.
Dressing screens
Old school dressing screens are often decorated in fabulously ornate patterns and are great for helping student to zone off his/her desk or a small reading area in the room. Students can pick one up secondhand or they could have a go at making your own folding screen, but offering a little more convenience to them won’t hurt.
Lighting
Depending on your light fitting, there may be a need to switch out of the shade. Other good lighting options that will quickly change the look and feel of the room include floor lamps, fairy lights and candles. The dorm’s contract may stipulate that only LED fairy lights and candles are permitted, so you can offer other options.
Curtains and bed linen
It’s not always possible to change the curtains, but if the student is allowed to do so, it could make a huge difference. A set of good blackout curtains will make it a lot easier to have a lie in after a late night. It’s also a good idea to take a couple of duvet covers, pillow cases and sheets that tie in with the decor. This way you’ll have a clean set of sheets while the others are in the wash.
Creative art ideas
Not being able to paint or paper the walls in rented accommodation is the norm, but that doesn’t mean students need to leave them boring and blank. Posters and white tack are an easy option but there are lots of other affordable creative and artistic possibilities.
Fabric wall hangings and canvas prints featuring your nearest and dearest can be hung with command hooks – so you may want to recommend it to your clients. Students could also try marking out some cool washi tape designs or hanging bunting, so you may want to stock the supplies, too.
To accommodate your clients’ passion for DIY, you may want to provide the materials for creating a feature wall using fabric applied with corn starch paste?
Savvy storage
Storage isn’t always in plentiful supply in student rooms, which makes it easy for mess to get out of control. Under bed boxes are great or you could think about selling some smart storage that’s also decorative. Patterned storage boxes are handy for storing files and folders and you can also stock multi-functional stools with built in storage.
Another good items to add is decorative jars for treats or biscuit tins. Not only will it look great but it will also keep your stuff safe.
Takeaway
Hopefully this post has provided a little inspiration for your business. Is there anything you would add to the list? If so, please let us know!