Decorating my final student bedroom

It’s funny how quickly you can start to feel at home in a place. I’ve been in my new flat for just a week and am already feeling wonderfully settled. Last weekend I moved back to Bristol for my final year of uni after my year abroad, and I’m so very happy to be back.

Of course, the speedy settling in is helped by the fact that I’m in a city I know and love (Bristol = the best), all my friends are here, and my flatmates are total babes.

I genuinely adore Bristol - never have I lived in, or even visited, a city home to so many wonderful independent shops and eateries. It's amazing. Coming back after a year abroad was always going to be a little strange, and although the city and I have both changed, if anything, absence has made the heart grow stronger!

This year, I'm living in a completely different part of the city, and I'm already loving exploring it and finding new, cute, exciting places.

Your student years are pretty strange in many senses, one of which being the fact that you move from home to home so frequently. This will be my 7th home in just four years, and despite the pain of packing and unpacking, I love it.

I love making a new home homey, as long-time blog readers will probably know…

Let’s see, there’s been a post about my uni room in 2nd year, my “twenty best ways to decorate your student room at uni”, a post on settling into my room in Germany, and then one about making my Brussels bedroom pretty on a budget.

I really like looking back at all those posts, as I really loved all my rooms. (And yes, you may spot a lot of the same posters, fairy lights and bunting in them all, but whaddaya expect? I’m a student.)

Perhaps the reason I have indeed loved my rooms so much and always felt so at home is because I put in a fair amount of time and effort in putting up all my homey bits and bobs.

It's fun.

Your bedroom is the only space you really have to call your own as a student, so I think it's really important to make it somewhere you love.

So, because I myself love noseying into other people's homes for inspiration, I thought I'd give you a little tour round my own.

Do come in...

My room is rather wonderfully big this year. I even have a sofa which is pretty darn exciting. And although the carpet may not be the newest of them all, a fluffy rug can make all the difference.

Being a student flat, the sofa was not the nicest sofa you've ever seen in your life, so I simply covered it in cosy blankets and voilà! It now adds to my colour scheme and makes for a lovely reading (or TV watching) spot.

One of my favourite parts of my new room is this old fireplace.

Although it's no longer equipped for cosy roaring fires, I think it's really pretty and so has been turned into my make-up spot.

Overflowing make-up bag - check.

I like to display my perfumes as I think they look pretty, as well as the occasional trinket and scented candle.

Conveniently, there was a hook already on the wall above the fireplace. Inconveniently, it was too high for my mirror to hang there.

Not one to crumble in the face of adversity, I simply hung my mirror using a (Chanel) ribbon to make it the perfect height for moi.

Then of course, there's the bed - a centrepiece in any bedroom.

Pleasingly, mine is a lovely one. It's not uncommon for student rooms to have pretty mismatched furniture (mine does), so I'm really happy the bed is so lovely.

The bedlinen was kindly given to me by Dunelm last year, but unfortunately it arrived late and I couldn't take it with me on my year abroad. However I'm loving it this year all the same.

And come evening, my fairy lights add a rather lovely glow...

I know you all already know I'm a "more is more" kinda gal, so despite the fresh, white walls of my room (giving it a nice clean vibe), I have obviously covered it in posters, photos, postcards, tea towels (because some are too pretty for washing up) and yes, giant sparkly pink butterflies.

I love having all this above my desk.

The aforementioned tea towels.

Oh, and shall we zoom in on a few of those bits and bobs, there..?

Because everyone needs cake for their inner granny

These flowers were an early birthday bouquet from my parents

Being the extremely studious student that I am, I even have some uni stuff lying around in the hope of looking intelligent or even remotely educated...

Look, folders and books! Sure, the folders are as of yet empty, but that's just because teaching is yet to start, promise. And c'mon, even the hardest working of students sometimes need a break from the German grammar and some light relief with Glamour.

And just to remind me what students are meant to look like, I have this little lady hanging on the window, complete with giant pencil. I only strive to be as cool as her.

I have far too many hanging trinkets, as well as a make-shift photo display...

Yep, that is indeed simply pipecleaners and pegs. Simples.

Oh, and speaking of homemade, I'm sure you've been wondering where my old, tatty, badly-made bunting-that-was-previously-pyjama-bottoms is.

Well, it's hanging proudly above the window.

This bunting has stayed with me through my student years, even travelling to Bayreuth, Brussels and back. It may not be well-made, but I love it.

So there you have it! I'm all settled in, loving my new room, and ready to hit the ground running for my final year as a student. *gulp*

*tries not to show general fear*

I guess it's probably about time I actually picked up a book and started reading...

What are your fave ways of making a room homey?