Ever since I started choosing ‘Homes and Gardens’ over ‘Girl Talk’ at the age of 10, I’ve been looking forward to decorating a space outside of my family home. After taking a gap year due to extreme terror as opposed to wanderlust, I can’t deny that I’m purely using uni as an excuse to buy homeware. Here’s what I’ve bought so far:
KITCHEN
Luckily, my mum knows my penchant for pretty plates so she’s been picking up bits and pieces of crockery and glassware for me whenever she’s spied something that’s ‘SO YOU!!’
If having a shelf in a shared uni kitchen qualifies having a theme, then I’ve gone for pink, green and blue. Personally, I like things to be quite mismatchy so if you break something it’s easy to replace when your student loan rolls back around. Also it just looks cute. My plates and bowls are from Waitrose as well as a few of the glasses. My mum got the martini glass from a charity shop, the flowery glass is actually a plastic picnic cup from M&S, and the flamingo glass is from IKEA. I don’t actually like tea but mum couldn't resist the kitschy teapot from the charity shop so hey, looks like I’m becoming a fully fledged tea drinker now. I am a big fan of hot chocolate though so I’ve got two mugs, both of which were gifts from who knows where (sorry). And, as a ‘special treat’, I got to pick my cutlery from TK MAXX and I don’t know why I love it as much as I do.
Utensil-wise, I went on the coming-of-age trip to IKEA and picked up a load of stuff for under £50. Of all the beautiful Swedish paraphernalia I could have bought, I went for: a pack of three saucepans of varying sizes; a big frying pan; two roasting tins; an INGENIOUS oven proof glass dish come tupperware box; a whole heap of your average run-of-the-mill tupperware boxes; a spatula, ladle and spaghetti spoon; wooden spoon and spatula; colander; cheese grater; a set of knives; some teatowels; two plastic chopping boards and I think that’s everything.
Shout out to Great Aunt Fanny for bravely stepping where my parents refused to go; apparently they had a painful experience in an IKEA once and solemnly swore never to set foot in one again.
I also got a garlic presser from Tiger and a silicon spatula from Poundland and I’m not really sure why.
BATHROOM
I have a shared bathroom at uni so I got a basket from TK MAXX to keep all of my toiletry bits and bobs together. My nan bought me some towels from Waitrose, and my friend’s lovely mum (who’s B&B work at) gave me a basket full of cleaning products which was so sweet! However, I think I’ll have to keep that hidden so I don’t end up being my flat’s designated cleaning lady.
BEDROOM
This is the BEST BIT. I put a lot of market research -rather Pinterest browsing- into this and I pray that the pine furniture is not enough to deter me in my decorating efforts. I am beyond happy that I have a double bed and I have one set of nice bedding from Urban Outfitters and a set of plain white. I also have a nice throw from Oliver Bonas (which also doubles up as a nice photo backdrop fyi) so that will jazz up the plain linen when the fun stuff’s in the wash. I have a lovely set of copper pegs that will hook over my door to allow for some extra hanging space; I’m thinking laundry bag, coats and bags.
For decoration, I’ve accumulated a collection of cacti and succulents which is of course an intrinsic part of going to uni. I’ve also spent too long making little tassel garlands which I’m planning on erecting alongside some fairy lights. Additionally I have lots of photos and illustrations I’m going to cover my pinboard with in the hopes that it will make my desk area look less brown and ugly.
Personally, the desk area is the most important part. I’m studying Graphic Design so I’ll be spending a lot of time working there and I need to be surrounded by nice stuff to make nice stuff. I’ve bought way too much stationery including a budget book, 17 month agenda, various notebooks and sketchbooks and lots of stickers? Because I’m 12? Anyway, I’m one of those rare people who actually uses that kind of stuff and it makes me so HAPPY.
Finally, I got a few miscellaneous uni essentials: bag clips, straws, shot glasses and command strips.
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR RHIANNON BRITTEN'S BLOG
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