Whether moving into student accommodation or renting, buying or sharing your first home, when you start out living independently, your design ambitions are often hampered by your wallet. Finding and funding a first home can drain your earnings, leaving little behind for the fun business of designing, decorating and shopping. In addition, your first home may only be temporary, as a first step on the property ladder, so making pricey alterations could be not only beyond your means, but impractical, too. Luckily, there are many ways you can personalise, and even transform, the bedroom in your first pad without breaking the bank or leaving behind a beautiful legacy for someone else to benefit from when you move. Here are 10 clever ideas to start you off. Good lighting is expensive to install and tricky to get right, so no wonder the average rented room or first home does not feature good, mood-enhancing lighting. If your bedroom is lit by a solitary bulb in the centre of the ceiling, supplement this with inexpensive lamps or fairy lights to boost overall light levels and create warm washes up the walls.

You may love the clean lines and space efficiency of built-in furniture, but it’s often expensive to design and fit and you can’t take it with you when you move. A safer option is to stick to freestanding storage, which will still look stylish but is also portable. Invest in the best new pieces you can afford, but if your budget only stretches to flatpack designs and they don’t appeal, source a vintage alternative or upcycle an old item that may look tired but is still robust, as in this bedroom. See how freestanding wardrobes can work brilliantly Take time to thoughtfully arrange the pieces you own. Even humble objects can look beautiful when carefully organised into a display and these little vignettes will do much to boost the room’s overall feeling of style. Mix items together, from postcards and books to ceramics and figures, then add simple flowers in a jam jar for extra personality. Check out these simple steps for arranging the perfect vignette Instead of buying new furniture, which can be costly, repurpose a vintage piece.

An old tea chest or a stack of vintage suitcases can work as a bedside table, for example, while old wooden fruit crates make useful wall-mounted storage. Think laterally as you scour junk shops and vintage sales looking for cheap and unusual buys that could be reimagined as a useful, characterful item of bedroom furniture. Completely redecorating the bedroom in your first home may not be an option, either because of cost or tenancy regulations. Instead, introduce a splash of colour, pattern and warmth with beautiful bedding. A bright bedspread or throw will instantly brighten plain bedding, or try mixing up styles and patterns for an eclectic look that will easily distract attention from a peeling paint job or dodgy wall colour. Second-hand furniture is your friend when kitting out your first home. Look out for old pieces and remember that a tired paint job is often hiding a solid and serviceable piece of furniture. If your find needs a facelift, upcycle it by sanding and painting it or by stripping it back to bare wood and waxing it.

The cheapest way to furnish your bedroom is with pieces that cost nothing at all. Time to hunt down some scrap! Anything from scaffolding boards to old milk crates can be fixed and fashioned into furniture that works hard, looks exciting but costs nothing.w124 curtains Discover more fun and eclectic bedroomspottery barn blackout curtain liner Maybe the floor in your new place is a bit rough or draughty, or perhaps the landlord’s taste in carpets is stuck in the 1970s. hookless shower curtain with pocketsSimply lay some rugs. target peva shower curtainYou don’t need to spend hundreds on pure-wool rugs. grommet curtains kmart

Instead, look out for inexpensive woven cotton ones in colourful patterns. Layer them up for a multi-coloured look, or find a sizable rug that will cover plenty of floor and instantly warm up your space.kato tab top curtains red Dull, plain or shabby curtains will do nothing to lift the look of your bedroom, so take down any drapes that are under-delivering and replace them with something fresh. tuscan blackout curtain panel pairPatterned curtains create a splash at your window and can rev up a neutral scheme for minimal cost – look out for inexpensive ready-made ones, which come in a huge range of designs. If your humble divan is looking a bit dull in your first bedroom, give it some heft by adding a statement headboard. Use old timber or, as here, a door to help zone the sleeping space and boost your bed’s impact.

This article was first published on Houzz International Delivery Find out moreHow we help you Where we've done it How we help you Keller UK represents the Keller Group plc in the United Kingdom, and is the leading name in the foundations and ground engineering industry. Keller in the UK are organized on the basis of solution expertise in different divisions in numerous offices around the country. Keller specialise in displacement and CFA Piling for all types of structures from housing to power projects Phi Group is the largest retaining solutions specialist in the UK designing, supplying and building a wide range of retaining walls With a pedigree of over 40 years in the UK and specially manufactured equipment built in Germany Keller lead the way with these solutions Anchors & Soil Nailing With our patented Single Bore Multiple Anchors we can offer the longest and highest loads of any ground anchors in the UK Keller lead the world in grouting technology – with systems for all applications from lifting structures to grouting dam curtains

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