The academic year has officially started, and a new year means a fresh start! As we all have to spend more time in our dorm room due to online lessons, why not make the best of it and create the most cozy, fun and beautiful dorm room ever! We asked Belgian law student and actress/influencer Angela Jakaj for her top 5 tips to decorate your dorm.

(Source: Angela Jakaj)

Tip 1: Pinterest is your best friend!

It is often difficult to know: How do I get started? Which direction or style would I like to go in? How do I make my room as cosy and homely as possible? There’s a whole arsenal of pictures on Pinterest where you can get inspiration. This way, you get an idea of the direction you would like to go in and you can use it as a basis for shopping.

Tip 2: second hand upcycling

Visit Facebook Marketplace, vintage markets, second-hand stores and other vintage websites. Often you can score super nice furniture with lots of character for a pinch. For example, I scored my pink velvet sofa on Facebook Marketplace and this has become the eye-catcher of my dorm.

(Source: Angela Jakaj)

Tip 3: Go out of your Ikea comfort-zone

Tip 3: IKEA is easy and affordable and you'll usually find everything there, but it's also fun to combine furniture from different shops. You can score nice items for similar prices in H&M and Zara Home, but just as well in your local, smaller stores.

Tip 4: Look for gift pages

I recently discovered the page 'GIFT: Leuven' on Facebook. Here people give away furniture that gets in the way at home, is no longer used, ... From fitness equipment to seats and even bathrooms are given away here completely free of charge. Ideal for students who want a nicely furnished room on a budget. Go on the hunt for similar pages of your student city!

Tip 5: Get creative and DIY

For the creative minds among us: Do it yourself. On Youtube and Pinterest there are a lot of DIY videos. With some paint you can turn your grandmother's old chairs into something totally hip and trendy. It's all about giving things your own twist and really making it ‘YOUR’ place.

Now that you have received some great tips from Angela, it’s time to get to work! And because we love our #xiorfamily, we are organising a monthly contest: dorm room of the month! Show us your personalized Xior room on Instagram by tagging @xiorstudenthousing and we will pick a winner each month.

(Source: Angela Jakaj)

Dorm room of the month: What can you win?

A €25 IKEA voucher to pimp your room even more!

How to enter:

Post your best shot of your dorm and tag @xiorstudenthousing on Instagram (story or post). One winner will be picked at the end of each month and contacted through a private message on Instagram.

Want to see more of Angela's content? You can find her on Instagram @angelajakaj!

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