How to Live in Your Bedroom

Plan your budget. Paint, appliances, wall hangings, furniture, all cost money. If you plan well, you can accomplish a lot without spending too much. Wait for the sales. Plan your work around what's on sale and around sale dates. That way, you can probably get away with buying hardly anything at the full price. Look for used items. There are plenty of excellent places to source secondhand goods that will make your room work well. Check out the local thrift stores, used furniture stores, online auctions, Craigslist, and the Freecycle network. Do your wallet and the planet a favor by giving old things another chance. Look around the whole house. There might be items nobody else wants, but be sure to ask first so you don't inadvertently adopt something someone else was using. If you've left home, there's still no harm in asking your parents what they've got spare to donate to you. If you're still in your parents' home, rummage around for unused items and decorative things. Take stock of what you already have. Can you rearrange or repurpose the things you already own? Should you spend some time removing clutter and cleaning up?

Do the design work. You need to have an idea of what you're going to do and what the finished product will look like: Modern? Retro? Classical? Keeping this general theme in mind will help you to shop efficiently for anything new you might need, and it also helps you to avoid buying things that won't fit into the theme. Also keep in mind that you will want to make your bedroom space as much like a living room (or den) as is practical. Draw your room shape on paper or in a computer drawing program. On paper, arrange the room in the way that you'd like to see it. Put the furniture you already have into position and work from there. What's missing? What else will you need to create the various functions within the room such as mini-kitchenette, TV viewing space, study corner, and peaceful sleep zone? Where will you hang clothes to dry? If you have an en-suite sink or bathroom, include this in your design too. An en-suite allows you to not only maintain your own hygiene but also becomes a clothes washing and drying space, a plant growing area (sprouts are great!), and a dish washing area using the basin. How will you incorporate these different activities within the en-suite space you've got?

Get rid of unused items. Clearing the room to make more space can be really helpful if you are prone to keeping things when you don't really need them. Even making sure that everything has a place can be useful if it means that things don't get cluttered as easily. Living in one room means you have little space and being tidy is the best thing.

Paint the room. If you have the option of new paint, it is the fastest way to improve the look of a room. The color of the paint is very important; light paint will give a sense of greater space and brightness, whereas darker paint will tend to make the room seem more compact but the deeper color might also be cozier. Perhaps do a few test colors on the wall first, after choosing from paint color charts. Consider using different colors within the room. Try painting the principal wall one color (usually the one a bedhead rests against) and paint the other three walls a slightly lighter shade of the same color group. Or, you might even want to paint a small area of wall marking out a corner for sitting, TV or games. Use your imagination.

Add appropriate window dressings. Ensure your privacy and keep out heat and cold with good window coverings, such as blinds or curtains. If they're not already in place, purchase ones that fit to the size of your window space. Curtains or drapes work well on windows that are 5 by 6 feet (150 by 180 cm) in size.

Arrange the furniture. Use the plan you drew up earlier to guide you on placement of the furniture in the room. You don't want it to be too cluttered. Try to make make some furniture do double duty. For example, can you use a sofa bed or futon rather than a bed and a sofa? If you can, it makes the bed space usable during the day. A comfortable but compact chair or two will make a nice addition when you have guests, plus it's a great place to sit and read. Get a comfortable ergonomic chair for the computer desk. You can also sit in it to eat, or use it as an additional chair when you have guests. Consider getting a table that folds down or folds onto the wall for a dining table. It doesn't need to be huge, as it'll usually only be you eating at it, but it's better than eating over your keyboard at the computer desk. Try making a sitting corner with bean bags, a large armchair, or a group of large pillows and cushions.

Choose good lighting. Lighting can really change the mood and comfort levels of your room. Accent lamps are a great way to add a bit of mood to the room inexpensively. Try moving a small desk lamp between the desk and the bedside table.

Create a mini-kitchenette. A bedroom won't have a lot of space for cooking, and in some cases, it could be dangerous to even try. But a microwave, a coffee maker, and a kettle are all useful additions that will let you make a wide range of easy-to-heat foods in your room, including noodles, steamed vegetables, canned or packet soups, etc. Get a microwave. Any size will do, depending on what you are planning to cook in it, although the bigger it gets, obviously the more space it needs. You will need to have at least a good sized table or desk placed in your room for this, since you probably don't want your microwave on the floor. Add a mini fridge. You can get these at just about any store that sells kitchen appliances. If you can find one with a good sized freezer, that will let you keep frozen dinners and ice handy. You can put your microwave on top of this if it's the right size. It's not good for heat transfer, but it will save space. Anything small enough works. Size your appliances for one person. You might try a Foreman Grill, crock pot, or small toaster oven. Coffee makers and/or kettles are good, too, if you can't live without your morning coffee. Get some reusable kitchenware such as bowls and flatware. You can rinse them out in the bathroom sink. Get a covered trash can, and don't let your garbage pile up. It is stinky, attracts bugs and is unsanitary. Plus, its just plain gross. Empty it regularly.

Create storage space. Sufficient storage makes it much easier to keep things tidy. When everything has a place, you won't be so tempted to create piles or just leave things wherever they fall. Get shelving and cabinets. If you plan on keeping canned foods or boxed snacks in your room, shelves and cabinets are ideal. Bookshelves and cubbyholes in desks work well for books, games, knickknacks and small electronics like cords, USBs, cameras, and MP3 players. Try some invisible shelves for something different and conversation-starting. Have somewhere to hang and fold clothes if there isn't already wardrobe space provided. Try to make use of every possible area for storage. A small room can look like a mess with just a small amount of floor clutter so keep everything tidy all the time.

Add electronics. A wall mount for the television is a great space saver that's fairly standard nowadays. Consider a laptop computer instead of a tower or desktop and use a thin wireless keyboard that can be easily tucked away. A hand-held video game system fits anywhere. A standard TV-connected console gives much more realistic graphics and can often be played with a friend. A well-equipped gaming computer leaps yet further ahead, and can be played online for hours without end - but don't overdo it. Games a few years old are generally very inexpensive. Many free games are available for computers. A few-years-old game on a computer with a good video card will generally look better than a new game on a console. Avoid amassing a huge DVD or CD collection. Rely on downloading your music and movies instead and using laptop and MP3 connections to play your downloads. If you don't want to pay all the time, hire DVDs from the local video store and remember to return them on time, or have them mailed to you if your area offers rentals by mail. Or see if your local library lends CDs and DVDs. If you can, add a ceiling fan. You might not have complete control over the household thermostat. When it's too hot in the room, set the fan to pull air up towards the ceiling (or blow down on you) on high speed. When it's too cold in the room, set the fan to blow warm air down from the ceiling on low speed to mix it in without wind-chill. If your housemates are polar bears that keep the temperature far too low for you, look for a small inexpensive space heater. Modern space heaters stay cool to the touch except for the front where the heat comes out. Don't leave it on while you sleep though. Use it to heat the room and turn it off when you go to bed. Ensure that you can iron in your room. Get an iron, as well as a small ironing board and a mesh basket for taking clothes to the laundry and hanging outside if possible. Switch off all electronics at the wall at night. Any buzzing, humming, or blinking, will distract you when you're trying to sleep and you can do without the electromagnetic interference too. Plus, turning appliances off at the wall saves money.

Provide pet space. If you're allowed to keep a pet in your room, provide its sleeping quarters and other needs. You might have a cat and add its basket for sleeping, or a vivarium for your pet reptile. Also consider lighting, odor, and food storage issues.

Plan how to keep your room clean and tidy. Since this is your home, you won't be able to leave the bed unmade and piles of take-out containers in a corner if you're planning on having people over. Plan a regular cleaning schedule and if possible, rely on the household supplies and tools rather than trying to store your own in the room. Once you have a schedule in place, stick to it and living wholly in your bedroom will be a pleasant experience. Realize that odors are going to be one big issue in your tiny home within a house. If you're cooking in your bedroom, you'll need to have the ability to open a window to let trapped smells outside and you may also need air fresheners to disguise the odors. It is also wise to eat food with strong odors outside or at the place you've bought them from rather than having them in your room. Bear in mind that you'll have to sleep with the odors and that they're permeating your clothing. Avoid smoking in your room for the same reason. A room that smells of stale cigarette smoke is unpleasant for everyone who visits, and it doesn't do your health any good to be smoking in close confines. Consider opening your window for fresh air at least once a day, even during very cold weather (for a few minutes). Keep an eye out for ants and other pests. They really like to get into areas with food. Keep ant traps handy and put one in each corner of your room before you can even see them.

Keep safety in mind. Since you'll be cooking in your room, as well as living in there much of the time, safety is a high priority. If there isn't a smoke detector in place already, install one. In addition, have an all-purpose fire extinguisher. Keep your fire extinguisher handy but not near your cooking area. In case a fire breaks out, you want the extinguisher to be available.

Put a lock on your door if you can, and get keys for it. Keep a spare key hidden somewhere outside so you don't lock yourself out, but hide it well enough so it cannot be found by others interested in prying. At night, you can also use portable security alarms sold to travelers if you're concerned about being broken into while you sleep. This might be overkill, but you'll know the safety of your own house and neighborhood.

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