It can be hard to get settled in your new home, especially when you are living in a shoebox. As a college student, I struggled with homesickness in my first few years living in San Francisco student housing. I missed the comforts of living in a ‘real’ home – most notably, the thoughtfully decorated interior that made the space so much more than just a building. Here at Urbanests, we want to help you find San Francisco room rentals that are both affordable, functional, and that feel like a real home. Therefore, in this new blog series, I am going to talk about a few tips and tricks that I use to make my small dorm room in San Francisco feel like a real home! These decorating tips are easy, affordable, and help make your temporary housing feel as cozy as possible, on a dime.
Today’s Small Space Decorating Tip: Make your Room an Indoor Greenhouse
I’m talking plants, plants, plants!
There is something about indoor plants that help completely open up a small space and make even the darkest and smallest of dorm rooms feel airy and fresh. Many studies have shown that various plants reduce stress levels and tension created in the room, and plants absorb toxins and C02 and release fresh oxygen, so they actually will help freshen up your space. Plus, they create a relaxing and beautiful environment in your home. Here I will outline my three favorite types of indoor plants that you can use to transform your small space.
- Succulents:
- Small, easy, and low maintenance – who could ask for more? With decorating, it is all about the details. Purchasing a few small succulents is a cost-efficient way to brighten up a corner of your room. Place them in funky glass jars on the corner of your desk, on a windowsill, or line them up along your bedside table. These small little details create an overall sense of thoughtfulness to you room decoration, and give your space a rustic edge. All they require is a little spritz of water every few days and a dash of sunlight. Good things really do come in small packages!
- Hanging plants:
- In my myriad of small dorm rooms and shared housing over the years, I have found that hanging plants are the best for smaller spaces. When it comes to small spaces, you should “Think up, not out”. Vertical lines elongate the room without taking up well-needed space, so an ivy or fern cascading down the side of your bunk bed or off of the corner of your mirror saves on floor space, while adding that little pop of green and burst of oxygen that make your room feel fresh. Best part? Hanging plants need sunlight more than they need water, so even if you are a bit forgetful, your plant will thrive if you keep it near a window or door!
- Floor plants:
- This is not for the feeble hearted. Floor plants require much more attention and love than succulents or ferns, and are quite a bit pricier, but they do they job better than any other. In my room, I purchased a $5 woven basket from a farmers market (that doubles great as a beach bag or grocery tote, thank you) and placed a beautiful plant from Home Depot inside it right at the foot of the bed. Let me tell you, nothing has transformed my single room in San Francisco quite like this baby did. Her name is Sherry, and I love her.
- Fresh cut flowers:
- Now I know what you’re thinking, who can afford to replace the bedside bouquet every week as a college student? I agree, real blooms are an absolute splurge. But there is a wonderful flower hack that allows you to keep real flowers in your room for months at a time without having to replace them, and the blooming beauties are called ‘Baby’s Breath’. That’s right, those little white fluff balls that are a regular feature in wedding bouquets actually dry so beautifully, they look brand new even a few months in! In my room, I keep a bouquet of Baby’s Breath out of water in a vase by my bedside, and it serves as a lovely standby between those ‘treat yo-self’ fresh bouquets that still creates the same sense of extravagance on the daily.
Tune in next week for another post on how to freshen up your small space! In the meantime, you can:
Check out our open San Francisco room rentals here
Or read some of our other blog pages here.
Urbanests 
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