Home is where the art is: Turning your student digs into a creative sanctuary

Moving away from home for the first time is a big step. Whether you’re heading to Berlin, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Leeds, London, or Manchester, your student accommodation is your launchpad. Whatever creative course you’re studying, your room needs to be a space that supports your ideas, your routines, and your growth.

Here’s a few simple ways to turn your home-from-home into a creative hub that fuels your imagination.

Create a space where creativity feels safe

Taking creative risks calls for a certain kind of environment. A place where you feel inspired, surrounded by things that fuel your inner fire, somewhere safe, calm, and comfortable enough to try new things, mess up, and try again. Ultimately, creativity is about play and, as a creative professional in the making, you need a space where you feel free to conjure magic.

This is your first studio beyond the classroom. Give yourself permission to make it work for the way you think and create best.

Build routines that support you long term

The best creative work gathers momentum as you progress, from draft to draft, iteration to iteration. Building healthy habits will help you stick with longer-term projects and see them through. That said, we’re not suggesting you go crazy with a schedule for yourself, unless that works for you. Just a few anchor points that keep you grounded on a day-to-day basis and keep that momentum flowing will make all the difference to staying focused, happy, and thriving in your creativity.

Some of these anchors might be:

• A clear desk at the start of each day.
• Making your bed in the mornings.
• A proper wind-down before bed.
• A spot for sketching or brainstorming away from the screen.

Carving out zones for work and rest

When your room has to function as your studio, bedroom, and social space, boundaries can become blurred. You may find yourself editing in bed or trying to relax with a messy desk looming in the background. One tip is to try creating separate ‘zones’:

• Work zone: where your desk, headphones, computer, and books live. A good desk lamp is worth its weight in gold.
• Chill zone: a cosy chair or blanket corner. If you’ve got a small room, this can even just be your bed. Use comfy cushions, blankets, and plushies to make it feel like a soft, welcoming space.
• Inspiration zone: a large-sized pinboard, where you can pin your artwork, mood boards, and inspirational images is a great way to fuel your creativity and encourage you to bring your ideas to life.

Even the tiniest space can work better when you treat it with intention.

Decorate on a budget and make it your own

We’re not talking about Pinterest-perfect here – what matters most is that the space feels like you. Achieving this on a student budget can be easier than you’d think – with a little bit of creativity and some adept scavenging, you can build a place that feels like home and fuels your craft.

• Create your own prints: Sketch, paint, collage, or make digital art that you can put up. This reminds you of your own abilities and creative voice, and it’s key you remember who you are as an artist, particularly when things get tough.
• Use Freecycle, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and local charity shops to find cheap or free furniture and accessories.
• Hang lightweight fabrics or tapestries to add colour to blank walls – command hooks or drawing pins are a good option for rented properties.
• Play with lighting. Fairy lights, LED strip lights, or battery-powered touch lamps are an affordable way to create mood lighting. For the overhead light, use warm bulbs instead of bright white, which can feel a bit stark and unforgiving. It’s all about building a sense of warmth and cosiness.
• Display your inspiration. Think of your favourite films, comics, games, and art and pin up some inspiring imagery alongside your own.
• Repurpose what you already have. You can use old mugs as pen holders or plant pots, create makeshift shelves with crates or piles of books, or use tote bags or old fabric to make DIY storage boxes or wall hangings.
• Bring in some greenery. Low maintenance plants like succulents, cacti, or spider plants are great for improving the vibe in your room, while also cleansing the air. If that sounds like too much responsibility, fake is fine – Poundland or Ikea have plastic plants for as little as £1.
• A rug hides a multitude of sins and protects your carpet (and deposit!), while also pulling the aesthetic of a room together and helping it feel more warm and cosy.

This is your first chance to shape a space that reflects who you are and what you’re working toward. Own it!

Remember the bigger picture

When deadlines start rearing their head or your motivation dips, your room becomes more than a physical space. It’s your quiet place to think, to recover, to reconnect with yourself and your goals.

Student life can be fast-paced and full-on. Having a home that’s calming, creative, and comfortable makes everything a little bit easier.

If you’re starting out on your quest to find the right accommodation for you during your studies, here are a few handy resources:

• Get in touch with the student support team, who can help point you in the right direction.
• Book discounted accommodation in student halls via the BIMM University accommodation platform.
• Check out our guide to picking the right student accommodation for you.

We can’t wait to see you in September!