By May Garland, Style Deputy Editor
The Croft Magazine // May helps you achieve that Instagrammable living space.
It seems like our social and academic lives have only existed through the virtual space of video calling apps. We now sit for hours in front of the uninspiring Blackboard Collaborate reminiscing on the days when we could show off our impeccable sartorial choices for those in-person lectures. If you are fed up with appearing as a faceless voice in your seminars, try out these décor tips that will inspire you to turn on your camera for the visual pleasure of your peers. Through transforming your living space into a stylish extension of your personality, you will also help your productivity as we creep closer to exam season. You know what they say - tidy space, tidy mind…
1. Declutter and tidy!
No one wants to see your dirty laundry carpeting your floor and furniture. Treat yourself to a spring clean for your hygiene and sanity.
2. Spruce up your space!
Think art prints, posters, books, photos, cute cushions… For those who fancy themselves as interior designers, pick out a colour scheme or apply the sporadic approach to decorating and experiment with a spectrum of colours. I always find introducing accents of bright colours in the form of art brightens up and disguises those dreary cracked walls in student accommodation. Cushions can be used to introduce multiple textures to your room and accentuate the most important furniture (and where we all spend most of our time), the bed. Photos as well are not only decorative but also an important reminder of the times when we could be close to our loved ones and of when we’ll be able to see them again.
3. Green living!
Whether you’re a bunch of flowers, succulents or cacti person, plants are essential to freshening up the air in your room and are aesthetically pleasing. My room is slowly becoming a jungle and I’m so here for it!
4. Good lighting!
Now that you have beautifully furnished your interiors, make sure you have good lighting to do it justice. This may seem obvious, but by placing your desk by the window you will receive the flattering natural light. Alternatively, for those late calls in the long evenings, be sure to illuminate your room with the warm glow of a lamp or fairy lights. I advise against backlighting yourself, I know we’re all about making our backgrounds aesthetically pleasing, but avoid becoming a sinister dark silhouette of yourself in the process.
5. Surround yourself with positivity!
Most importantly, decorate your room with items that bring you joy and spark inspiration. This is essential to curate a visually appealing living space and improve your mental wellbeing.
If after all this, you are still unsure of whether you want to share your surroundings with the cyber void then choose a scenic virtual background for your Zoom calls so you can sit serenely in your room and envision yourself lying on a beach in the Bahamas.
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Featured image: Epigram/Morgan Collins
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