No one came prepared when COVID-19 broke out early this year and turned everything out of whack. Shops and malls were either temporarily closed down or shuttered, summer vacations fell off our schedules, and there’s just no way people can do their lakwatsa especially when there’s not much anda! For the many Pinoy bakasyonistas like me, the term “staycation” suddenly became a household thing (literally). But that doesn’t mean we can’t turn this type of forced “staycation” into something lit, right?!

As we all adjusted to the new normal, I have found that taking on new indoor adventures like signing up for those DIY online classes, watching marathons of teleseryes or koreanovelas, or doing a long overdue home makeover like the one I just saw on TV were pretty relaxing. The best thing about the last one is that I’ve discovered some DIY home hacks I can share with you which can turn your square of a room into a ‘bongga’ suite!

I’ve found that space is the first thing you should consider when you redesign your room. So, I went to our ever-reliable Google Search for some worthy pegs and found great crib pics of my favorite lodi’s rooms. Then I said to myself: Why not copy a few for some celebrity feels?! A few more questions will pop up in your mind. What do I love to do inside my room aside from sleeping? But, before you think of anything dirty, let me share with you some basic necessities first.

Aside from your bed, you’ll probably need a small writing desk and chair for when you need to write some hugot lines in your diary or simply do your homework. You’d also want a good, sturdy cabinet for your clothes with some drawers where you can store all of your kikay kits and fashionista accessories.

Avoid cluttering your room with so much furniture and stick to the bare essentials because space will always be important. One question that came to my mind while redesigning my room was: bakit parang may eskinita ako sa kwarto? So, avoid that with all your might!

Once you finally know what furniture you really need, the easier it gets to arrange them in a way that will fit your mind’s design. Plus, going for the minimal look gives you more space and less money out of your wallet!

I admit.. It’s pretty difficult to get that authentic “staycation” feels when it’s your first time and yes besh, the struggle is real. What’s helpful though is how I worked out my room’s lighting to set my right kind of mood!

Two things you’ll really have to Google are natural and artificial lighting. When it comes to artificial lighting, the closest you can copy a hotel suite is by setting up a three-way switch by the door that controls your main light, bedside lamps, and ambient lights (for some of that chill lighting that’s perfect for a well-deserved R&R).

To make things simpler, I got myself some automatic closet lights that turn on when I open the door (not like a refrigerator silly!), and some easy-to-install LED lights via an online vendor, which I lined up by my bed’s headboard. And voila! My hotel kwarto is ready to flex!

Now when it comes to natural light, find how else you can filter the daytime sun that shines through your room (if it can), and choose the right shade of curtains that go well with the entire ‘lewk’!

I prefer extremes in a way that I can make it seem like nighttime during the day and vice versa so I bought solid-colored curtains and layered them with a thinner white one for when I want to do some ‘walking on sunshine’.

While you’re at it, choose matching colors for your bedsheets, pillowcases, and comforters because you wouldn’t want your room to look like something that came out of a preschooler’s coloring book. And please, please, please… refrain from buying these types when you can afford better quality. Dali… Try mo lang!

Once you’ve finally figured out your room’s issues with space and lighting, it’s time to choose which additional things you can add to make it more on point! If you still want to go for that hotel room ‘lewk’, add more flexibility to what you surround yourself with such as a pivoting chair that allows you to switch from doing some work on your desk to watching Eat Bulaga during lunchtime.

Get stylish ottomans that can serve as both storage compartments for your abubots and additional IG-worthy room decorations. Lastly, place a mirror above your work desk so you can use that area as a vanity space!

Of course, let’s not forget the most important item in your room– the bed. If you’re planning to throw out your old and worn-out mattress for a new one, take the time to review the bed products you’re planning to buy because they will really be some of your best long-term investments.

Look for something that won’t eat up your room’s space and check if it will either look better with some dust skirt or turn into something OA and waley.

As mentioned, make sure you go for the right colored pillowcases and blankets that all go well with your curtains and beddings. In other words, simply stick with a range of matching colors and patterns instead of something that will make you look like you’re krung krung.

The best thing about taking on a room makeover adventure is that you don’t have to go out and purchase items one by one especially during these quarantine periods.

Make everything easier for yourself by simply going online and applying for a Home Credit deal that lets you conveniently get what you want from online vendors with reasonable payment terms.

Check out [more affordable deals from Home Credit](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ph.homecredit.myhomecredit&hl=en&gl=US) by downloading the app for free at Google Play via this link, so you can enjoy a bongga “staycation” right in your own home now!