Decorating Ideas For College Dorm Rooms – Do you have a student in your life looking for tips on decorating their dorm room? Read on for my top tips!
College and back-to-school season is upon us, and I’ve had more than one request for dorm room decorating advice in the comments of my last post where I started a mini-series on vintage-inspired decorating children’s room!
Decorating Ideas For College Dorm Rooms
It seems like many of you have adult/college rooms that need decorating too, and I’m excited to jump right in and share with you how to add the vintage flair we love to our elementary school dorm.
Dorm Room Storage Ideas
One of my current favorite ways to get inspiration for smaller spaces is to look at RV remodels! There are some really creative and beautiful renovations full of great ideas for tight spaces like dorms and other small living spaces. My friend Cami from the blog, Tidbits put together a great roundup of RV renovations if you want some inspiration!
I also have some tips specifically for small space decorating solutions in a blog post I wrote last year.
Today I’m excited to share my top three tips for decorating dorm rooms, but before I do, I think we need to celebrate that this really is the best time in history to decorate dorm rooms!
I don’t think any of the previous generations had anywhere near the possibilities we have to make these small spaces feel homey and comfortable.
Diy Dorm Decor At University Of North Carolina
Some design companies are really cashing in on this market and have entire design lines dedicated to bedroom decor! Here are some companies I came across while preparing for this post:
If you know someone heading off to college this season, you’ll definitely want to check out these sites to see what’s available!
The most important tip to keep your room design in your home looking professional is to pick a color palette and stick to it!
Matching colors throughout the room, even down to the furnishings if possible, can really help your space look intentional and cohesive!
Dorm Room Decor
This is an example very well done! The mix of cream, white and black makes for a calm, clean and beautiful welcoming space!
The biggest and most obvious piece of furniture that should come first in any dorm room is the bed!
This great graphic from U-Loft shows their specific dorm beds and configurations, but it’s also a good general overview of some of the different ways to arrange the largest piece of dorm furniture that best fits the your student’s needs.
What I notice in each of the different configurations is that the bed serves two purposes in each option.
How To Decorate Your Dorm So It Doesn’t Feel Like A Dorm
Whether this means it has storage below as pictured labeled “twins” or a “fully open loft” with a desk or other useful space below –
Make the most of your space and use dual purpose furniture items is a great dorm tip!
Some smart design decisions with dual purposes are a long duster that adds beauty and hides storage under the bed, and uses a storage ottoman that doubles as a step-in stool, both pictured here:
I think the loft bed option also gives you a lot of flexibility in how you can use the space below.
How To Decorate A College Dorm — Kristen Marina
One smart college girl decided to hang a hammock under her loft and I think it’s so fun and cozy! And you just know I love the boho vibe!
In this example, they created a space to sit and write homework – using that cool trunk as desk space, as well as space for a mini kitchen with a small fridge and microwave.
If you choose a single bed that leans against the wall instead of the loft bed option, there are these really ingenious headboards that can be attached to your dorm wall with velcro!
Pottery Barn has faux leather, carved wood, and white options that will look great in many different spaces!
Cute Dorm Rooms: 18 Swoon-worthy Ideas (handpicked For 2024)
In addition to the mini appliances I mentioned above when I was showing the loft bed with living space below, I have to repeat that
I’ve thought about dorm beds before, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention the fabrics you’ll need to supply those beds!
One of my favorite places to get sheets is a website called Bed Threads. Not only are their sheets beautiful (a MUST for the self-proclaimed fabric snob), but they’re customizable, meaning you can mix and match your sheets, flat sheets, and pillowcase colors to best suit your space!
I know some dorms have their own standard desks, but if yours doesn’t, or if you have the option to replace it, adding something with a lot of charm like an antique or vintage looking secretary desk is a great idea. option!
Console Table White- Dorm Storage
If you don’t have the option of changing tables, a fun way to add some character is to get a really cool desk.
Your options are truly endless and of course depend on your style and overall feel for the room, but my personal favorite that I’ve found is a cool mid-century modern swivel desk chair that will help add the finishing touch to a number of spaces.
One of the tricks in dorm rooms is that you often have rules about what you can and can’t hang on the walls, or at least the ways you can or can’t use to hang things. that’s it.
For the purposes of this post, we’re going to assume that you can’t hang anything on the walls that would require screws or nails.
31 Insanely Cute Dorm Room Ideas For Girls To Copy This Year
I think sometimes we forget the power of leaning things against the wall. If you can’t hang a mirror, you can place a full-length mirror on the floor and lean it against the wall or get a smaller one and place it on a table or dresser or table for a nice tall look.
There are also leaning shelves that can be used for the dual purpose of storage and decoration. These metal baskets are attached to a false shelf with a ladder that just leans against the wall.
They are full of functional space, but also make room for some creative pieces and pops of color.
For larger wall surfaces, you can use removable wallpaper and contact paper, similar to how we did the faux white brick in my daughter’s boho teen bedroom.
Dorm Room Ideas For Girls From Our “before” & “after” Dorm Room Makeover!
Speaking of boho style – this room from ooliviajana is FULL of character and coziness thanks to rope lights, macrame, plants and a wall poster.
I have a tutorial for creating a similar wall hanging of cavallini posters that gives you the freedom to create a similar look but with a poster of your choice!
Another thing I noticed about this cute room is that she uses my beloved command hooks so she doesn’t damage the wall hangings in her room!
Another product that I have found works well for hanging without nails is Nano Tape. Double-sided tape seems too strong!
Ellie’s Chic Dorm Room
I first learned about it a few years ago when I was working on decorating a children’s camp for a church. It’s advertised as being able to hold bricks – but I haven’t tried that, and I’d rather use it for decoration anyway!
This is another great wall sticker option from Pottery Barn Teen that would be perfect for students who love football.
And it’s a literary quote transferred to canvas, which makes a great wall decoration if you have a lot of space to fill!
This wall tarp is my favorite because it reminds me of the matching quote on my book wall!
In Defense Of Spending Hundreds Of Dollars On Dorm Decor
Storage is one of the resources that you usually have a limited amount of while living in a home, so we need to do everything we can to make the most of the space we have available for storage.
A trick here is to use a storage shelf behind furniture pieces like your mini-fridge. The shelf footprint won’t take up too much space, but it does increase the storage space above your fridge to make it more useful.
Rolling strollers like these are super popular right now, and for good reason! It’s nice to keep things close when you need them and far away when you don’t.
You can use the rolling cart as a bedside table and then push it away during the day when you need space for other things!
10 Dorm Room Ideas For A Personalized Home-away-from-home
If you have some free wall space, a crate shelf like this can be both an awesome piece and a great piece of useful storage!
Other additional small storage and organization pieces you can add to your bedroom to enhance your style
If you’re looking for more inspiration for dorm rooms or other temporary decorating solutions, I cover those in specific classes as part of my Elite Decorating Academy! Looking for ideas for dorm rooms for girls?