A dorm is your second home. The room where you will spend a good couple of years, so you want to decorate it in a way that feels personal yet functional. The secret here? Inspiring your choices with foolproof dorm room decor ideas—the best of which we will discuss below 🤍 Customize them to your liking, or replicate the same tips; works magic either way!
Declutter, Declutter, Declutter
Starting college, or even sometimes going back to college after vacations, can feel scary when your new “home” is a drab room. But it doesn’t have to, and actually shouldn’t, feel like that. Just a few simple transformations can change things entirely, decluttering being the perfect starting point here.
Organize everything in the dorm room in three sets. By everything, we mean decor, clothing, college papers, or whatever there is in the room.
- To be thrown into the rubbish can.
- Usable things that you don’t need but can be donated (or sold).
- Essentials to be stored.
Get rid of what you don’t need, and invest in smart storage for the items to be kept.
Invest in Good Storage
As a student, there’s going to be a lot of mess in your dorm room. Partly because there’s just so much to store in that one tiny room and partly because you will be too busy to organize things. The solution is to invest in a good storage scheme as soon as you move in. Think under-bed storage. Over-the-door organizers. Closet organizers. Multi-functional furniture (if you’re purchasing new furniture pieces). Desk organization. Drawer and cabinet organizers. Compact storage for food. You will find unlimited options; the key is to determine what really suits your needs, and fits the space.
Start with a Piece of Art
For our indecisive decorators. Use your favorite piece of art to anchor the rest of the decor. Even the simplest abstract art can be your inspiration. An area rug or the bedding can serve as good starting points, too. It’s just about picking a single focal item that kickstarts decorating.
Pull colors from your chosen piece, or echo its patterns throughout the rest of the room. Ties the room beautifully, and designs a well-rounded, appealing dorm.
Add Cute Throw Pillows
A fun purchase that’s budget-friendly and adds personality to a room almost instantly. You will find hundreds of cute options at the home decor store, but please don’t go overboard. Too many throw pillows can make your dorm room look cluttered—and make your bed look smaller than it is. Plus, you’ll be stuck figuring out where to put them at night.
Purchase 2 to 3 throw pillows, at a maximum. You can switch things up with fresh pillow covers, seasonally or for the holidays. Affordable. Quick. Easy.
Let Your Personality Shine
Personalization is one of the biggest trends for dorm room decor ideas this year. Remember, cohesive design and personal touches are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the two go hand-in-hand. Choosing a color palette and allowing each roommate to introduce a personal spin is what truly makes the room shine. It’s authentic to each member yet feels easy on the eye.
We have a full post about the dorm room color schemes.
Think Multipurpose, Compact + Mobile Furniture
In a dorm room where square footage is already limited, the functionality of each furniture piece should focus on space-saving as much as it prioritizes comfort. A futon is a great example. It’s a sofa by day but a full bed by night. Storage ottomans work great, too, by offering a sturdy surface to sit or present decor, and a hidden compartment to store blankets or books.
If you’re lucky enough to have a mini balcony attached to your dorm room, consider investing in a set of foldable bistro chairs and table. Tuck them inside when it’s snowing/raining outside, and bring them back out when the weather is pleasant for a cozy outdoor coffee break.
Define the Entryway
Though the space will probably be quite restricted, you can transform a sliver of wall space into a designated, beautiful entryway. Install a few hooks to hang a backpack or a jacket on your way in the door. If you still have a bit of extra space, mount a small mirror next to the door or roll out a doormat for dorm room ideas that feel extra homey.
Keep in Mind: Most residence halls have rules about drilling holes in the walls, so opt for damage-free, self-adhesive hooks that don’t require nails (or any tools in general) to hang.
Focus on the Bed
Between hanging out, doing homework, and sleeping, you will spend a great chunk of time in bed, so make sure to go big here. We love the idea of an upholstered headboard, thanks to the cozy style it adds while providing good back support. Just simply use zip ties to attach a headboard to your metal dorm bed frame. If that, too, is out of budget for you, an oversized backrest pillow can serve the same purpose—and can easily be repositioned as a futon or a comfy study session in another room.
Quality bedding is also a must. A good night’s sleep = a happy student. Most (but not all) dorm room mattresses are twin XL. A regular twin comforter will work, but new sheets will be needed.
Roll out a Rug
The ultimate dorm room idea to add warmth in seconds. Even if you’re sharing the room with someone (a person you don’t know, to be specific), you can always volunteer to bring a rug. It sets the foundation of a room, if chosen correctly. A 5 x 7 inch or 3 x 5 inch would most probably fit the small space available, and a machine-washable (+ stain-resistant) rug makes it easier to keep the room looking clean & fresh.
Sneak in Additional Storage
An alternative to lofting your dorm bed is raising it just a few inches (or feet) off the ground. This adds extra storage without sacrificing the comfort of a ground-level bed. Bonus points if you find a bed riser that comes with built-in plug-ins.
It’s not quite possible to determine the height of a bed frame until it is lofted, so you can keep under-bed storage purchases for later.
Add Fun (but Functional) Lighting
Most dorms will have only a single ceiling light fixture. Too less, too boring.
Cheer up the room with ambient lights, like a unique floor lamp or paper lanterns. Then, bring in task lighting to accommodate all-nighters while your roommate sleeps. And, don’t forget accent lights—the element that introduces that much-needed cozy vibe to a sterile dorm.
Make sure to check for restrictions, though. Halogen bulbs or string lights might not be allowed. Also, purchase the appropriate bulbs before move-in, especially for speciality options that are difficult to find near campus.
Experiment with Different Furniture Arrangements
Try creative dorm room ideas. You can, for example, move the dresser into an open closet to free up space in the room. Beds can be positioned towards the back of the room, staggered, across from each other, or in an L-shape.
Introduce Greenery
A simple addition that goes a long way in making your dorm feel lively. Plants are great for indoor air quality. They improve sleep, and also help manage stress. It’s best to opt for easy-to-care varieties, such as a low-light houseplant, for your dorm. You’d also want to get into the habit of watering (and pruning) prior to starting college to ensure the routine sticks in the mid of a super busy semester.
Disguise Clutter
No matter how much clutter you get rid of, there will still be bits and pieces of essentials peeking around, looking like visual chaos. For example, the mess in your open closet. A tension rod and curtain panel can hide away the mess there. You can apply the same concept to a lofted bed, where a minimal bed skirt from folded curtain panels covers the storage underneath.
Refresh Existing Features
Wood furniture is a staple in almost every dorm, but can actually look pretty tired. Applying removable wallpaper to wood (or wood-toned) items is an easy way to makeover old furniture. Just double check whether or not the wood is sealed; otherwise it might peel off the finish when removed. A simple yet stylish dorm room idea everyone would want to try.
Personalize Walls
An opportunity to flaunt what’s important to you—and create surroundings with positive memories. Could be through photos, tapestries, posters, album covers, or jerseys. The good thing is, it can be planned once everything else is in place and can be refreshed every few months. You just have to prioritize the weight limit and size for your wall decor.
Add Little Pops of Color
Dorms don’t usually have bright or inviting paint colors. Plain white is the most you get, and you can’t really do anything about it. Think again. Can you really not do anything? You absolutely can. Vibrant wall art. Colorful cushions. Bright bedding. Multi-colored fairy lights. Eye-catchy desk accessories. Patterned curtains. You just need to have that aesthetic eye 😉
Design a Seamless Study Station
There will be hard days. Homesickness. Pressure from studies. Expectations from family. Amidst all the chaos, a calming workstation can make things easier. Surely. And you don’t need a ton of space to do that. Just a small, dedicated corner in the smallest of rooms will do the trick. Invest in good storage and install task lighting. If possible, introduce inspiring hues, like orange, either through an accent wall (if painting is allowed) or through a colorful desk chair.
Loft the Bed for Twice the Space
Don’t let the lack of space limit your creative dorm room ideas. Even if the square footage is only enough to accommodate a single bed, there’s still so much you can do. A lofted bed, for example, is the perfect addition here. Reserve the lower portion for entertainment during the day and study sessions at night. Decorate the upper portion with a comfy mattress and good bedding for a relaxing sleeping area. Use the wall space between the upper and lower portions to install storage (floating shelves, hooks, etc.).
Double-Duty Desk + Vanity
Grooming areas in residence halls are often crowded. The solution is allowing your study desk to double duty as both a vanity and functional workspace. Add a mango wood round mirror and stashed skincare or makeup products in acrylic drawers in one corner, and use the other for studying/working.
Hang a Tapestry
Perhaps one of the easiest dorm room ideas, one that isn’t restricted by residence rules. Hang it over the bed as a headboard, or use it to spruce up the area over your sofa to create an inviting sitting area.
Connect to Nature
No better way to create a calming dorm room than to tie the interior to the outdoors. Introduce organic, natural elements wherever possible. Floor plants. Hanging planters. Botanical wall art. Nature-inspired colors. Natural materials (and textures). Basically, anything that reminds you of the great outdoors 💚
Bring in Texture
Too much color can make a room feel small. The key is to pair one or two of your favorite hues with a simple, toned-down palette, then spruce up the style with layers of unique textures, like leather, wicker, and chunky knits.
Create Your Own Space…
…with a room divider. Consider a space-saving shelving unit that seamlessly divides the room yet adds much-needed extra storage. Both parts of the room can be personalized according to each member’s preference, and to tie things together, you can mount name signs over the divider.
Save $ with DIY Styles
A fun way to flaunt your personality. Get creative. Try DIY dorm room ideas. Affordable. Unique. Stunning. We love a photo collage wall, featuring pictures of your loved ones—and happy days. You could also try mason jar lanterns and DIY lampshades. Or, try something like…
- Decorated storage boxes
- Clipboard wall organizer
- No-sew pillow covers
- DIY drawer dividers
- DIY area rug
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