Going to college is a very exciting time but it can also be stressful and even the most hardened teen may feel a few pangs of homesickness when they first arrive on campus, especially when they see their drab and depressing dorm room. Decorating your dorm room to create a comfortable oasis that expresses your personality is your first assignment and its one that you won’t fail.
Remove/Replace Furniture
If it’s in your budget and your college lets you, then remove the furniture they’ve supplied and come with your own pieces that say more about you and are more comfortable. Replacing the college dorm bed with a day bed is a great idea as your bed will serve multiple purposes anyway. A desk with modern styling and more storage options (and security) will probably also be a wiser choice than the supplied desk.
Dorm Storage Options
Dorm rooms are notoriously short on storage options. The closet is small and if a dresser is supplied it’s bulky and takes up a lot of space. Create your own storage by buying containers designed to slide under your bed, get storage that hangs over the door, on the walls, and totally revamp the closet. Try to think of your closet as another room and treat it with that much concern, remove the supplied door and use fabric with Velcro to increase your space, stack containers inside to take advantage of every inch of space.
Lift it Up
A loft is an excellent way for a college student to dramatically increase the available floor space in their dorm room and the space under the loft is typically a great area for televisions or low seating. If your college doesn’t allow lofts you may still be able to increase your dorm room’s functionality by adding storage units which are elevated on posts over your bed.
Color it You
Very few people consider the industrial colors used in dorm décor their favorites so do whatever you can to bring in colors that make you happy, keep you awake for studying, express your personality, and give you a sense of peace. Not many dorms allow you to paint the walls but wall adhesives can transform a room in ways you probably never imagined. Don’t go with the standard image of your favorite sports star but think geometric shapes. Lots of long lines can create stripes, borders, and even plaid. Circles of varying sizes are a bright and lively look. Large diamonds and you can create a harlequin pattern. In addition you can bring in color with window treatments, bedding, colorful furniture and pillows.
Back to school sales often lure students in before they’ve actually seen their dorm room so try to wait until you know the rules, what the room dimensions are, if you have a roommate, what your roommate’s tastes are and what he/she will be bringing to your living space. And remember to check your campus’s regulations for dorm décor, you don’t want to waste money and time on something you’ll have to change in the future.
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