Carve Vanity Space From Your Desk Space
You likely wont have the space for a separate vanity for applying makeup before class or a night out, so help your desk do double duty with a few useful accessories:;
- A stand-alone vanity mirror with built-in lighting will help you see just how much eye shadow youre putting on
- A few lidded boxes to store your makeup in when the desk is being used as an actual desk
- A cute container to put your makeup brushes in;
With just a few thoughtful items, your desk will make a great vanity!
College Wall Dcor Sizes
Follow this guide to pick your perfect canvas size:
Your;wall art;should take about 60% to 75% of the available empty wall space, the portion not covered by moldings or furniture. Measure the height and width of the wall. Now, multiply the measurements by both 0.6 and 0.75. As a result, you will get the range of canvas print sizes to suit the space.
Because your dorm room is probably on the smaller side, you might have more luck with a vertical print, like the dimensions in this hallway sizing excerpt:
IDEAL FOR THE HALLWAY:;36″X75″
Large wall art that measures 36 inches by 75 inches in height and width can create a polished, classic look in your;hallway. This wall art size works well in long hallways as well as over your entertainment area.
Find the best college wall décor >>
Diy Embroidery Hoop Art
Fill your walls with color while putting your favorite photos on display with this easy embroidery hoop art DIY. Simply fill embroidery hoops in various sizes with fun fabric, then use small magnets to secure photos to each hoop. The best part? You can easily swap out photos whenever you like. Watch the step-by-step video at the link below.
WATCH THE VIDEO: Personalize Your Dorm Room
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How To Decorate Your College Dorm Room
5.min read
How to decorate a dorm room: The first day of school is right around the corner! Its time to start prepping for your move-in date. If its your first time living in a dorm, youre going to want to make it feel as homey as possible. You can have complete freedom to decorate your side of the room exactly how you want. Youre no longer living under your parents roof, which means you might as well express yourself! Learn how to decorate a dorm room that will stand out, and get inspired by our list of décor trends. Find a piece of wall art that speaks to you!;Wall art is an affordable way to show off your unique style. Plus, the right piece of wall art can motivate you to achieve your full potential. Its a win-win!
Navigate to a specific section based on your interests:
Add Personality With Artwork

Integrate personality into your space with stylish and trendy prints that add vibrancy and inspire creativity. You can buy a variety of gorgeous, colorful art prints for an affordable price at Target, Society6, Urban Outfitters orEtsy, collect fun greeting and postcards or download a selection of prints from our free collection linked below. Curate several pieces and sprinkle in a few printed Instagram photos to create a well-arranged gallery wall.
SEE MORE: 42 Free, Printable Dorm Room & Locker Posters
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Warm Up Your Concrete Room With Wooden Furniture
A lot of new apartments are being built in a trendy loft style, which really means that there are minimal interior finishes!
They use cost-effective materials like concrete and steel.
Its trendy, but a lot of people dont like the look because it feels cold.
Wood furniture can help bring life and warmth into the space.
How to Copy This Look
If this is the case in your apartment, add rich-toned wood furniture, crates, woven baskets, and other dark natural materials to make the room feel much warmer.
If you also have concrete floors, add a large area rug to the room thats darker in color.
When the floors visually contrast the walls, the rooms experience is more grounded and warm.
A rug will also be essential for acoustics control!
Dorm Room Wall Decor:
1. Macrame Wall Hangings
Copy This Dorm Room:
This girl really knew how to turn her white boring walls into something that looks so good.;The best part about this, it is super inexpensive!;
Hanging a macrame is a super easy way to decorate your dorm walls. Plus, I absolutely love the idea of hanging pictures on your macrame too!!
2. Tapestries
Copy This Dorm Room:
Tapestries are HUGE in college and a great way to fill up a large space without spending a lot of money.;
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Make Room Under The Bed
Short on storage? Look no further than the space beneath your bed. Use extra-long storage containers to hold linens, clothes, shoes and other items you may need access to often. Rather than storing empty suitcases from move-in, use the suitcases as storage to eliminate unnecessary clutter around the room. Use an extra-long bed skirt to hide unsightly bins for a clean look.
BUY IT: Dormify, Lofted Bedskirt from Dormify, $89
Add Jute Textures And Orange Colors To Ground You
If you like the all-natural look as I do, consider designing your space around the colors you find in wood and bamboo.
My clients are often surprised to find that a space feels grounded and relaxing when most of the color is attached to the floor.
In this room, the soft white walls open up around the wood floor and furniture.
How to Copy This Look
Use all wood furniture ideally with a consistent tone then accent the space with orange blankets, pillows, and wall ornaments.
Place a few woven baskets in the space for blankets or laundry, and make sure to include a soft white throw on top of your colorful bedding.
Add a jute rug to the space, and accent with fresh plants!
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How To Decorate A College Dorm Room On A Budget
College costs are on the rise. When calculating the cost of college, it makes sense to include the cost of tuition, books, fees, meals, transportation and room and board. But what you might not consider is the cost of furnishing your college dorm room. If you dont have a lot of money left to spend on bedding and furniture, check out seven ways to decorate a dorm room on a budget.
Check out our student loan calculator.
Do: Add A Dorm Rug To Inject Personality And Character Into Your Space
Rugs are a perfect way to bring your own personal touch to your room. The reason for this is because a rug doesnt need to be secured down, which means you arent restricted to where you put it, giving you creative reign, says Nicola.
Sherri agrees, adding that a;dorm room rug;can easily be the focus in your room and be used as a guide when picking out other design elements. With so many affordable options, they also provide an excellent way to change up the look and feel of your dorm later down the road.
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Create A Mini Kitchen Space
If its allowed, create a corner of your dorm room for a mini kitchen space for those days you just dont quite make it to breakfast, or you want to host a few friends.;
Try including:
- 1-2 large bowls
- some cereal bowls, plates, and utensils;
- somewhere to store snacks and condiments
- a couple of dish towels, sponges, and dish soap for a quick clean up
Create Your Own Space With A Room Divider

A room divider can work wonders when it comes to personalizing and adding privacy to a dorm room. Here, a space-saving shelving unit divides the room, while adding much-needed extra storage. The result? Two separate spaces that look and feel totally unique. We especially love the addition of signs displaying the occupants’ names.
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How Do I Decorate My Dorm Room
So, youve picked a roommate, selected your residence hall, and are getting ready to pack up and move into your new home at Cedarville. The next step is preparing to make your dorm room a space you will love.;;
As a disclaimer, this post will be more interesting for girls, but guys, youre more than welcome to stick around and get some ideas that you can moderate more to your tastes. ;
Whether you have been planning out the look of your dorm room since high school or havent even thought about dorm decor until you started reading this post, my hope is that this article will jump-start a few ideas for you and your roommate as you plan to decorate your room.
The Color Scheme
My freshman year roommate, Grace, and I started by picking a color scheme for our room. We stuck to a few main colors: light grey, pink, and yellow. While neither of us were super picky about what the other one brought for room decor, it was helpful for us to have a color scheme in mind so we could buy things for our room that we knew would match.;
Picking Decor
Tapestries and succulents and throw blankets, oh my! When it comes to filling your cart with dorm decor, it can be overwhelming. How can you buy things for your room when you arent moving in for another few weeks and you cant visualize the space you will have?;
DIYs
Havertys 2d Room Planner
This is a free, online room planner that will help you create a room plan using a birds-eye view. Choose the shape of the room and enter its dimensions. Then, start arranging furniture in the virtual space to see how it will look. The app allows you to purchase select items in the Havertys online store, save your dorm room plan, and even share it with your friends.
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Painting Dorm Room Walls
I have to be honest. When I first saw the room I thought how in the heck can I pull this off? There were restrictions with the Resident Housing Department. We couldnt remove any of the furniture from the room or hang anything from the ceiling, nor nail or drill into the walls. However, we could paint the walls with an approved color. ;BINGO! ;First off was painting the hospital cream colored cinder block walls Sherwin Williams Reflection .;
Forget About Boring Walls
If you dont like monochrome walls, add some color or variety! Try one of the ideas well go into detail about in this section.
Use decals
These stickers are easy to apply on any surface, from furniture to walls. They are cheap and easy to apply. Moreover, they can be quickly and easily removed from the wall, so you can change your dorm room decorations as many times as you want!
Where can you find the decals?
There are several places to buy wall stickers:
- Buy on Amazon. The price of the decal can vary depending on its size, but most start at just one or two dollars.
- Purchase decals on Etsy. Etsy is a marketplace where artists from all over the world sell their crafts. If you cant find a decal that fits your needs, you can contact a seller and make a custom order.
- Do it yourself. You can create custom decal designs to decorate your room just like you want it. The video below shows how you can easily create wall stickers in just a few minutes.
Heres what you should know before applying a decal to the wall:
If youre considering removing a decal, use heat to peel it off
Use Chalkboard Stickers for Messages
Try Washi Tape
Grid removable wallpaper
Heres how to do it:
DIY Photo Frames
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Create A Homey Feel With Curtains
Is your view less than stellar, or your dorm on the first floor? Curtains add privacy and the feel of a finished room. If you like to sleep in, try light-blocking curtains. For a brighter, airier feel, choose sheer curtains to gently filter light.
Curtains dont have to break the bank. You can DIY curtains with a long length of fabric , painters canvas drop cloth, and shower curtains.
Tack Up Some Twinkle Lights
String lights are great and all, but a string light curtain? Even better. These twinkle lights pull double duty as mood lighting and statement wall art just the right size to fill that space above your bed. You can even clip your favorite photos or postcards to it for an extra-cool look.
BUY IT: Curtain String Lights from Target, $10
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Shopping For Your College Dorm Room
Amazon is a great place to start your shopping. You can even make a wish list so your parent, grandparents or anyone who want to get you something can pick from your list.
Now you’re;probably wondering why I suggest , out of all the millions of places out there. Well, mainly because it saves loads of time and is very easy. Plus, Amazon has just about everything you will ever want since many companies you love selling on Amazon too!
Next start with the one item that has the most patterns. You might find that because dorms do not allow you to paint you will want some type of accent colors or staple pieces for your small or large space. If your comforter has the most design, begin by purchasing your bedding then select everything else from that color scheme.
Other places I recommend shopping are Pottery Barn, Urban Outfitters, Walmart, and Target. Look at this cute lamp they have at Pottery Barn. Not only would this lamp be great for late night study sessions, but it would also add a pop of color to your space. They have the best dorm room ideas and dorm room decorations.
Customize The Dorm Room With A Chalkboard

As a fan of multi-functional spaces and furniture, Im also a fan of chalkboard walls and the creative freedom they allow us to have.
You can draw for fun, or for function.
In this room, they drew their own mural, but you could also draw a monthly calendar, to-do lists, or daily affirmations!
How to Copy This Look
Paint one accent wall with chalkboard paint and go wild with creativity!
For the rest of the walls, paint them a similar gray tone, or keep them light for maximum daylight distribution.
Add natural wood and jute accents and lighting, and add floor-to-ceiling curtains for added height.
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Slide Into Soft Sheets And A Comfy Comforter
A comfortable set of sheets, cozy quilt, or comforter helps keep you sleeping oh-so-soundly. If possible, bring the same brand bedding you use at home. Most dorm beds are Twin XL, so make sure to pick up the proper sizing. Keeping with your color scheme is super easy with bed-in-a-bag options.
Youll be spending a lot of time in and on your bed. Pick out bedding that looks and feels great, from boho-chic to perfectly plaid.
Its Always Movie Night At Your Triple Dorm
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Single rooms are lonely. Doubles are ordinary. But threes a party! Take this triple dorm room opportunity to create a movie marathon spot that will make your hallmates flock to your room. Project your favorite movies for all to enjoy when its too cold to go out to parties.;
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Upgrade Your Light Fixture
Instantly give your dorm room a designer look with this DIY lighting trick from stylist Jenny Reimold. Use hook-and-loop tape to attach a remote-controlled puck light to the hardware inside a seagrass pendant, then tie white, rubber-coated electrical wire to the pendant and hang it from a brass screw hook . In less than 10 minutes, this easy DIY lighting project will take your space from basic dorm room to stylish retreat.
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Make Your Room A Retreat
Your dorm room is your home away from home, so why not make it as cozy as possible? Outfit your twin-size in lush, layered bedding like the quaint quilts seen here, then pile it high with pillows. Add personal, stylish touches like a hanging shell chandelier and keep a bed tray handy for all your late-night studying snack needs.
SEE MORE: 26 Budget-Friendly Ideas for a Cozy Bedroom
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Use Minimalist Wallpaper To Create Clean Patterns
Wallpaper is back and better than ever.
The designs and patterns are endless for wallpapers, but I personally like the designs that are simple and bright.
They create an interesting wall and still allow for freedom with color around the rest of the room.
How to Copy This Look
The simplicity of this room is easy to recreate.
Simple line wallpaper designs are widely available, so find one that speaks most to you and place it on the wall where your headboard will be.
Choose some accent colors, in this case blue, orange, and bronze, and incorporate them through blankets, pillows, books, lighting, and other accents.