There comes a time when you are no longer confined to the decor of your childhood bedroom. The toy car wallpaper, sports trophies, and glowing stars on the wall are no more. This long-awaited and nerve-wracking day is the day you move into your college dorm room. The power of decorating is now in your hands!
The crew at AtHomeDaily has compiled a list of tips and advice for making your dorm room feel like home, but with a twist of “college-kid.”
Tip #1 decor! Choose the aesthetic you want for your room. You can get some great ideas from Pinterest! My preference as a freshman was creating a space that felt like home. I brought my favorite posters, pictures, and objects to hang or place around my room
Advice: If you are someone like me, who easily gets homesick, my advice would be to get one object or picture from each of your family members and take it to college. That could be a photograph, blanket, stuffed animal, or decor object. I brought a picture of my mom and dad in college and put it on my desk!
Tip #2, photos! This goes along with tip #1. One easy way to decorate and fill your room with memories is by creating a photo wall. Choose some of your favorite pictures and arrange them on your wall or a corkboard.
Advice: One way to make a photo wall fun and creative is by arranging the photos in a pattern or by making a photo garland, as seen on Pinterest.
Tip #3, plants! This is a personal favorite of mine. Through the release of a bacterium called “Mycobacterium vaccae,” plants have been proven to increase serotonin levels, which lifts moods and reduces anxiety. This is especially beneficial for college students who might be overwhelmed by coursework or a tough exam, so a great idea is to put plants in your room.
Advice: For someone living in a dorm room, the best option is to get indoor plants. Indoor plants, like cacti, for example, do not require sunlight or watering. Those are great for a new and busy schedule as well as a small room.
Tip #4, lighting! Most likely, the standard dorm room lighting is easily comparable to a gas station - harsh and bright. A great way to fix that is by getting some soft, glowy lighting that will create good vibes for your space. If you are doing something, such as studying, that requires brighter lighting, get a desk lamp.
Advice: I would recommend a salt lamp or a standing lamp. I have both, but my salt lamp is my favorite. It is very soft and relaxing and can also serve as a good night light. I sleep with mine every night and you can adjust it to be as dark or bright as you want. I got it from Amazon.
Tip #5, Maximize space! If you are working with minimal room, one way to maximize your space is by lofting your bed and creating a study nook below. Alternatively, you can also use that space for storage purposes.
Advice: Check out our previous article about organizing your room, for tips on how to manage your storage space. This includes your closet and other miscellaneous areas that hold important items.
Tip #6, wall decor: This is similar to the first two tips, however, this is more of a personal one, that I do in my own living spaces. One of my favorite things to do when I'm decorating a new space is to figure out which artwork I want on my walls. To get inspiration or even buy a few things, I go to my local thrift store and look in the decor area. Sometimes I find unique mirrors, paintings, or prints. It’s a fun way to get creative!
Advice: Thrifting art is super savvy, but another option is to buy from local artists or small businesses. You can find a lot of them on Etsy. My favorite shop is Dimdimini, an artist who creates custom portraits of your personal pets. I have a painting of my dachshund, Oliver, above my bed.
That is all the tips and advice we have for you today. Have fun decorating your new space and if you're stuck along the way, come back to this article for guidance and inspiration.
And be sure to read our article on room organization because organizing is just as important as decorating!
