College Life
30 Best Dorm Room Ideas You Will Absolutely Need in College
Want to make your dorm feel like home? Here are the 30 best dorm room ideas you will love.
Last Updated on January 27, 2022 by blendtw
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It is definitely a challenge to pick and choose which dorm room aesthetic matches your vibe and which essentials to purchase, especially when having to deal with limited space or fear of overpacking. Look no further: these dorm room ideas will help you pinpoint exactly what you’re striving for!
Whether you’re starting off your college years or preparing to finally move back on campus in the fall, we guarantee you that you will love and take inspiration from this list of 30 dorm room ideas.
1. Rearrange Furniture for a Fresh Look
First things first: rearranging furniture will help you make space that you didn’t even know you had in your dorm! Repositioning your desk, bed and closet can leave you with the ultimate floor room and extra storage space.
Personally, I love to move my furniture around in the middle of the semester to freshen up the space. It keeps me motivated and excited about the new!
2. Lofting Your Bed
Speaking of extra storage space, lofting your bed will give you so much room for dressers, suitcases, containers, and other belongings you may want to hideaway. This is why I loft my bed; I store all of my packaging that I may have used for the move-in process right under this makeshift hideaway.
Most dorm room beds can rise on their own with no tools, so with some assistance, this can be an easy yet drastic change to upgrade your dorm. If your bed lofts extra high, consider moving your desk underneath!
3. Invest in Cute Storage
Another storage dorm room idea is bringing an ottoman. Ottomans are simple yet cute alternatives to the storage room already provided in your dorm. I also use mine as extra seating, which is always needed in a dorm!
4. Add Relaxing Furniture for Guests
Lack of seating for guests can be a real struggle, but adding a chair or bean bag to your dorm is the perfect solution!
This butterfly chair is always a popular choice for small spaces since it’s collapsible and easy to store away.
Bean bags are fun for all ages, and chairs are easy to store, so either way, the choice is yours.
5. Throw Blankets
Adding blankets around the dorm room is a must. Bringing some blankets is a great idea for bundled up study nights, sleepovers with your friends and for extra cushioning on chairs or mattresses. Place your favorite at the foot of your bed for decoration!
6. Rugs Can Save a Dorm Room Floor
A dorm room idea that will help brighten up any space is adding a colorful or light rug. A rug at your door, your bedside, or in the center of your dorm will help liven any muted floor.
This Homore Fluffy Bedroom Rug is comfortable, comes in various colors, and is the perfect size for a dorm room.
7. Decorate with Lots of Pillows
An essential checklist item that are also fun options for decorating your dorm room is pillows! Not only can you easily find a bunch of super cute pillows while shopping, but throw pillows will make your bed look and feel cozier, and it is so satisfying to snuggle into after a stressful day. Buy a collection so they match!
8. Keep Your Essentials in One Place
Something convenient that everyone needs (dorm room or not) is a bed rail caddy. Your phone, earbuds, and glasses can sit comfortably to your side without disrupting your sleeping space. Try this inexpensive Bedside Storage Caddy made for the standard dorm room bed frame.
9. More Storage, Fewer Problems!
Bedskirt organizers are similar to bed rail cubbies, but they work just as well and offer more space for more belongings.
The Whitmor Bedskirt Storage Organizer will be rid of any frustrations of searching for your phone or other small items in your bedsheets and drawers.
It’s all in a matter of preference, so choose wisely!
10. Find a Place for Table Space
If you have space, a bedside table will work just as well! Keep all of your necessities close by with this unique addition of furniture in your dorm room, and this nightstand with a removable bin will do just the trick. Another idea is a coffee table to share with your roommate!
11. Liven Your Space with Flowers and Plants
A lively dorm room idea is including plants on an open table, desk, or window sill area. Plants and flowers are decorative options, but they are also motivational tools that can help stimulate the mind, which is especially important for college students.
12. Lots of Light
Light is important for plants, but also for humans! Utilize your windows as much as you can, and bring any sort of desk lamps or light fixtures you may have.
Try this LED Desk Lamp which is flexible and adjustable for any desk or workspace. Dorm rooms can tend to be dark, so this is a necessary idea.
13. Move Your Desk By the Window
You are going to need a desk in your apartment to do your classwork. You are also going to want to make sure to keep that desk organized. This is why this desktop organizer will come in handy.
It has several shelves for you to keep notebooks, pencils, books etc, organized on your desk. The shelves are also adjustable, so you can put them at what height would work best for you.
It is simple and sleek looking so it will look nice no matter what type of desk you have. Trust me, I hate when my desk is disorganized, so I love anything that helps keep my belongings organized.
This is why I would love to have this desktop organizer on my desk.
14. Stick On Some Shelves to Your Walls
Have extra wall space but minimal desk room? Adhesive, removable shelves are such a helpful asset to any workstation, and they will provide you with a larger area for study sessions and breaks. They’re also readily available on Amazon!
15. Invest into Your Guilty Pleasures
Did someone say breaks? A snack bin or drawer is a fundamental must-have for every college student.
Buy a snack bundle in preparation for virtual classes and nights in, you’ll be thanking yourself for it later!
16. Cute Baskets for Trash or Toiletries
Another bin or basket essential you may need is a trash bin. Having somewhere to throw away your garbage next to your desk is a dorm room idea that many forget.
You can also use a basket to store any toiletries or bathroom items, like this Extra Large Woven Storage Basket.
17. Add a Full-Length Mirror Against a Wall or on a Door
A full-length mirror, whether hanging on your door or leaning against a wall, will be a useful addition to your dorm.
When choosing outfits or taking pictures with friends, long mirrors will be put to good use, and this Estilo Full Length Mirror is a quality, affordable option.
18. Fill Empty Door Space with a Shoe Storage Hanger
Something else that can hang on your door and is a useful dorm room idea is a hanging shoe rack.
A shoe cubby can be placed on your bedroom or closet door, which will leave you with more space in your closet as this Simple Houseware Crystal Clear Over The Door Hanging Shoe Organizer has 24 pockets.
19. Display Your Style with a Shoe Rack
If you prefer your shoes to not be hanging, a shoe rack will work, too! Place a shoe rack (like this one from Simple Houseware) near your dorm room’s entrance so you or guests have a place to put their shoes when they walk into your space.
20. Get Organized with Drawer and Closet Dividers
The lack of closet space in dorms can be a struggle, so adding these drawer and closet dividers will help you organize your clothing and accessories more efficiently.
This is a great dorm room idea because it might prove that you have more space than you thought!
21. Hang Everything on Your Walls
22. Brighten Your Life with Wall Lights
Wall lights are a fun decoration that will revive a dark dorm room into the living space of your dreams. Hang up fairy lights or these LED string lights above your bed for a comforting ambiance.
23. Match a Tapestry to Your Dorm Room
24. Get Comfortable Alternatives for Lazy Days
Sometimes we don’t want to leave our bed, especially in this era of virtual work and classes, and that’s completely valid.
I am always so jealous of my friends that have this lap desk: the HUANUO Lap Laptop Desk gives you a flat surface for your notebook or laptop so you can feel comfortable but productive.
25. Stick with a Color Theme for Decorations
Buying decorations for your dorm is probably the most exciting thing about college shopping.
However, the process can be overwhelming, so what I did was keep a mental note of what colors or patterns I wanted my dorm to include, and this limited the intense variety and made the shopping spree a more unruffled experience.
26. Freshen Up Your Space with Unique Wall Decor
Just like a normal bedroom, the most important place to decorate in a dorm room is the walls.
Mirrors, photographs, art prints, posters, and tapestries are all great examples of wall decor, so choosing is the only issue!
I love to hang photos of my family and art prints made by my creative friends.
27. Photo Decorations Will Cure Homesickness
Take a piece of home with you and add decorations that include photos of you, your family, friends, pets and your favorites places.
Photo frames for your desk are a great way to reminisce, but another cute display is this photo wall cable for above your bed or desk.
28. Spice Up Plain Walls with Removable Wallpaper
Are you on a budget for decorations, but you still want your room to look like it came straight from a Pinterest post?
Removable wallpaper is such an affordable dorm room idea that requires minimal effort and will leave your room looking ready for a photo op!
29. Change Your Desktop Color and Design
If you hate the color or design of your desk space, this is an easy dorm room idea for you! Simply buy a desk cover that you can place on the top of your workspace. This will add a unique design and help match your desk to the rest of your room decor.
30. Display Your Stationary to Keep Yourself Motivated
Finally, you can never have too much stationery for your desk, so if you are going to shop excessively for anything, have it be for the things you will need most: paper, pens, notebooks, pencils, highlighters, sticky notes, and your favorite study aids.
Mildliners are my personal favorites; these light double-sided highlighters last forever!
That’s a wrap. This article is about college dorm room ideas. Do you have any other ideas you want to share with us? Let us know in the comments. Also, did you find this article useful? please share the love on social media.
