10 College Dorm Inspo Tips

As senior year is coming to an end, you’re probably wondering what your future dorm is going to look like. Well, here are ten things that you should know before going shopping for things you want to have in your dorm room!

1. Colors

The first thing you’ll notice when you walk into a dorm is the color that stands out the most. You can pick one color and pair it with white (like blue and white), or you can pick a scheme of colors (like pink and orange or green and blue), but no matter what, that’s the first step of deciding what you want your dorm to look and feel like. Using items like rugs and pillowcases is a great way to make your dorm feel put together!

2. Talk with your roommate

If you’re rooming with someone, you want to talk to them about what kind of vibe they want for their dorm. If they are similar to what you wanted, then great! You can combine your sides of the room and make them look cohesive. If they want something completely different than what you wanted, then you can make it similar to how Sam and Cat had their room. Granted, they probably have a lot more space than what you’ll get in a dorm, but you can make it work. Whichever one applies to your situation, you should talk it out with your roommate and decide what you guys are both good with!

3. Throw pillows

If you only take one of these things on this list to heart, take this one. Throw pillows are so important. If you’re like me and you get kind of bored with the pillows that you sleep on, throw pillows will prevent that from happening because you can just go on those instead. Besides the function a throw pillow brings, it can also bring some fun into your dorm! You can buy as many as you want, but I would say only buy 1-2 throw pillows because your bed is small, and anything more than 2 will make your bed feel even smaller. You can get decorative pillows or you can get a bedrest pillow.

4. Wall decor

Having pictures on the wall will make your dorm feel more like home. They can be cute landscape pictures, they could be posters of your favorite movie/artist, album covers, or you can make a collage of pictures with your friends and family. These pictures will be customized to your liking and will make your dorm feel comfy. You can have them in an organized matter if that’s the type of room you want, or you can have them scattered around.

5. Rugs

When you wake up in the morning, you aren’t going to want to step onto a cold, hard floor, so get a rug! It can match the vibe you want in your room and add another piece to tie your room together. It also provides a “chair” for your friends to sit on if there’s not enough room in your dorm to fit a couch/seating space. If you can, try to find a good quality rug because it will get dirty easily, and you don’t want to waste your money if it’s not going to last!

6. Headboard

The beds in your dorms don’t come with a big headboard, so getting one is a necessity! Find one that goes along with your bedding and is also comfortable to lean against for long study sessions or even just relaxing on your bed. 

7. Lights

To make your room feel cozy at night, lights are the key. Overhead lights are not aesthetic and can be kind of ugly with white light, but lamps, fairy lights, and LED lights will make your room feel cozy and more fun. With LED lights, you can change the color to match what mood you’re in, and, only with specific sets, you can make the lights change from color to color if you’re in a party mood!

8. Curtains 

If you like to wake up late when the sun is already shining, blackout curtains will be your best friend. The curtains in most dorms won’t be very great, so getting your own will ensure good quality. You could also get floor-to-ceiling curtains that will make your room feel bigger!

9. Plants (fake or real)

Having plants in your room will automatically brighten it up because of how lively they can be. The plant you get doesn’t have to be real, though! Plants will give your room a fresher feel, especially if you’re in your room for long periods. Even fake flowers can brighten up any room! You can get fake leaves and hang them up from your ceiling and walls too!

10. Bedding 

Keep your bedding simple so you can leave room for the rest of your decor to pop. If you have a super colorful comforter, then it might draw people’s attention to your bed and not the decor you spent your time and money on. You should also buy a bed skirt that matches your bedding. This will cover the stuff you have under your bed and make it look like it’s a part of your comforter.