College Dorm Room Tips: Hook Up Your Dorm offers 5 tips to have a dorm, sweet, dorm. See our list of college dorm suggestions to help you to design your own dorm room to feel athome. Visit our website for a free checklist of college dorm room items!
So you’ve moved into the dorms. You’ve had time to adjust to stumbling up a latter to go to sleep at night. Your comforter has lots of dinner stains because your bedroom is also your kitchen. And you've decided whether your roommate is your new best friend or your worst nightmare. But the question is, does your dorm room feel like home yet? Is it a place that when you're not there, you’d click your heels and wish, “Dorm, Sweet, Dorm”?
If you answered, NO, I have 5 suggestions to help you feel more settled in your dorm room.
If you answered, YES, you may want to read my tips anyway because you just may realize that your dorm is not as cozy as it could be.
So, here are my 5 helpful hints toward homey-ness.
TIP 1. LIGHTING
You most likely arrived at your room, flipped the switch,
and found you’re new room to be in a word, depressing- thanks to the
fluorescent overhead lighting. Then you moved all your belongings in and there
was still something a little bit off. Well the best way to set your room's mood to match your typical temperament is to bring in your own lighting. Think
candles, fun lamps, string lights, paper lanterns, floor lamps, book lights,
clip lamps, vanity lights. You know what you like, so flip your brain switch
on and when the light bulb hovers above your head, you’ll know what lighting to
get!
TIP 2. PHOTOGRAPHS
So maybe I am a
photographer, but everyone likes photos
right? Especially when they are of friends, family, and happy times, pictures
are a great way to make a place feel like home. If you’re artsy you can make
your own collage but if you want/need some help, get a collage poster printed somewhere like
Snapfish, Kodak Gallery, or Shutterfly. Or find a photo of your favorite place
and have it blown up as a poster or printed on canvas for a classier look. Last, a super cheap option is to paste
your own snapshots around the room with dorm tape and then doodle your own
frames around them with chalk. (Don’t worry; at the end of the school year the dorm tape will peal off easily and you
can wash the chalk off with magic eraser.)
TIP 3. FLOORS
You’re dorm floors are probably one of two things:
Cringingly cold and hard. Or used carpet that’s grimy and gross. Bright colored area rugs are a good way
to add some character, while making it more comfortable at the same time. And
believe me, your feet will thank you. Another idea is to cover the floor with
felt floor tiles that don’t actually stick to the floor, but to the other
tiles. Mix and match different colors and customize your floor to be just the
way you want it. (Recommended Floor Tiles)
TIP 4. SPACING
The fact is that your dorm room is small and you are
probably sharing it with at least one person, so you have to be smart about your
space and try and make it FEEL bigger. So avoid clutter by making smart
decisions about what you bring into the room. Then be creative about storing
what you do bring. There are plenty of products out there to help you with this
(Storage Solution Recommendations)
and lots of multi-purpose furniture out there. Once your room is
clutter free and orderly, you’ll find that you’ll feel more at home with your academic
and social life too.
TIP 5. GUESTS AKA FRIENDS
When you think of a ‘homey’ place, it is a space where you want to invite people in. There are two things that come to mind- first, you want them to be comfortable and have a place to sit and relax. So try some big, bright, comfy pillows that your friends can cuddle up to or a body pillow that will turn your bed into a couch if you put it up against the wall. Second, you’ll want to have ways to entertain your guests. Have a TV? Get a collection of DVDs or a Netflix Subscription with the Roku Digital Video Player. Prefer Reality to TV? Get some games- trivia, board games, cards, poker chips, video games, Wii, Rock Band, DDR. There are games for all college kid makes. And when all else fails, FOOD prevails. Friends love sharing snacks. Get extra mugs to share coffee with friends or plates and utensils for two, or four, or more so you can order pizza or whip up a tasty microwave meal for your friends.
Here’s to home, SUPER-SWEET, dorm!