It’s that time of year again: back to school. For some, that means
moving back to a college dorm.
Although dorm rooms have a bad reputation for being old and cramped,
that doesn’t always have to be the case! Here are some of the best trips
and tricks for keeping
your dorm space feeling like a happy home.
Like any living space, it’s important that your dorm makes you feel
comfortable so you can relax after hitting the books all day. It’s hard
to take a break when you have to make your way through a maze of
furniture just to get to your bed. Small spaces can be challenging, especially when you have roommates! But if you decorate and
organize a certain way, you can keep your dorm looking smart.
Step 1: Keep Space in Mind When Packing
Especially if this is your first time moving away from home, bringing
too much stuff is an easy mistake to make. Dorm rooms are notoriously
small, so plan accordingly! Before you bring something, ask yourself if
you are really going to need it. If not, keep it in storage somewhere
else.
Step 2: Organize, organize, organize
School, and especially college, is stressful. Why have your dorm room be stressful, too?
An
organized place is a happy place! Having a clean, organized dorm space
will keep your dorm room feeling open and relaxing. The key to keeping a
small dorm room clutter-free is to have a place for everything. The
best way to do this is to have functional furniture. Pieces like storage
ottomans and closet or over-the-door organizers will keep all your dorm
stuff out of the way. Hiding things away like this will also keep your
dorm space looking less cramped.
Step 3: Make it Yours
Dorm roommates can sometimes go a little crazy when it comes to matching everything. A dorm room is usually a shared space, but it is still
yours. To make your dorm comfortable, make your dorm match your
personality. Trying to make your room look “cool,” or trendy, or what
your roommate wants might make your dorm feel less homey.
You have to
live there, so why not make it what you want? Coordinating a color
scheme or pattern scheme with your dorm roommates can be fun, but
keep it personal with your own ideas mingled in, too.
Step 4: Use the walls
Most dorm rooms have a policy against using nails or any destructive
hardware on the walls, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave them
blank. To hang your favorite artwork and posters, adhesive strip hooks
and poster putty are your new best friends.
Removable wall decals are
also fun. Another dorm idea: draping a light, gauzy, calming fabric on
the walls can hide the confining texture of dorm concrete walls.
Just remember to keep it simple.
Cluttered walls can make a dorm room feel smaller.
Are you moving to a dorm soon and need some
packing tips? Have you ever lived in a dorm and have any organization tips? We’d love to know about them in the comments section!
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