9 Ways to Make Your Dorm Feel Homey
College
February 14, 2018
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1. Comfy chairs
My freshman roommate and I lofted our beds all the way up and put seating underneath. We almost always had our door propped open in the first few weeks of school, so people came in and out of our room to hang out and chat. It’s a great way to start making friends early on. It also definitely helped to have a comfy place to curl up with a book or look over class notes between classes. Add throw pillows and a blanket to your chair for an extra special touch! We chose white sheepskin bowl chairs from Target.
Note: I recommend shipping the chair to your university mailing address in the summer so you don't have to worry about magically finding something you like at Target on move-in day. It also ensures that you don't have to squeeze it into your car with all your boxes and suitcases like I did freshman year... not fun.
Here are some of my favorite dorm chairs! I've included the one my roommate and I used as well as a few other options. If you're looking for something small and portable, the pouf and stool would be really cute, trendy options.
I used this one!
2. Twinkly lights
Twinkly lights instantly add a cool, magical feel to a dorm room. Use command hooks to hang them from your walls, drape them under the bottom of your lofted bed, or line your ceiling with them! Add polaroid pictures between the lights or hang them over a tapestry for a hippie vibe. I have globe string lights above my couch and copper string lights wrapped around my wooden headboard right now:
Just be sure you don't use Christmas lights! I used them throughout my junior year and my apartment had rows of dark ashy grey burn marks all over the walls!! It was a miracle we didn't get fined... Instead, opt for one of these options:
I used this one!
I used this one!
3. Holiday decorations
One of the best ways to avoid homesickness is to pack decorations for the holidays, especially for Christmas! It can be easy to wish you were at home making gingerbread cookies and decorating the Christmas tree with your family during finals season in December. Bring a mini tree for you to trim with tiny ornaments and a cute set of decorations for your desk! I recommend bringing a few decorations for each of the big holidays to spruce up your dorm and make it feel feel extra festive and homey. I brought a few decorations for Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, and Easter. I went all-out for my desk on Christmas freshman year! One of my Jewish friends had never decorated a Christmas tree, so we had an extra fun freshman memory decorating the tree together.
Buy some of your decorations ahead of time because it's so easy for life to get in the way and then all the sudden it's the day before Halloween and your dream Halloween dorm decorations at still on the shelves of Target...
Here are some fun decorations you can buy to plan ahead:
4. Scent diffusers
When I walk inside my room, I feel so relaxed by the smell of my scent diffuser! I feel at home right away. Pick a scent that you and your roommate both like and get a scent diffuser for you to enjoy. You generally can't go wrong with vanilla, so that's a pretty safe bet.
Be sure to ask if she has any allergies because girls with coconut allergies can sometimes be particularly sensitive to these kinds of things. (I would know--one of my best friends has a coconut allergy and got a headache from smelling the coconut shampoo I had used the night before.)
I've used wax melts, reed diffusers, and plug in pods, and I think I like reed diffusers best because they last so long. Just avoid using candles if your university has specific rules against them so your RA doesn't bug you.
Here are my favorite options:
I used this one!
5. Cute rug
A rug adds a cozy touch to your dorm room and really ties together your decorations. It's especially great for nights spent sitting on the floor chatting with your friends over a massive pizza--ask me how I know :) Remember to think about the size of your dorm--do you have enough space for a large rug or do you need something smaller to go between you and your roommate's beds?
I always tuck a small aqua trellis rug under my desk to keep my feet cozy when I'm working. Right now I also have a navy and white rug under the coffee table in my living room, and during my freshman and sophomore years, I used a small green and turquoise Lilly Pulitzer rug from Garnet Hill, which is unfortunately no longer in stock. It's absolutely adorable though, right?!
Keep in mind that rugs can be surprisingly expensive (often over $100!) even for smaller ones at Target, Dormify, Pier 1 etc. I've done lots of searching for you to find cute, affordable options for your dorm. I hope you love them!
I used this one!
6. Wall decor
This was my favorite part of decorating my dorm! I meticulously planned out each part of my half of the dorm: the two walls around my bed and the wall space above my desk. I cut out the illustrations from an old Inslee Haynes calendar and framed them on the larger wall beside my bed. I also hung a Lilly Pulitzer print fabric board, a framed cork board filled with pictures, and a line of pink and gold tassels. Posters aren't quite my style, so I opted for bright, preppy decorations. My favorite places to shop for wall decor are Etsy, Target, Dormify, and Michael's!
I used this one!
7. Mini fridge + magnets
Whether you're sick at home with the flu or just sick of the university's food, you'll want your own food in your dorm at some point. With a mini fridge, you can load up on fresh foods to snack on throughout the day and keep ice cream stocked up for your sweet tooth. If your university offers a microwave/fridge combo for rent, I recommend it! That way you don't have to worry about storing both over the summer. Honestly, you'll only use a mini fridge for around two years until you get your own apartment anyways, so renting from the university is the best option. With that said, if you can't find one for rent, definitely still buy one and just sell it down the road.
Decorate your fridge with cute magnets that make you feel happy! I decorated my fridge with a Texas magnet, a magnet from The Office, an Emory magnet, and a magnetic frame with a picture of me and my roommate inside. Personalizing my mini fridge made it feel a bit more like my own, even if I rented it!
8. Snuggly fuzzy blanket
When you share a room with a roommate, you often have to compromise on the temperature of the room. With my luck, that generally ends up with me literally shivering in my room unless its like 73 degrees. Needless to say, a big fuzzy blanket was a must for me.
Even if you don't get insanely cold like I do, a fuzzy blanket can help you out on the tough days when you just want to be by yourself or make you comfortable for some me-time spent reading or listening to music. It's all about the little comforts when you're making your dorm feel like home.
I highly recommend buying this in person! It's so important that it has the right texture and thickness. If you have to shop online, Threshold at Target has never let me down. Keep an eye out for these brands and styles when you're shopping.
I used this one!
9. Pictures from home
Fill up a bulletin board with pictures of loved ones and put cute picture frames on your desk and bedside table. Tape photo booth strips and polaroid pictures to your walls for a trendy vibe! I was so grateful I packed my polaroid camera my junior year of college.
In my freshman year, I lined my desk with picture frames, filled a whole bulletin board with photos, and made a little photo book of high school memories. Every year I added new pictures to the mix as I made more friends in college!
I used this one!
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What have you done to make your dorm feel homey?
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Tell me all about it!
Take time to have fun planning out your decorations! With little personal touches and comforts, your dorm can be your home away from home. Happy decorating!
