With just a couple of months left in the semester, you're probably looking into next year's housing situation. If on-campus housing was a requirement as a freshman, the chance to move into bigger, better, and less smelly off-campus apartments probably feels like Christmas. But until then, call it spring cleaning or a dorm room makeover, and spruce up your space this spring with these simple decor tips.
Build A Headboard
Add class with a headboard. You can go the easy, more expensive route and buy a headboard fit for a twin from an online retailer. Or, go the DIY route and enlist mom and dad. Purchase and size plywood for the backing, and then adhere quilt batting or foam before covering in a snazzy fabric.
Create a “Sorority Canvas”
A la the gallery walls you’ve seen trending, with a balance of photographs, paintings and paraphernalia, add a sorority wall above your bunk bed or desk. Hang up your sorority paddle and display your letters, pictures and big sis gifts by using a variety of velcro dual lock removable fasteners to make sure you don’t affect the wall.
Connect Lights
Adding string lights creates an ambience and environment in an otherwise sterile, harshly-lit space. Choose lights that have a warm glow and interesting bulbs, like Edison or industrial-style, and consider using a fabric overlay to collect them above your bed.
Create a Photo Wall
Adding personal touches through photographs is a must for any dorm -- seeing smiling friends and happy memories will keep you positive through finals week and stressful tests. Create a photo collage along a wall using laundry clips and twine.
Add Throw Pillows, Blankets and Rugs
The easiest and cheapest way to spruce up your space is adding more comfort and color with throw pillows, blankets or a rug. Pick a variety of textures and fabrics, colors that pop, and sizes to create interest, soften the space and draw the eye.
Coordinate Colors with Curtains
Use curtains to add and match color to a space. With a couple of other similarly-hued accents, like the wall art and storage ottoman in the photograph above, weaving color into the window area with curtains and drapery helps brighten up and coordinate the area.
Design a Lounge
If you somehow have more space than the average freshman living in on-campus housing, use the space beneath your bunk for more than just a futon or storage. Design a relaxing study space by adding a small table or ottoman, use comfy, efficient seating, and hang lighting for ambience.
Swap Chairs
If you’re in a fully (1980s-styled) furnished dorm, and stuck with the pieces that came with the room, add style by swapping your desk seat with a more comfortable and snazzy chair, and using the existing as a closet shelf or plant table. If you’re in a pinch, buy a chair cover in a comfy fabric and brilliant color instead.
Soften with Lighting
Use lamps not just as accent pieces but to soften the room with more ambient light. More likely than not, the overhead fluorescents that light your room are harsh and unflattering. Place a couple lamps on desks and tables, and rely on them for lighting instead of flicking the switch.
Don’t Forget the Door
Make the exterior of your dorm room inviting by paying attention to the outside. Depending on how much space you have -- and what you’re allowed to do -- you can hang everything from photographs and framed pictures on the outside, to lights around the doorway. Get creative!
