10 Cool Decorating Tricks for the Dorm

3 mins read

It’s that time of year when thoughts of back to school start to trickle in. Whether you’re decorating a dorm room or want a refresh in your own room, decorating them can be tricky, especially if they are small spaces.  Well no worries, we’ve got you covered with 10 inspirational ideas on how to decorate your dorm room to make it cozy and efficient this upcoming year. 

1. Inspiration Corner

Place a collage of mini art works, cards or pictures on the wall to form a little inspirational workspace. Collage kit here and here.

Photos UO

2. Cozy Shelf

Create a cozy ledge to make it feel more like home placing fave collections and momentos. Shelf found here.

Photos IKEA

3. Band Posters for Art

Local band posters make great art and can usually be found in local student college radio papers or stations. Posters found here.

Photo UO

4. Organize Aesthetically

Make those piles of things look organized and beautiful. Storage crates found here and here.

Photos UO

5. Glowy Nights

Go neon with a few blacklight posters and neon lights for a dreamy vibe. Posters found here, lights here and here.

Photos UO

6. By the Seaside

Display collected driftwood, river rocks or seashells, for a serene by-the-sea vibe for studying. Glass cylinders here.

Photos IKEA

7. Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Create an arch-shaped rainbow  and enjoy it everyday without the rain. Make with washi tape or peel and stick decal found here.

Photo UO

8. Music, Plants + Art

Always a fun way to decorate a room and share your taste in music using album cover art, a few vinyls and some plants. Love this nook from @dilanmatallana.  Note: Clothes rack found here.

@dilanmatallana i miss my room but here’s a little update ✨🤍 #fyp ♬ pastel skies - Rook1e

9. Deck the Walls 

Drape vines, string lights or garlands. Hang them from the ceiling, wrap them around columns and banisters or arrange them with other lights, or even potted plants for an extra leafy display. Faux vines from UO, $14.

10. Heaps of Pillows

Nothing says comfy more than a heap of pillows. Mix and match (loving stripes these days) and coordinate with wall art. Photo via Pinterest.

 

Jan Halvarson

Jan founded Poppytalk in 2005 while a student at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design (now ECU) to catalogue inspiration from typography to interior design. Since then she’s collaborated with Target (creating a limited edition glamping collection), a wallpaper collection with Milton & King, as well has written as a contributor at Wired, Martha Stewart and Huffington Post.