Banish Clutter: When it comes to dorm rooms, the first thing to consider is storage. When you have a place for everything, it’s easier to keep everything in its place. Easy access to storage is important too. Clutter is likely to accumulate if you have to stoop, drag out boxes from under the bed and open containers every time you want to put something away. Shelving and modular units are a better option.

Basket Cases: If you don’t organize the stuff you do have, you might become a basket case yourself. Instead, use baskets to hold laundry, small appliances and kitchen utensils. You’ll want to keep practical items handy, and baskets store them in style.

Quality Bedding: Dorm beds are notoriously hard. A quality mattress pad is worth the investment. Purchasing two sets of extra-large twin sheets takes the pressure off on laundry day. As the bed will likely be the largest surface in the room, it’s important to choose a comforter that you absolutely love, but try to get one that you can toss into the washing machine, too.

Let There Be Light: Windows are natural focal points, making them the perfect place to make design statements. Sheer curtains flanked by textured, patterned or colorful panels give a small dorm room grand style. Coordinate the window treatment with the bedding to give the room a pulled-together look.

1. Buy dark colors. Even if you’re a goth chic, you should avoid the temptation to use dark colors. It’ll just make your room look smaller than it already is and make you feel depressed all the time.
2. Look for heavy curtains. The last thing you want to do when decorating a small space is block out natural light. Instead, opt for sheers.
3. Pick up conflicting patterns. If the space is small, it’s really best to keep the design as simple as possible. You can go for simple patterns (not too busy), but don’t choose more than one or two for the entire room.
4. Plan to bring everything you own. Again, I know it’s tempting, but you have to keep reminding yourself that there isn’t enough space for everything. You need to be strict with yourself and plan to take on the things you’ll need most.
5. Overdo it with furniture. Your dorm will already have most of the furniture you need. You might want to bring a small bean bag chair or desk (if there isn’t one already) and a mini fridge, but that’s about it.
6. Bring too many appliances. If you’re a coffee fiend, you’ll need a coffee maker. You don’t, however, need a rice maker, blender and bread maker. Keep it simple because you won’t have space to store this stuff. If you like to make vegetable smoothies in the morning, consider bringing an immersion blender. They take up less space.

So, let’s brighten up those small spaces! A gloomy, dreary area is drab and uninviting; make it cozy and welcoming by trying one or more of these techniques.

Walled Up
The walls are a good place to start. Remember that dark colors convey a feeling of being closed in; light colors convey a sense of being airy and open. Paint over those dark wall colors or that wooden paneling. And you aren’t limited to beige or white. Any soft, pastel shade will work well.

Right Rays
Use sunlight to brighten dimly lit areas. If your space lacks natural light, have a skylight or window installed. If there is a window, give it a good cleaning and instead of heavy curtains or drapes, use sheers. Switch out a solid door for one featuring glass panels (which can be frosted to provide privacy).

Bright Light
If there’s no natural light, the next best thing is artificial lighting. Replace low-watt bulbs with brighter ones, or a one-bulb fixture with a multi-bulb chandelier or ceiling fan. Bring in a desktop/floor lamp or some candles for a soft glow.

Take Away
You might not think furniture is a culprit, but it can be. Overcrowding can make spaces feel dark and unwelcoming. Remove excess furniture, opening up negative space, and use only pieces that are necessary and to scale.

1. Since you won’t have a lot of space, it will be up to you to create additional space within the room. This is why you want to choose items that are movable and can be folded and put away when not in use. You can also look for furniture that is able to offer you additional storage space, like an ottoman that opens up so that you can hide your magazines inside.
2. You want to use bold colors in order to make the room look bigger. While you should definitely add some artwork to your walls, don’t overdo it as this will make the room look smaller. Also, opt for things that are light as they will make the room feel more comfortable.
3. Get rid of anything you never use. This includes furniture. If you don’t use certain types of furniture, then get rid of them to make room for those things that you do use.
4. Think about ways you can use things differently. Whenever you’re redecorating you can usually adjust some old furniture and decor to fit better within your small rooms. This isn’t only a great way to reuse things within your home, but it’s also good for your budget too.
5. Sometimes you may feel like you simply need to have more room in your home. You can create this effect by dividing one room up into several different areas. For instance, you can place the back of your sofa to the table so as to create both an eating and a living area.

This post is for those of you who have approval to paint your space. Maybe you have a cool RA or maybe you just live in a dorm-like space off campus.

The color you choose for such a small space is immensely important. The absolute worst thing you can do is paint the room a dark color. When I say “a dark color” I don’t just mean black, grey and dark brown. Deep royal blues, purples and greens are also off limits. With such a small space, your room will end up feeling more like a cave than a dorm, if you paint it too dark. As you sit there studying and dreaming of the immense software engineer salary you’ll one day enjoy, you want your space to bright and optimistic as you are.

On the other hand, there are some colors that will open your space up and make it nice and cheery. Yellows will make your room appear sunny and larger, and this is especially so if your room has a lot of natural light.  The sunlight will reflect off of the yellow, and it will create the illusion of a room that is much larger than it actually is.

If you’re just not a yellow kind of person, my next choice would be a light sky blue or a light rose color. Although, any color that’s light enough will be fine. The type of paint also makes a difference in the appearance of your room. Choose a semi-gloss as opposed to an eggshell paint, so the light subtly reflects off of your walls. A full gloss would be too shiny for most people.

So, here are a few tips for cozying up the place (without making it seem small):

1. Use an opaque window treatment to soften up the room. It’ll still give you plenty of natural light and it’ll add a bit of a feminine, homey touch to the room.
2. Consider bedding in plaid or paisley, but get one that uses bright or pastel colors. Plaid and paisley are typically used in cozy cottages, so they can help bring that vibe to your room. The bright or pastel color might be somewhat unexpected, but it’ll help keep your room from becoming too dark.
3. Get a plush area rug to cover much of the floor. Just be sure to get a light color. Regardless of whether you have a rug in the room or not, adding on that is plush and light in color will definitely soften up the room and make it more cozy.

1. Don’t fill the walls with stuff. I would definitely encourage you to hang a few pictures, but don’t go crazy with the collages. The more stuff you have on the walls, the smaller your room will feel. Also, try not to hang things that will stick out too far from the wall. A well-placed wall tattoo might be the only wall décor you need (aside from #2).
2. Do hang a good-sized mirror. Not only will a mirror help ensure you’re looking fab at all times, but it’ll also help create the illusion of a larger space.
3. Brighten things up a bit. Since you can’t paint, you only have two options. Add lighting via lamps and get curtains that allow natural light to shine into the room. This will make things seem bigger, but more importantly, much less dreary.
4. Decorate with light or bright colors. Whatever you do, avoid using black, brown or grey for your main colors. They’re ok as small accents, but in large quantities, they’ll just make your space feel small. Instead, choose pastels or bright colors, such as hot pink or bright yellow.
5. Measure your room and plan to fill the space accordingly. Don’t just go out and buy furniture willy-nilly. You could end up with a piece that dwarfs everything in your room – including you. It might be cute in the store, but measure your space to make sure it’ll still be cute in your room.

There’s one thing you can do that most other students won’t even think of. Shh, it’ll be our little secret. You can buy wall tattoos to jazz up your space. Wall tattoos allow you to create a design on your walls without painting. When you’re ready to move out of the dorm, you can just peel that tattoo off the wall and move on. It’s as simple as that, but you’d really be surprised at how much of a difference it can make. Even if you friends decide to start copying your idea, it’ll look different as long as they choose different tattoos.

Here are a few concepts to get the thought process going for your own space:

The design above is just a simple way to create an accent, and it even coordinates well with the bedding. This shows that you can make a statement without being too overwhelming or flashy.

This design shows off a love for music, while creating some interest above the headboard. Announce to everyone that “Music is Your Life” with a cool-looking wall tattoo like this one.

Who ever said you had to be so serious all the time? Create a fun a whimsical design with a funky wall tattoo. One thing is for certain — it’ll be conversation piece. You could even have fun with this ant tattoo and make it go from your side of the room to your roommate’s.

Just like when they’re on your skin, tattoos don’t always have to be black and white. Look for ones with a pop of color to add even more visual interest to your wall. This is especially great for a dorm because the walls are typically boring white.

Desk lighting: If you’re planning to do late night cram sessions at your desk, you should really invest in a good desk lamp. If you don’t, you run the risk of keeping your roommate awake with a light blaring in her face. You might be bestest friends, but that doesn’t mean a few sleepless nights won’t tear a gaping hole through your friendship. All you have to do is get a lamp that you can direct away from her bed. A traditional desk lamp will do the trick.

Bright lighting: When you spend most of your time in one small room, it’s a good idea to have a brighter option than what the standard overhead lamp gives you. Consider getting a floor standing halogen lamp to help brighten some of the gloomier days. Floor standing halogens are really bright, but their light bounces off the ceiling instead of in your eyes, so they are a good option for adding light without having it be overbearing.

Mood lighting: There may be times when you aren’t studying, but your roommate is sleeping and you want to stay awake for a little longer. Mood lighting could work in this situation, much like a nightlight would. And there are those other times when your roommate is spending the night elsewhere and you have your honey coming over to spend the night. Certainly, a halogen lamp wouldn’t do in this instance. Consider getting a dimmer light or candles to illuminate these situations.

All this lighting may seem like overkill, but when you spend so much time in one room, you begin to realize that the room itself needs to change to fit different situations. Get some good accent lighting to be prepared for anything. Choosing the right lamp is somewhat of common sense. You don’t need to learn how to become a fashion designer to choose the right piece for your space. Just be sure to get the right size, lighting intensity, and a color to coordinate with the rest of the room.

Colors – Choose a color that you won’t mind looking at everyday for four years. If possible, choose a soothing color, like pale blue or lavender. A nice yellow can really brighten up the room, too. When decorating a small room, I tend to avoid patters that are too busy, but I also avoid solid colors. Patterns that are too busy can be overwhelming in a small space and solid colors can be boring. Try something in-between.

Sheets – This may seem obvious, but it’s often overlooked. Use sheets that coordinate with your comforter. Anything that clashes creates a visual disconnect in your environment which can have somewhat of a chaotic effect on your emotional state. Opt for solid colored or striped sheets, if your comforter has a pattern, or patterned sheets, if your comforter is solid.

Pillows – Your pillowcases will likely match your sheets; that’s fine. But, since the bed is the focal point of the room, you may want to consider getting some throw pillows to coordinate with the rest of your bedding. Using throw pillows can make the room seem more cozy and stylish at the same time. Experiment with a few different shapes and sizes of throw pillows for a fun look.

Since there aren’t too many things you can change in small room, you should really focus most of your design time on figuring out the bedding. If you’re the kind of person who really likes a change of scenery from time to time, consider getting a reversible comforter or a duvet (so you can change the color frequently). It is especially important to design a small space, so you don’t end up feeling like you’re in prison. Even if you’re learning how to become a parole officer, that’s not a good feeling. Spice up your life with a little design.