Blog Archives

3 Basic Dorm Design Tips

Posted on March 4, 2012
by

Dorm rooms are notoriously small, so they can be extremely difficult to decorate. The worst mistake you can make is to either fill the room with too much stuff or to introduce too many patterns. Some students don’t care about their décor, and I get that. Really, I do. But, I think they also need to understand that a chaotically-designed room can illicit feelings of chaos, which are just not conducive to productive study sessions.

Here are a few simple tips for designing your dorm that will help make it feel like home:

  1. Avoid the urge to match your roommate. It’s always a good idea to coordinate, but if she chooses an ornate pattern for her bedspread, you really don’t have to go with the same pattern for a harmonious look and feel. Just pick a color that goes with it, and call it a day. Too much of one pattern will overwhelm a small room anyhow.
  2. Bring only your most functional furniture – Think about bringing furniture that can serve double-duty, so you don’t have to bring two pieces to do the same job. You might opt for a bookshelf that can also serve as a room divider or a storage trunk that can provide extra seating for when you have guests. Keep it simple, but above all, keep it functional. Do not (for the love of all that’s holy) bring any furniture that does not serve a purpose. You just don’t have the space for that.
  3. Hang a large mirror. Mirrors are great for opening up your space and making it feel bigger. Have you ever been in a restaurant that had a wall lined with mirrors? You thought the place was twice as big as it was, didn’t you? The same principle can work for your room. While you’re sitting there and spending hours studying for your forensic psychology exam, you don’t have to feel like the walls are closing in on you.

Comments Off

What Not to Bring to College

Posted on February 26, 2012
by

When you first decide to head off to college, you’re likely bombarded with checklists of things you should bring. But, it’s almost more important for you to know about the things you shouldn’t bring – in my humble opinion. Having stuff sitting around in a small room that you can’t even use is worse than having a few items on a list to get the next time you head to the store. So, here are a few items that you should avoid bringing to your new dorm, unless you have permission from the school:

  1. Space heaters – Mom might be worried about you being cold at night, but the school is worried that you might burn down the dorms, so keep that space heater at home. Dorm rooms are generally kept very warm anyway, so space heaters wouldn’t be needed.
  2. Hot plates – For the same reason that you shouldn’t have a space heater, and so many more, you shouldn’t be cooking meals in your dorm room. The quarters are just way too close for it to be safe. Ask mom to get you the dining hall plan instead.
  3. Pets – Believe me, I know how hard it can be to leave your four-legged friend at home, but you must. Even if she’s a teacup poodle that your RA probably wouldn’t notice, you don’t want to have any trouble. Plus, a dorm probably isn’t the safest place for a pooch that small, anyhow.
  4. Weapons – Goes without saying? Well, there are some kids out there who grew up hunting and plan to continue that tradition throughout their college years. It’s not safe, and it’s not allowed. Leave the guns, knives, bows and arrows at home. You don’t want to be responsible for what your silly drunken mess of a roommate does when you’re not looking.

Comments Off

How to Shop for Dorm Décor

Posted on February 19, 2012
by

Retailers have happily jumped on the decorating-the-dorm bandwagon, pushing whole lines of coordinated products that they advertise as essential to life in a college dorm. Lost in the retailing blitz is the real decorating goal for a dorm room: It should make a student feel at home, but not have too many things. You never want “stuff” to take over your room. As you’re sitting there studying infinitely interesting topics, like the history of forensic science, your mind and space should be clutter-free and comfortable. When you surround yourself with things that make you feel comfortable, you’re more likely to enjoy dorm life.

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.

Comments Off

What Not to Do When Designing a Dorm Room

Posted on February 12, 2012
by

I know how it is, you just got your dorm assignment and you’re excited to get started buying things to fill up your new space. Trust me; I get it. But, you’ve got to pull in the reigns a little bit. Before you go out and buy more stuff than your room can hold, check out this list of the top things you shouldn’t do when designing your dorm room.

  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.

Comments Off

5 Ways to Brighten Up a Small Space

Posted on February 4, 2012
by

Whether you’re decorating a dorm room or a small bedroom, if you use bright colors and natural light, you can really make the place seem larger and more pleasant to sit in. Instead of sitting around feeling bad about having a small spot to work with, think about it this way: Small spaces can be a challenge, but they are much more economical. They cost less to light and heat, and they cost less to decorate. In this case, less really is more. You don’t have to be an accountant to realize that this is a good thing for your wallet.

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.

 

Comments Off

How to Choose Colors for a Small Room

Posted on January 19, 2012
by

Most dorms won’t technically allow you to paint the walls, but there are a few exceptions. One major exception is if you’re willing to paint them back to white when it’s time to leave. You’ll have to check with school policy or your resident assistant before undertaking this project. If it’s strictly against the rules to paint your walls, you can get in a lot of hot water by just being seen coming in with the paint cans.

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.

Comments Off

Got a Small Space? Cozy Up the Place

Posted on January 15, 2012
by

Dorm rooms vary throughout the country, but one thing remains the same: they’re small. Well, for the most part. Some students are lucky and have small bedrooms that open up to a common area shared between them and about three other rooms. This can really give you the feeling of sharing an apartment instead of being at summer camp. But, either way, you’re left to decorate your own room. There are definitely some tips and tricks you can employ to make your room seem larger than it really is (for example, decorate with bright colors, allow some natural light to shine through and keep your wall décor to a minimum). But since this is a room you’re going to be spending a lot of time in, you want to give it a cozy feel. Some people find this a little challenging to do without breaking the rules of designing for a small space (they think of rich colors and dark shades as being cozy).

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.

Comments Off

Tattoo Your Walls for a Temporary Statement

Posted on December 31, 2011
by

One of the biggest challenges with designing your dorm room is that you can’t really change too many things about it. You only have control over half of the room, unless you agree on a design with your roommate, you can’t paint the walls, and you have very limited space. Sure, you can create a really cool-looking bed with a funky bedding set or pull the space together with accent lighting and area rugs, but what about the walls? Do you really have to create those lame collages that everyone else does? Is that really your only option? Of course not!

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.

Comments Off