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.
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.
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 
Most dorms won’t technically allow you to 
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).
