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How to Make a Small Dorm Room Appear Bigger

Posted on January 9, 2012
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Sitting in a small, cramped room can be downright depressing. But, think about it this way: small is a relative term. Sure, you might want to fill it up with furniture and stuff, but if you keep your belongings to an absolute minimum, you might be able to create the feeling that you’re sitting in a larger room than you are. That’s one trick to fooling yourself into thinking your dorm isn’t the smallest room you’ve ever inhabited. Here are a few more:

  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.

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Tattoo Your Walls for a Temporary Statement

Posted on December 31, 2011
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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.

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