5 Super Simple Steps to The Perfect Dorm

Your dorm is supposed to be your sanctuary. Why live for months at a time in a bland, uninspired, uncomfortable dorm?

That’s what we are going to be tackling today!

Don’t worry, sprucing up your dorm doesn’t require the Baeumlers, you just need a dash of inspiration, a pinch of will, and a thorough guide.

Only a few people really take the time and effort to make their dorm room their own, especially since students already have a pretty full schedule between classes, lectures, and work.

But where would you find a guide? *coughs in bad joke*.

You probably want me to get to the point by now, so if you’re ready to do this thing, let us begin!

Step 1: Dorm Dream board

First things first! Ask yourself some questions like: What exactly are you doing? Why do you want a change? What do you want it to look like in the end? What do you want changed? 

I think you get the idea. 

In this step, you’re gonna start brainstorming what it should end up like; after all, you want to change it for the better, right?

In my opinion, this is the fun part. Now is the time to get excited about this whole thing.

Whether it’s on Pinterest or on the back of your mirror, make note and attach pictures of, things that you find appealing. The goal here is to narrow down and really pinpoint your aesthetic, this gives you a target to work towards!

Once you have come up with a sufficient amount of inspo, you’re ready for the next step.

Step 2: Functionality

There are two important pieces to making your dorm as functional as possible and now is a good time to implement them. Since you already have the idea of what you’re going for, this step is easy to integrate into the aesthetic.

1. Storage

Alrighty, now you know what you want. Great!

Only… The Chair. Yes, that chair. You know the one. 

It sits in the corner and gradually becomes the holder of all that you own… Yeah, it’s time to ditch it.

Come up with solutions to your storage problems in this step. It will make executing the design so much easier since you won’t have any clashing items ruining the final product. Just make sure they can still be easily accessible when you need them.

Here are a few suggestions for how to increase the storage in your dorm:

1. Cubbies. Put them under your bed/desk for books, socks, pyjamas, or anything else you might need to grab quickly.
2. There are desk chairs that have zippers in the back for you to keep your folders in, also the seats with the storage space under the cushion. Very handy.
3. Hanging organizers. These are usually hung up in your closet or on the back of the room door, and they have little pockets that you can organize things in. 
4. Shelves. Self-explanatory, but I would go with something like this because it takes up less space.

2. Soundproofing your Dorm

Let’s get real: Dorms have paper-thin walls. And that goes for exterior walls too.

It’s a great idea to hang up some thicker curtains if your room is next to a busy street or sidewalk. These somewhat drown out, more muffle, the outside noises so it’s a bit better.

Another thing you can do is sticking up soundproof padding around your room. They’re easy to remove and can actually be pretty stylish.

Third, I suggest you invest in a white noise machine. I know you’re probably already wearing earplugs under earmuffs, but that white noise will help to drown out the noisy neighbours while you try to study.

Some are better than others so make sure you don’t get one that sounds like an old man in the woods is hacking at tree stumps.

Step 3: To Rid, or Not to Rid… or Maybe Revamp?

Great job! You made it past the slightly annoying bit. Now we get back to the fun stuff.

I think this step really speaks for itself, but you should try to get rid of any large pieces of furniture that you don’t absolutely need. Anything that isn’t necessary, is wasting valuable space.

Some people have trouble with this for sentimental value put on things. If this is the case for you, it is your decision after all what you decide to get rid of. If you aren’t okay with Grandma’s dresser being gone, by all means, keep it!

Just know it will take up valuable space.

The goal here is to make as much room as possible. This gives your room a decluttered and refreshed look. As if you did a true renovation.

Once you think you’ve made enough room, you can revamp your furniture to match what you want!

Maybe paint your bed frame. You could swap out the chair seat fabric or bedspread. You have total creative licence, enjoy!

Step 4: Lights

This is exciting isn’t it? The dorm room should be starting to fall into place by now. Everything reorganized and revamped.

Now we must set the mood, using lights. Brighter rooms tend to look bigger while darker rooms generally appear smaller.

If you want a brighter room, you could add a bright lamp or faux potlights that just stick to your ceiling. Maybe some LEDs for the more edgy ones?

One useful tip here could simply be switching the light bulbs or switches in your main light(s). More yellowy-orange lights make a room look smaller and older, white lights add brightness.

Also, fluorescent bulbs are more efficient, so depending on your needs, change things up!

Step 5: Decor

Finally! You made it to the decorating part!

The room should basically be done by now. In fact, you might be tempted to leave it as it is.  While you could- why? You are so close to finishing, don’t give up in the home stretch!

Now, you should go back to you dream board and find the things that really inspired you. Whether it be a little cactus or a car figurine, this is all about making it feel like you.

Change up your bed-spread, add an area rug, put up posters, you name it! Just make sure you put your personality into it. That is the best way to ensure you’ll be happy with it.

Sign off

Congratulations, you made it to the end! Hopefully you ended up with a room that you are borderline obsessing over.

Best-case scenario, you are inviting your friends over for a study sesh just to show it off (yeah, I see you).

Having a space where you feel comfortable and organized can help you be more productive and make studying more fun too! Who knew?

Speaking of studying, having trouble getting started on your work? Check out my tips on beating procrastination. In it, I go over my top seven tips for finding that motivation to start your work.

Anyway, back on topic. Hope this helped you or inspired you to change up your room! I believe that new is always exciting.

Well, tysm for making it all the way to the end, this was a fun journey and I hope to have your eyeballs back here soon!

Adios for now!