Elizabeth Grieve | Senior Scene Editor

Blank walls, grey carpet, generic furniture — the default dorm room. Crammed into your suitcase, you’ve got your bedding, a few posters, and maybe a couple storage bins and some string lights. Even after unpacking and arranging everything you have, your room still feels a little sterile. Now what? What can you do to make your room match your inner aesthetic a little more? How do you make it “you”? 

Among the inconveniences college life brings, moving in and out of temporary housing, dorms, and short leases is a big one. The lack of a permanent space isn’t necessarily conducive to a homey, welcoming environment. The uninviting vibe of the dingy white walls and harsh LED lighting is hard to dispel without breaking the bank (or accumulating too much stuff to fit in your suitcase back home). It’s important to me that my room is comfortable, inviting, and homey, and most importantly, matches my personal style. 

Through this time, I’ve learned a lot about how to make my temporary space feel like mine for the time being, in ways that are easy, cheap, and most importantly non-permanent and portable. In my fourth year of moving on a frequent basis, I’ve collected a number of small room decor items that follow me from place to place. Here are a few perhaps underrated ideas for how to translate your aesthetic into your space.  

Chair covers 

While dorm room walls are easy to cover, customizing the cookie-cutter, bland dorm furniture is a bit harder. Not much can be done about the shape, so why not add an extra layer of upholstery? Chair covers not only allow your desk chair, sofa, or armchair to match your color scheme, but also add a softer, more comfortable texture. They come in all shapes and sizes, but my must-have is the one on my desk chair. I picked out a cream shade to match the neutral beiges and whites I have in my room, which complements the medium shades of green I have in other places. Not to mention, they are washable! 

Fabric trim

My favorite dorm decor hack is a little unconventional, which is why I’m sharing it: sewing trim. I bought several yards of a cream tassel trim that’s typically used for crafting, initially to cover the command strips sticking out from behind my mirror. Now, I use it all over my room to tie the space together: on window sills, along the sides of my desk — anywhere that looks a little plain. Plus, using it in many places helps make everything feel cohesive. I also reuse pieces from year to year. Sewing trim comes in many different variations, from fringe to lace to little pom-poms. It’s a cute way to add a little detail (or hide some ugly stains). 

Elizabeth Grieve | Senior Scene Editor

Hooks

Every year, I buy a few new packs of refill Command strips. While they are a must for hanging up my lights and pinboard, I like to add some around my room to hang up items I use every day. In addition to being convenient and functional, they are a natural way to add some life to your walls. Hanging up your items quite literally puts your personal style on display. I hung my bags on a pillar, my jackets by my door, and even some of my jewelry on my walls. Plus, I can reuse the hooks themselves each year by just buying new adhesive strips. 

Soft lighting 

There is quite literally nothing that ruins a vibe more than the harsh LED lighting from a singular overhead light in dorm rooms. For any space to feel comfortable, soft lighting is an absolute must. Target sells mini lamps for around $10 and always has string lights on sale (look right after Christmas). I bought a set of rustic, raw lightbulb lamps for a little extra lighting. The goal is to never have to turn on that overhead light. For a really warm-toned light, look for light bulbs that are under 2500 Kelvin. I personally like these. 

Photos 

Posters are all fine and great, but why not personalize what you tape up on your wall a little more? Walgreens has a collage-making tool, where you can combine a bunch of your favorite photos together and get them printed on photo paper for a few dollars. You can either hang up the full collage or cut them out for mini photos to arrange on your wall or pinboard. It’s really convenient because you get a bunch of photos of different sizes, which allows you to arrange them as you like. 

Throw pillows and blankets

At the risk of sounding like a HomeGoods mom, you can never have too many throw pillows. Throw blankets and pillows are great ways to make your room that much more cozy. They add texture that easily fits into your color palette, since you can find literally any color anywhere. The blankets are also functional; I personally love wrapping up in a cozy blanket while settling in to do homework on a chilly night, and I love that I can match that blanket to my space. 

Elizabeth Grieve | Senior Scene Editor

Acrylic containers 

More to the theme of displaying your stuff, acrylic containers are a simple yet elegant way to keep your stuff organized. The clear material lends itself to any vibe and effortlessly keeps the space clean and organized, while still being convenient and accessible. My favorite is a little acrylic tray where I keep glass perfume and serum bottles.