To be honest, decorating the dorm room is quite challenging. How could it not? The room tends to be small and the options limited. That shouldn’t become excuses for not decorating it, though. There is a need to worry. Here we collected no less than 20 smart dorm room ideas that will liven up your dorm room.
Back then, college students decorate their dorm rooms with wallpaper, bean beds, posters, and well, ramen. Today, the situation is different. There are more decor options to choose from, as our ideas below will show you.
Ambient Lighting
The two most important functions of a dorm are for resting and studying. Having accommodating dorm room setup ideas will be nice.
This dorm room here has ambient lighting, which is the perfect choice for both resting and studying. Notice how the lighting is neither too bright nor too dark.
Standing lamps are both great to create such ambient lighting in the room. So are string lights. Just be sure that there is enough lighting for study time. Too dim or too bright lighting will tire your eyes and disturb your studying session.
Bohemian Style
Does your dorm room have too much distraction? Get rid of distraction and opt for a minimalist decor instead. Minimalist decor is surely among the most ideal dorm room ideas for college students as it creates a room with maximum functionality, little to no clutter and distraction, and of course, style.
This dorm room here looks quite simple. And yet, you can just feel how inviting it is. Also, notice how there is no clutter there. So, add minimalist touches in your room and make your studying session more enjoyable.
Touch of Nature
Imagine waking up in this door room. You will wake up with a smile and feel fresh. Who doesn’t want to wake up every day with a smile and feeling fresh? Everyone wants that. The question is, what kind of décor will give you that? A décor with natural touches. That’s the answer.
Here, the bed is decorated with strings of flowers and greeneries. There are also living plants on the window and the wall. These bring an air of freshness and lively vibe to the dorm room. The mirror is a nice addition as it makes the room brighter and looks larger than it is.
Yellow Floral
A long-term decor is unlikely to be allowed in dorm rooms. That doesn’t mean you stop looking for college dorm room decorations to liven up your room, though. The solution is to use pieces of decorations that can be moved easily. For example, a tapestry.
Look how beautiful the yellow mandala tapestry is. It makes an otherwise ordinary dorm room into something beautiful and inviting.
It also mixes well with the white and yellow color scheme as well. So next time you need temporary decorations, a tapestry should be on the top list.
Single Dorm Room Ideas
College years are full of experiences and memories. So, why not attach them on the wall so you can relive your exciting experiences and memories each time you see them? Not to mention turning the wall into a ‘gallery’ for photos is among the most personal dorm room ideas, too.
To prevent the photos from being distractions, place them behind the headboard. This will prevent you from looking at them when you need to concentrate. Want to bring attention to the photos? Hang some string lights near them.
College Dorm Room
A luxurious dorm room is not one of the best dorm room ideas. It would be too distracting, high maintenance, and just don’t fit for a dorm room.
Can you still have a beautiful room? Yes, of course. But rather than opting for a luxurious and delicate décor, opt for a simple one.
You see, beauty can come from simplicity too. This dorm room is an excellent example of that. Notice how while the room is dominated by white/cream, the accent colors like brown, green, and yellow succeed in making it pleasant to the eyes.
Free Up Some Space
The typical dorm room’s bed can be lifted and turned into a loft bed. Yours probably can too. Why should you do it? First, moving the bed upward frees up some space underneath. And you can use this extra space for whatever you want. Be it a reading nook, a bookshelf, a cozy spot for relaxing, you get the idea.
Those are the benefits. Is there any catch to it? Nope. Not at all. You can still lie down and sleep comfortably on your bed. The only difference is that it is a bit higher but that is not a problem, at least not one you should be concerned with.
When decorating the dorm room, a loft bed should always be considered as it frees up some space. Want to know what you can do with such a bed? Clever Loft Bed Ideas to Make the Most Out of It
Pink Dorm Room Ideas
There are plenty of dorm room ideas you can try to free up some space. Creating a loft bed is just one of them. What if you can’t create such a bed? You still have another option: add a bed lifter.
While the height increase from the bed lifter is not as significant, the freed up space underneath is still significant. Especially if you need extra storage. Also, since the height increase is slight, it should be just as accessible as without a bed lifter.
Cool Earthy Room Feels
Of most dorm room décor ideas in the list, this dorm room is definitely one of the cutest. This dorm room incorporates various colorful design elements. From wall pictures, photos, string lights, rug, to small plants. All these create brings beauty to the room in a subtle way.
Another interesting thing about it is its use of accent colors. No color in the door room stands out dominantly. If anything, all of the colors, main and accent, work together, giving off a cute vibe.
Cozy Couture Room\
If you have a roommate, it is best to talk about dorm room ideas with them. This is so that the beds look integrated rather than separated. It would be so strange to see two bedrooms in a room that look very different, wouldn’t it?
As seen here, the bed is decorated with rustic design elements. Notice the subway tile walls, gray, white and neutral colors, as well as wooden surface. These make the room feels and looks warmer, especially with a fluffy rug on the floor.
Neutral Dorm Room
A cozy dorm room like this is without a doubt one of the amazing dorm room ideas. Like most examples in the list, it incorporates simple colors, patterns, and shapes. There is nothing overly complicated and intricate. That’s not to say it is an ugly dorm room, of course.
Look how cozy this room is. The decor has interesting neutral and pale colors that set the mood, there are lots of textures you can just feel their softness, and proper lighting that leaves no corner dark.
Cozy Boho Space
Need some vintage dorm room ideas? If there is a sentence to describe vintage, that sentence would old but gold. Things of the past are not necessarily obsolete or become valueless. Some things are timeless, adding beauty wherever they are used.
This dorm room has lots of vintage elements. The most obvious being the metal bed frame. The gray flooring here also brings the vintage mood, the rug makes it warm, and the brown cabinet adds accent, complementing the whole vintage theme.
White Dorm Room Ideas
Is your wall currently empty? Consider install wall-mount shelving. This one is among the most useful dorm norm ideas. Why is it the most useful idea? Well, because wall mount shelves add practicality and aesthetic.
Practically, you can store whatever items you want with the additional storage. Aesthetically, it allows you to showcase any decorations you want.
So, an otherwise regular, plain and boring wall can be turned into a focal point. All it takes is installing wall-mount shelving.
Wallpaper Great Wave
Since your stay in the dorm room is short-term, you are unlikely to keep the decor for long. That is why easily changeable and removable makes the ideal dorm room ideas.
But, just because it is temporary, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put your heart into it. The decor still should be personal.
Do you love the sea? If you do, sea-themed wallpaper will be very nice to have. In this example, you can notice the wallpaper here. It depicts the wave of a fierce ocean. It looks very beautiful and stands out. It is the center of attention in the room.
Another type of bedroom is the guest bedroom. Unlike the master bedroom, the decor for this bedroom should be accommodating regardless of who the guest is. Find out more about how you can do with this type of bedroom here.
Little Dorm Room
The dorm room is temporary. But you can always make a lasting impression with your décor. Fortunately, there are plenty of dorm room ideas that make a lasting impression. Incorporating a dreamy décor is one.
Just look how magical this dorm room is. It looks so comfy, inviting, and simply amazing. It looks so dreamy you can even say this is one of the most-fitting dorm room ideas for girls, too.
The dreaminess of the decorations on the bed is complemented by the hanging string lights, which are making the room even magical.
Dorm Room with Loft Bed
You can’t just go and try unique dorm room ideas that you like. Remember, the dorm room has limitations, especially when it comes to available space.
You shouldn’t get demotivated by the lack of space, though. If anything, it should be a motivation for you to be more creative.
For example, to accommodate the lack of space, you can try lifting the bed above so the room underneath can be turned into a cozy spot like this one here. Separating the ground and the bed is undoubtedly one of the best ideas you can try.
Less Is More
The ideal dorm room is one where you can rest and study comfortably. Sometimes, one of the most-fitting dorm room ideas is to reduce the items you have.
Or in other words, applying the adage less is more. Compared to other types of bedrooms, the dorm room is one that shouldn’t have too much decoration.
By using only pieces of furniture that you need, you make the space feels more open. You also prevent clutter from forming, which if left alone can eat up and make the space feels smaller and cramped.
Neutral Dorm
For a dorm room, the less distracting the décor the better. And what is the least distracting than a neutral dorm room like this one? There is no bold color to be found. There are only accent colors, adding interesting points to the room.
Visually, a neutral gives off a calming and relaxing vibe. And that makes it the perfect choice for a dorm room. Want to make it feels fresher? Add a plant in the corner.
Dorm Room Tapestry
The next one is for girls. What if you prefer a more interesting dorm room with bolder colors? Just go ahead. As long as such bold decorations are not distracting, they are not off-limits.
Nothing fits a girl’s room better than bright, bold and colorful decorations as seen here. They bring a cheerful and fun vibe to the room.
The softer and paler colors from the pillows tone down the decorations, bringing a balance and make the room more pleasing to the eyes.
Cool Dorm Room
The last in our dorm room ideas list a décor that will boost your mood every day. Look at this dorm room. Unlike the previous example, there are two dominant colors here: white and yellow. The rest are accent colors.
With only two colors that mildly contrast with each other, the room looks a lot more interesting. The abundance of natural light makes that even more so in addition to brighten the mood as well. The plants around the room help to give fresh air, which is certainly nice additions.
Each and every part of the bedroom must be considered. That includes the wall. The wall can complement the interior and even change the whole mood. Get inspired by our ideas for the bedroom wall.