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Culture

My Recipe to Creating The Coziest College Bedroom

Sofi Schwarzmueller
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

My credentials: I took one semester-long architecture and interior design course offered by my high school as a freshman, and my dad has nicknamed my bedroom at home “the cocoon” because it is oh so cozy. So, without further ado, let’s jump into my top four tips to create your college space: 

  1. Alternate Light Sources

If I ever hear someone say that they love overhead lighting, I’m running in the opposite direction. And perhaps calling the police. I despise bright white overhead lighting. The light switch flicks on and I’m suddenly in a cold, sterile, dingy hospital room.

Eeek!

No thank you. I am a soft lighting girlie to my very core, and you should be too. Besides some sort of small desk lamp (super cheap, minimal space-taking), I also totally recommend some sort of small light source for your bedside table/desk. Last year, I invested in a $30 orb-looking light from Target. It was like having a little ball of sunshine on my desk, and the dimmer was a total game-changer before bed. I was obsessed until, tragically, disaster struck, and my lamp met its doom against the hard tile of my dorm room floor. 

Fortunately, this tragedy provided the perfect justification to purchase a new bedside table light, one that has completely elevated the coziness of my room. Before move-in, I bought a large, pink Himalayan salt lamp, and to say that it is the crown jewel of my bedroom would be an understatement. My salt lamp is on in the dark hours of the very early morning and it’s on as soon as the sun falls behind the mountains of St. Bonaventure. Her soft pinkish-yellow glow illuminates the pages of the books I read before bed, and provides just enough light in the morning for me to get ready for the gym before class. I will be bringing her home for winter break, as I have become far too attached to my perfect beauty of a salt lamp. 

  1. Bedding and the Rise of Dusty Blue

I do believe that your college bedding is what makes the overall vibe of your dorm room. Your bed is the largest piece of furniture in the room, so it only makes sense that it would be the very foundation of your bedroom aesthetic. As a freshman in college, I fell victim to the pink-gray-white color scheme that is so popular among college-age women. And don’t get me wrong, it’s a great combination of colors. However, after my first two years of college, the light pink began to really grate on my nerves.

I was desperate for a change in the overall atmosphere of my room going into my junior year, during which I will have full reign over my own bedroom in a townhouse. This past summer, I was perusing the aisles of my local Homesense when I came across the most lovely shade of dusty blue in the form of a twin xl comforter. I don’t know how to describe it, but this color is like a wave of clarity over my mind. Like, my constant state of fight or flight is eased as soon as this color caresses my corneas (okay, maybe that sounds dramatic, but I swear it’s true). Blue is calming, blue aids in concentration, blue is the beautiful sea, and I am all for it.

Though your duvet/quilt/comforter/blanket is the very top, most exposed surface of your bed, sheets and pillow cases can also be paired to enhance your overall desired room aesthetic. I was in *desperate* need of new sheets, so I purchased a new set and matching pillow cases on sale from Natural Life, a site primarily full of floral/boho patterned houseware and room decorum. The floral set I purchased lends a pop of color to the room in a non-overwhelming way, and has created a “lowkey fairy/magic garden” type essence to my bedroom. The mix-and-match sheet sets are just so unique and cutesy, I can’t help but look at them online when I get the chance and imagine designing new bedrooms. The sheets and pillowcases are a critical part to the aesthetic of my bedroom, so this is your sign not to be afraid to find some fun, cute, or funky sheets!

  1. REAL Plants!

Okay, this one’s not for everyone, but I do have some tips and tricks to make it more manageable for even the non-greenest of thumbs! Fake plants are wonderful. I myself have had a few over the years. I think they are a great way to offer a subtle pop of color to your space, and, especially in the colder months, offer a nice little reminder of the post-winter-blues world.

However, and let’s be real, fake plants sometimes have a tendency to look… fake. Which, I know, is like, the whole concept of a fake plant. But something that I have noticed this year as I embark on my plant mommy journey is that taking just a few minutes (really just a few seconds) out of my week to feed my special little guys some water is that it is a super rewarding task for such a small amount of effort.

Start small! I have three plants now living on my windowsill: two spider plant propagations from my mom, and a teensey cutie cactus named Little Mister. They gather all the sun energy they need to thrive without me having to do anything except move them a bit out of the way when I open and close my blinds in the morning, and then two to three times a week, when I get a minute, I quick give them just a little bit of water (Little Mister gets even less than that).

Not only do they look totally amazing in my room, but they remind me of all the little things I can do for myself to thrive while I’m away at school; I can make sure to water myself. I can make sure that I get plenty of time outdoors and in the sun. I can make sure that the habits I develop are helping me to grow and thrive, and I can ensure that my roots remain grounded in the world around me. Plants are wonderful and are a great way to make yourself feel wonderful, too (and your bedroom!)

  1. The Process is About YOU!

I am giving you explicit permission here to ignore all my previously stated tips so long as you pay attention to this one: create a space for yourself that makes you feel good.

I think it’s pretty obvious to say that no one likes to be cooped up in a space they hate. Your dorm room is not just your bedroom – it’s your living room when you bring your friends over to hang out after classes, it’s maybe where you eat meals and do your homework, and it’s where you should feel the most comfortable and at home.

For me, that end-goal of total mind and body comfort included the process of developing a very cozy, very calming room where I can seek refuge from the stresses of college life. For me, it meant switching my color pallet, forsaking all overhead lighting, and introducing a new healthy hobby into my routine. But what works for me may not work for you. So, to conclude Sofi’s Guide to the Cozy College Cave, I leave you with my biggest piece of advice, and that is to see yourself in your room. Allow your space to be a reflection of who you are and who you wish to be during your time in school and stay true to yourself unapologetically and always. 

From Buffalo, New York, Sofi is a junior English major with a biology minor at St. Bonaventure University. This year Sofi will be helping to run the chapter’s Instagram and VSCO as social media officer! Beyond Her Campus, Sofi plays for the school’s club soccer team, tutors in the Writing Lab, and is in the process of her first research project with the psychology department. When she is not watching Outer Banks or making yet another new Spotify playlist, Sofi can often be found walking the Allegheny River Valley Trail or curling up with a good book (typically of the romantasy genre). Sofi also loves snowboarding at Holiday Valley during the wintertime, and rooting for the Bills every week. Though Sofi is always sad when summer comes to an end, she is so excited to be reunited at last with her Bonas family, and with graduation fast approaching this May, Sofi plans to make every minute count before her undergrad days come to an end.