Now that the school year has started and our new rooms are starting to become our own, there is no better time than now to make a fresh start to amp up your dorm lifestyle. There’s no reason to settle for the drab association with dorm room living. Here are ten ways to bring some life into your new room:
*Cover the generic dorm issued furniture with fun covers. In addition to standard couch and chair covers, patterned bed sheets and tapestries make affordable and cute covers. Throw blankets and thick beach towels can add life to those dingy chairs as well.
*Stop those fluorescent lights! String lights, floor lamps, and desk lamps with soft white lighting will give your room a more natural glow, and help you relax.
*Get cozy this fall with a good novel in your own nook. All you need are a couple cheap pillows, a throw pillow, and a blanket in your favorite corner.
*Add a cottage touch by putting up curtains inside your windows. Purchase a curtain bar and hang a variety of curtains ranging from lightweight to blackout. Tying bows on your curtains in the daytime adds just the perfect touch.
*Wall décor can help spice up any bland room, there are limitless possibilities to your blank canvass of a wall, but if you’re seeking some inspiration, here are a couple ideas. Try putting your photo wall in a corner of your room so that it stretches across two walls. Removable wall decals help add color and there are also removable blackboard decals for you to express your creative side. Paint chips from your local hardware store double up as great decorations, and are free!
*Bookshelves add a ton of storage space and help organize your items. If you’ve taken care of your storage, bookshelves with a couple of items in each shelf can add a calming feng shui to your room.
*Mason jars are super versatile purchases. They can be used for glasses for your favorite iced beverages, as storage for little knick-knacks, and pencil holders. Fill them with candy, and those jars make cute decorations. Of course, even left empty they contribute to a room’s creative vibe.
*Liven up your standard twin XL bed by putting a headboard behind it. Buy or make a simple one on your own from a sheet of wood covered in your favorite fabric and fasten it to the wall with command strips.
*During the snowy months, a boot mat and command hooks by the door will help keep slush and sand out of your room from your boots and coat, and keeps your room tidy!
*Host a dorm room decorating party with your new roomies to decorate monogram letters for your doors and paint canvases for your walls. This is both productive to your decorating and to getting to know your girls!