10 Interior Design Ideas for Dorms

10 Interior Design Ideas for Dorms According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 19.9 million people will attend college or a university this fall in the United States. While not everyone going to college will be living in a dorm, there are naturally plenty of people looking for fun and creative interior design ideas for dorms.

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Decorating a dorm room can often be quite challenging. Not only will you often need to account for the tastes of your roommate, but you will also be working within a very small space. In order to make the most of whatever space you have, you’ll want to select each of your decorations with care.

Fortunately, with just a few careful touches, you can turn an otherwise boring dorm room into a place that is welcoming, cozy, and fun to be in. With handcrafted decorations, new patterns, and plenty of personalized items to choose from, you are certainly not without options.

In this article, we will list 10 of the best interior design ideas for dorms. By experimenting with a few of these decorations and adding some special twists of your own, you can create the perfect space.

1. Handcrafted Wooden Signs A handcrafted wooden sign is a great way to welcome friends and visitors into your room. Because the sign is made from scratch, according to your own preferences, it can be whatever size and shape you want. You can also personalize the message or image on the sign, containing anything ranging from a simple “welcome!” to your school’s logo to everything in between. The sign can be a great centerpiece that will make it much easier to decorate the remainder of the room.

2. Friendly Door Mat One of the nice things about door mats is that, contrary to most of the furniture in your dorm, they require very little space. In many dorms (check with your RA first), you can leave your doormat out in the hallway, providing a nice greeting to anyone who walks by. Doormats come in many different forms, with varying colors, patterns, and messages available to choose from.

3. Succulents Succulents are small plants that are perfect for any dorm room. While these plants do not take up very much space, they can still bring life, greenery, and a natural vibe into almost any room. Succulents require very little care; just be sure to occasionally water them and, if possible, place them near a window. Be careful—once you start collecting succulents, it can be difficult to stop.

4. Customized Pillows Pillows are great dorm room decorations because they are both comfortable and easy to move around when needed. If your room already has a distinctive color scheme, you can use customized pillows to help tie everything together. These pillows are also a great way to create some uniformity between your bed and your roommate’s bed. If you have a couch in your dorm room, the theme can be extended even further.

5. Unconventional Bookshelves While college is conventionally about hitting the books, that doesn’t mean you need to purchase a boilerplate bookshelf. A bookshelf, in essence, is any piece of furniture being used to hold books. Whether your bookshelf is made of discontinuous shelves, an unusually shaped structure, or anything else, this will be a great opportunity for you to get a little bit creative.

6. Chalkboards

Chalkboards are great because they can be changed to say whatever you want them to say. These boards can help you stay organized and plan your schedule for the week or list out various tasks that need to be finished. They can also be used for writing fun messages and drawing pictures. While whiteboards are also excellent options, chalkboards have a vintage aesthetic that many people find appealing.

7. Tapestries Tapestries are popular because not only are they often visually stunning, they also cover a large amount of space with very little effort. If you are looking to cover a large, empty wall in your dorm, a tapestry might be the ideal choice for you. Tapestries date back to the days of Ancient Egypt. They often contain bright colors, complex geometric patterns, and other features that are interesting to look at.

8. Area Rugs Like tapestries, area rugs make it much easier to easily cover up large portions of your floor without limiting your mobility. If your dorm room has an unattractive tile floor, a large area dorm rug will be the perfect fit—just be sure to measure first. Area rugs, particularly Persian and Turkish themed rugs, often blend symmetry, geometry, and hand-shaped natural images. When decorating your room, remember the importance of juxtaposition: placing simple (or plain) patterns next to complex patterns can create a very appealing aesthetic.

9. Paper Walls Even if you can afford it, your dorm is not going to let you tear down or build any new walls. However, inspired by old Japanese traditions, purchasing a paper wall may be a healthy compromise. These walls can be easily moved and placed wherever privacy is needed, without taking up very much space. At the same time, if you are having people over and you want to open your room up a little more, the walls can be easily collapsed and stowed away for later.

10. Creative Lighting Options Light is one of the most important elements of interior design. However, if your dorm room is like most, you probably have an unappealing fluorescent light covered in plastic near the center of the room. In order to give your room a classier, cozier aesthetic, consider purchasing some creative lights of your own. Over the past few years, strings of Edison bulb lights have become very popular. Other popular options include vintage lamps, trajectory lights, repurposed Christmas lights, and various others.

Conclusion With school back in session, it’s a great time to give your dorm room a new look.

Playing around with different decorating ideas can be a fun and even relaxing way to

spend your time. If you are looking to create a new look that people will find appealing, consider trying any of these great options.