We all have our aesthetic decor preferences, but there’s something about stripes that’s just satisfying for almost everyone who sees them. If you love stripes and you’re trying to think of ways you can incorporate them into your dorm room decor, it’s definitely doable! That being said, you don’t want to overload your room with stripes.

They’re great for making a statement, as a nice detail to add to an otherwise kind of generic looking dorm room, but if your entire room is filled with stripes, no one - yourself included - is gonna know exactly where to look. Keep it simple, and the stripes you use to decorate your room will look amazing.

Here are 7 easy ways to incorporate stripes into your dorm room decor:

1. Striped Dorm Linens

There are, essentially, two basic ways to do stripes: use them as a centerpiece or incorporate them into the overall aesthetic of your dorm room decor via smaller details. If you want to do the first, a nice set of striped dorm bed linens is a simple, standout way to add stripes to your dorm room decor.

And the great thing about stripes is that there are so many different forms that they can come in. You can find bedding with thick stripes or thin stripes, some with stripes of variable sizes, some that are made up of neutral colors or vibrant ones, and stripes that come vertically, horizontally, or even diagonally.

This set of striped dorm linens is one that you can incorporate into almost any dorm room aesthetic fairly easily. The neutral blue and white can easily be paired with other neutrals, or even more vibrant colors, and the variable sizes of vertical stripes will keep drawing the eye back to them, especially if they’re the first thing you see when you enter the room.

2. Striped Decorative Pillows

When we talk about the finer details of your dorm room decor, this can involve anything from doing your own arts and crafts to make decorations for your room to simply finding a striped decorative pillow that you can throw on your bed when you make it. Decorative pillows are one of those hidden gems of dorm room decor because they’re super easy to employ (we’re talking 0.01 effort) but they also help to make any room look so much more polished. 

For your striped decorative pillow, you can choose whichever one strikes your fancy. A pillow with classic stripes and nothing else on it can go a long way in terms of neutrality, but if the rest of your room aesthetic is also pretty neutral, you might want to choose a pillow with a spunky print, as well as the stripes, or maybe one with sparkly or multicolored stripes. 

This striped decorative pillow has it all - light, summery colors, a french bulldog whose cute face you can admire whenever you're missing your own pup, little pom poms around the outside edge, and a motivational phrase in shiny gold lettering to help you get through the cold and dreary months of school. You can pair it with other decorative pillows in a classic black or a neutral, nautical themed dorm room.

3. A Striped Lampshade

Lampshades are something that people often forget about when they’re decorating their dorm rooms. Most people opt for an adjustable desk lamp to help them study late at night, but the great thing about a stationary lamp that you can just set up on your dresser is that it helps your dorm room to feel more homey. 

If you’d like to add a lamp to your dorm room decor, picking out a striped lampshade is an easy and effective way to incorporate stripes into your dorm room decor. Pick the stripes that work best for you, but the width, color, and position of your lampshade stripes are all going to bring an extra level of both comfort and aestheticism to your dorm room decor. You could even add stripes to a lampshade you already own and turn it into a fun DIY project!

This striped lampshade is another that would be paired really well with an overall nautical themed dorm room. (We promise, we aren’t doing this on purpose.) The grey and navy will pair well with other neutrals, and while the stripes are very simple, they will add some depth to your otherwise endless white void of a dorm room.

4. Striped Wall Canvas

One of the (truly) simplest ways for you to start incorporating stripes into your dorm room decor is to pick out a piece of artwork that already has stripes incorporated in the piece and to hang it up in your room. Because it comes premade (unless you’re artsy and would like to make one of your own!), there’s very little effort that goes into putting one of these up. You can prop it up against the wall using a shelf or you can find a way to gently hang it on the wall.

This striped wall canvas, though you might look at it and think those aren’t stripes…, gives off a stripey effect with the vertical wobbly lines of the drips. Most wall canvases are going to come with a print as well as the design that’s been printed onto it, so you can think as far outside of the box as you’d like to for your wall art. If you think boldly enough, you might even make one of these the centerpiece of your dorm room.

5. Striped Wall Tape

Most people wouldn’t even think about doing something to their standard, off-white dorm room walls. Most schools, after all, frown upon you doing anything that would require repairs to the wall, such as poking holes in it with a nail, painting over it, or getting sticky residue all over it. That’s why everyone usually sticks to simple things, such as hanging up a tapestry to cover the wall or putting up lights or photographs.

If you’re crafty, however, there are ways to get around the rules and regulations of decorating your dorm room. A great DIY thing to try this year might be adding bright, colorful, easily removable tape to one of your walls to make it a sort of striped accent wall amongst the otherwise drabness that comes with a premade space.

Washi tape is the answer to all of your hopes and dreams of personalizing your dorm room space. With a gentle adhesive on the back, you can easily stick it to almost any surface and have it peel away when you’re done using it just as easily. It comes in a variety of bright colors and patterns, so you can pick one out that’s premade with stripes, or if you’re feeling extra creative, you can pick one out with a different pattern, but use it to create a striped effect. 

6. Striped Storage Bins

Another really low-effort way to incorporate stripes into your dorm room decor is to purchase some striped storage containers that you can place all around the room. When you basically have to pack your entire life into a single, limited space, you’re definitely going to need containers for storing all your belongings, anyway. Why not pick out some that are both functional and attractive?

These striped fabric cube storage bins are super easy to come by and they look good in almost any space. The navy and white of this particular one would pair well with almost any room aesthetic, and you can place them in whatever spaces work best for you. If you have a shelf that’s made for these cube storage bins, you can add some there, but you can also place one up on your dresser, under your bed if it’s raised, or even on the top shelf of your closet.

7. Striped Plant Pots

The best way to make your dorm room feel more homey is to add something green and that you can take care of. Plants, we’re talking about plants. We recommend picking some that are low maintenance but will still get the job done, such as cacti or succulents. With a busy schedule and so many things to remember at a given time, it’s best that you don’t try to take care of something that requires a lot of care and attention. 

And what better way to set up your new green babies than by planting them in some striped plant pots? With these, you’ll be able to kill two birds with one stone. (Metaphorically, of course. Please don’t stone birds.) Your plants will have a cozy new home, and you can also incorporate some more stripes into your dorm room decor.

Stripes are a great way to spice up the decor of your dorm room while still keeping it classy. But decorating your room shouldn’t have to require a lot of effort. With the integration of one or more of these suggestions, you should be well on your way to personalizing your dorm room just the way you like.

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