A minimalist is a person who thrives when they own the bare minimum needed to live a comfortable lifestyle. Rather than live in a place loaded with material items, a minimalist would rather have a lot more empty space available for use. They find satisfaction in comfort and peace rather than in material items. There is something about an uncluttered space that can make your mind feel so clear. If you want to have that feeling all the time, you have to curate and maintain your space in a way that encourages that feeling. 

If you think your room will be more enjoyable with a minimalist aesthetic, you can easily create that with a few helpful tips. Minimalism isn’t simply getting rid of your things and existing with nothing in your space. Just like with anything, there is a proper balance you have to strike. You will need to figure out what is most important for you to have in your living space. There are some things you’ll find you absolutely need in your space, and some things you’d be better off getting rid of. A dorm room can already be a small and cramped space, keeping your furniture and decor to a minimum can help the room look and feel a lot bigger than it really is. A minimalist room has the potential to look great, especially when you add a few subtle touches!

What You Need In Your Dorm Room

Filling your room with only the things you need will keep your space clear of clutter. 

Some essential items just can’t be avoided because you need them for basic comfort. When you’re shopping for your dorm room, certain things are beyond important. You don’t want to risk making your space uncomfortable by packing too light. But even when it comes to essential items, less is always more! You don’t want to bring too many backup items and be forced to use your extra space for storage. There are certain dorm room items that every student needs in order to live a comfortable life in the dorms. You need to purchase the minimum that you will be comfortable with. For instance, if you need four pillows to be comfortable, they are a good idea to bring, but if your extra pillows will just be taking up space, don’t bring them. 

Comforter

A comforter will make sure your nights are warm and comfortable. At least one is necessary to bring to your dorm room. You can bring at least one more comforter if it would be more convenient for you. When doing laundry, if you’re a procrastinator that lets chores sit for a while before taking care of them, a second comforter may be necessary. But if you can easily wash and dry your comforter and have it ready for use on the same day it needs to be washed, you’re probably better off saving space by just taking one comforter with you. 

This OCM comforter is perfect for a minimalist. Even though it is just one comforter, it is made up of two different styles. You can flip your sheets over and enjoy a different bedroom aesthetic whenever you feel like it. It will be as if you have two comforters rather than one! The makeup of this comforter is also of high quality, so it can last you for years. You can easily take it with you when you finally leave the dorms to move into your own place. 

Comforters are warm and cozy. Having one can make the difference between having restful nights on a regular basis and losing sleep because you don’t have comfortable enough accommodations. If you live in a climate that is warm all year round, a comforter may not be necessary, but for most students a comforter is a great investment. A duvet and duvet cover also make a great option. 

Sheets and Pillows

Two sets of sheets are really all you need to survive in a dorm room. As long as you have another pair of sheets to spread across your bed while you’re doing laundry, you’re all set to have a comfortable nighttime experience. Having more sets of sheets will only be taking up space. Choose two sheets that would look best. Consider going with neutral colors so that your sheets can match whatever colors your dorm room ends up being. You can also make sure they go well with your comforter or blanket. You can even try going with one neutral colored sheet and one that’s a bold color in case you want a bold look half the time. 

When it comes to pillows, the number you need depends on your personal comfort levels. If you’re comfortable with just one pillow, then that is the perfect number of pillows to get. If you need any more than one pillow, make sure they fit well on your bed. You don’t want fluffy pillows taking up storage space that should be reserved for other things. 

Desk Lamp

A desk lamp is great for a minimalist space. Sometimes you need a little more than the overhead light, or you want to avoid disturbing your sleeping roommate. Having a small desk lamp on your dormroom’s desk will make many tasks a lot easier. You may think you don’t need a desk lamp because your eyesight is fine, but there are a lot of times when your eyes are straining without you realizing. Poor lighting may not feel like a serious issue, but it can lessen your productivity and exacerbate existing eye issues. Frequent strain also isn’t healthy for your eyes in the long run. A desk lamp can even help to alleviate the glare from our laptop screens. This means less stress on our eyes and less headaches. 

This easy clip LED lamp from OCM can be clipped onto any surface to provide you with some light. While you’re hanging out at different campus spots, you might want to do some reading. This little lamp will help that happen in any location and at any time of day or night. It is great for a minimalist. Instead of using a large lamp that can take up space, this little one works to spread light and save space. 

Storage Trunk

A storage trunk is necessary for a minimalist bedroom because it will keep clutter outside of view. Rather than have multiple small items sprawled all over your dorm room, you can keep them hidden away in a trunk and kept under your bed. While you don’t want to fill your space with too much storage, some storage space will be helpful for keeping your space clear. Anything that doesn’t need to be out in the open can be placed into the storage trunk. You will feel a sense of relief putting away the small necessities that take up unnecessary desk and drawer space. You can use it to store books, blankets, and snacks among other things. A storage trunk will do a lot to help your space be great. It is highly recommended for college students to get a trunk. It's not only great for storage, but can also keep certain items safe and locked away. 

This storage trunk from OCM will be the most valuable item in your room, just like it has been for many students throughout the years. Not only does it serve as great storage, it can also work well for other uses. You can simply slide this trunk under your bed and keep it tucked away, or you can use it as a makeshift coffee table, a bench, and a stepstool. Whatever you can think of to use this as, it will easily work double duty. This trunk is constructed from steel hardware and is extremely sturdy. You can jump on top of it and cause no ill effects! That makes it perfect to use as a coffee table or a seat when you need it. 

What You Don’t Need in A Dorm Room

Many of us have bedrooms loaded with all kinds of unnecessary items. A room filled with things you don’t need does not work out when you want to live in a minimalist space. There are some things that you might want to have, but won’t fit in with your goals for an uncluttered space. You will need to leave most of your belongings behind if you don’t want to overpower your new living space. Even if you think you need them, there are certain things your dorm room will be better off without. 

Television Set

A television set is something you don’t need to bring into your dorm room. While it is nice to watch movies on a big screen, a TV will take up way more space than is necessary. You also won’t need it. Your laptop is a necessity that should replace your TV set for the duration of your stay in the dorms. You can easily watch your favorite shows and movies on your laptop screen. 

You don’t need a whole other space taker in your room. A laptop works well because of how small and compact it is. If you want to watch a movie with a large group, there are likely spaces on campus where you can gather and use a large projector for movie night. If that’s not possible, watching a small screen with your friends can still be a lot of fun! You don’t need a TV to take up your shelf space when you have several forms of entertainment at your disposal. 

Kitchen Supplies

Kitchen Supplies aren’t needed for most dorm rooms. Unless your dorm room comes with some form of a kitchen, you shouldn’t take any kitchen supplies with you. You will likely have everything for food in the dining hall. They have all the kitchenware you may need in there. You likely won’t even need a microwave. It would be best to check to make sure, but most schools have microwaves that students have easy access to. Having a bulky microwave in your dorm room is not ideal. 

A mini fridge might sound useful, but you can easily survive without one. Just make sure that you don’t often bring more food than you can handle at once into your room. Limit the amount of leftovers you make so you have less of a need for a refrigerator in your dorm room. And if you want a cold beverage, make sure to grab one on your way out. It might seem convenient to store drinks in your bedroom, but only grabbing cold drinks when you need them will limit the amount of storage space you need. 

Too Much Clothing 

When starting at a new school, you probably want to look your best, but you don’t have to go overboard to do that. You don’t need to bring your entire wardrobe to your dorm room. You should pick out the most essential pieces you have to form a stylish and practical wardrobe. The right number of different clothing items will allow you to look stylish while still being minimalist. 

You don’t need to bring ten pairs of jeans. Choose the ones you take with you wisely. Grab a pair of light wash jeans, a dark wash, and a medium. Choose jeans with different cuts and styles. You can choose based on different criteria, but don’t grab several pairs of jeans with the same cut and wash. The same applies to other clothing items. Choose a practical combination of skirts, dresses, jackets, and shoes. Make sure that you also bring a few items you can wear on special occasions. You want to have a wardrobe that looks diverse, but doesn't take up too much space. 

This closet looks too stressful to search through!  Image courtesy of Bissell Rental. 

A minimalist dorm room is simple to create as long as you know what you need. Taking the right things to school with you and leaving the wrong things at home will make your dorm room experience as comfortable as you need it to be!