A dorm room is a college student’s sanctuary, and it’s important to make sure it feels like one. Decorating a new living space is one of the most fun things you can do on your own, especially when you’ve just started living on your own! You get to think about your style and your preferences, and then use those to turn your room into the kind of space you’ll love spending your time in. 

Decorating your college dorm room is a pretty simple job when you know what you need to look for. You’ll need to focus on making the space look good while also keeping in mind the things you need to make the space liveable. Your comfort matters as much as your style when making a dorm room a great looking place. When your room is stocked with everything you need, and reflects your style, you’ll get to kick back and enjoy it. Here is a list of everything you’ll need to turn your dorm room from a barren boxy space to an amazing one!

To make the best of your dorm room, you’ll need:

• Wall Art
• Additions to your floors
• Lighting
• Storage

Wall Art

Paintings

A room with barren walls isn’t usually much fun. A dorm room looks best when you have your favorite images plastered on the walls. The kinds of images you put up will set the tone of your room. You can choose to cover your walls in large, heavy posters that give your room a more intense vibe, or you can go with smaller, more subdued paintings. A painting will add a lot of character to your walls while appearing polished and sophisticated. You can have a lot of fun looking for the right art for your dorm room. If you’re worried about damaging the walls, there are easy ways to avoid that issue. 

This print art from OCM will add a lot of character to your dorm room walls. It's printed on high-quality paper that has a smooth matte finish. It’s small size makes it great for a dorm room. It won’t take up very much wall space. You can even get an array of these small art prints and put a collage on the wall. There are prints available to suit all kinds of tastes. This print can easily be hung up on its own or be placed inside of a frame. It is available in four different frame colors (white, black, light maple, and dark walnut). You can choose a frame that goes with the other items in your dorm room or one that stands out. 

Photographs

Photographs are great for adding great images as well as fun memories into your dorm room. Decorating your room with the fun things you did in the past will remind you of good times, even when you feel like you’re missing your family, friends, and your old life. Putting up personal photos will keep you close to your past and encourage you to capture more great memories as you make your way through college!

Images of nature, vacation destinations, or animals can also work great on your walls. Any picture you would enjoy seeing every day would make a great addition to your walls. There are several ways you can create DIY photo displays. 

This OCM wall art kit will add an interesting touch of culture to your dorm room walls. It comes in the shape of a heart and contains photographs from many amazing places around the world. If you are a travel lover, this photo collage can inspire you to plan future trips. Some of the most amazing destinations around the world are part of this collage. This collage can serve as a great reminder for you to keep on exploring or simply remind you of all the beauty that’s out there in the world!

You can create your own photo collages and add your own pictures to it. Your own makeshift collages can look just as amazing as a professionally made one. As long as you follow a few simple steps, you can have your memories spread out nicely along your dorm room walls. 

Tapestries

A tapestry is a simple addition to a dorm room wall that can add lots of personality to it. There are plenty of designs available to suit all kinds of tastes. Many of them have mesmerizing patterns across them that you can get lost staring into. Tapestries are often large and made to take up lots of wall space. You can get smaller sizes, or get them large enough to fit an entire wall. A tapestry is often used as a statement piece, so you won’t need more than one per room, unless you want more. It is a great way to completely change a room’s vibe with minimal effort. You can easily place a tapestry onto your dorm walls and take them right off if you ever want to switch it out. 

You can hang a tapestry in a number of different ways. Hang one on the wall as a statement piece or even behind your head as a makeshift headboard. An actual headboard may not be necessary to get, but a tapestry can have a similar effect. 

Lighting

These lights surrounding this photo and map display adds the perfect finishing touch. Image courtesy of Daily Bruin. 

Desk Lamp

A desk lamp is great for a dorm room, especially for your desk 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. Poor lighting may not feel like a serious issue, but it can lessen your productivity and exacerbate any eye issues you may have. There are a variety of great looking lamps you can get to place onto your desk. Make sure to choose a lamp that shows off your style and lights up your desk well. 

LED Lights

LED lights will give your dorm room the type of warm glow you can’t get from your overhead lighting. The lighting in your dorm room could be a little too bright or too dim, but you won’t actually know until you get there. Bringing your own lights ahead of time will have you prepared to deal with any kind of lighting you arrive at. 

When you want to have your dorm room dimly lit, you can turn off your overhead light and plug in LED lights that you can place anywhere around your room. You can mount them on the walls, around your windowsill, and even around your bed frame. 

These battery powered LED lights from OCM give off a calm ambient light that will make your dorm room feel more relaxing than bright overhead lights would. You can cover your room in these lights or even just a single wall. Wherever you place these lights, they will have a great impact on the space. These lights will also look great paired with other small light sources.

Flameless Candle Lights

Flameless candles make a great compromise for spaces like dorm rooms where you can’t have real candle light. LED candles give a similar effect and even replicate the appearance of a candle. Candle light is known for being soft, warm, and calming. A few LED candles will add a comfortable ambiance to your room whenever you need it. 

This battery powered LED light from OCM will make your dorm room glow. You will need a few to achieve a decent level of light, and you can use it along with other dim light sources. This candle also stays cool and doesn’t require any electricity to work. A few of these will turn your dorm room into a den of relaxation. 

Floors

Rug

A rug is a decorative item that can add lots of comfort to your dorm room space. A rug should go with the color scheme used for the rest of the room. It should stand out and still tie the room together. 

This Splash Celis Contemporary Rug from OCM is a soft rug with a fun abstract pattern. It will add a nice, soft texture to your floors and keep you from having to walk across cold concrete, cold wood, or scratchy carpet. This rug will add a comforting feel to your space and make walking barefoot in your dorm room a lot more pleasant. It's durable and made of soft yarn that you’ll love to run your feet across. 

Trash Can

A trash can is a necessity that can double as decoration if you choose a fun one. A trash can doesn’t have to be completely boring and just shoved out the way, it can look cool and add to your space. You can find plenty of small trash cans in all kinds of vibrant colors. A small trash can will work best in your dorm room so it doesn’t take up too much space. 

This trash can from OCM makes a statement despite it being a trash depository. The bright color will add to the fun atmosphere in your room. You won’t feel the need to hide this trash can away because it’s so fun to look at. 

Organization

Storage Trunk

A storage trunk is useful for a dorm room because it keeps your clutter outside from view. Rather than have multiple small items sprawled all throughout your room, you can have them put away in a trunk and then place that trunk in a useful location. Anything that doesn’t need to be out in the open can be placed into the storage trunk. You can use it to store books, blankets, snacks and so much more. 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 useful and look good in your space. It is pretty much a necessity for dorm room storage. 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, or a stepstool. Whatever you can think of to use this as, it will easily work double and even triple duty. This trunk is constructed from steel hardware and is extremely sturdy. You can jump on top of it and it won’t cause any bad effects! That makes it perfect to use as a coffee table or even a seat when you need it. It is an awesome multi-purpose decorative item!

Desktop Organizer

To keep your desktop neat, you’ll need something there to hold the small items you keep. A cluttered desk won’t look the best and can also lead you to feel stressed. A small organizer for your desktop can hold pens, small pieces of paper, and other small items. There may not be enough space in the drawers of your dorm room to keep everything, and some things you might prefer to have within view. It is convenient to be able to grab small desktop items right off the table. 

This acrylic tray from OCM will keep your desktop neat and also make a great tabletop decoration. You can get a tray with different designs that fit in with your style. It will add color and personality to your work desk. This tray is meant to be carried when needed. Whenever it’s not needed on your desk, you can use it to transport different items around your room. Use this tray to carry a stack of paper and even food. 

It takes just a little bit of work to make your college dorm room into an amazing space. Make decorating easier on yourself by following our guide to decorating your dorm room. Once you learn what you should bring, and feel confident in your style choices, you’ll have a dorm room you won’t want to leave!

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