For most people, entering college comes just as you’re turning 18 and entering adulthood for the first time. Suddenly, newly adult, you have your whole future laid out before you, a daunting number of decisions to make, and new levels of responsibility you’re still learning to navigate. But here’s something else you have if you’re moving into a college dorm: a new space, all your own, to decorate as you please.

This is your chance to craft a dorm room look that not only fits your personal preferences and style, but also looks mature and put-together, the perfect welcome for your journey into adulthood. It’s your chance to find bedding and decor that’s sophisticated, stylish, and fashionable. What example does that look like? A lot of different things, depending on your tastes. What follows are eight inspiration pictures, found on Instagram, to help you pick out the things you’ll need to make a fashionable dorm room look.

Fun, Fuzzy, and Fashion-Forward
Cozy dorm look inspired by @sofiakauderer
Your dorm room is your safe haven. Luckily, you don’t have to sacrifice fashion to be cozy this year. Textured items are always a great way to add interest to your dorm decor, but making those items fuzzy pillows, rugs, and throws transform a drab dorm room into the perfect place to curl up and study, sleep, or relax.


Beachside Beauty
Bohemian look inspired by @poemasypoesias_
If you’re familiar with fashion, you’re familiar with the 20 year cycle. This rule of fashion states that what goes around comes around, and if it was popular 20 years ago, it’s liable to be fashionable today. We’ve already begun to see a reemergence of the bold styles characteristic of the early 2000s, and no one can deny the influence of the ‘80s on modern fashion. But there’s at least one style that doesn’t quite fit the 20 year rule and yet remains relevant because of its timeless appeal: Bohemian style. The boho style is effortless, relaxed, and harks back to the ideals ‘70s - freedom, peace, and love - that inspired it.
What better style for your dorm room than one that touts freedom to live as you please and soothing calmness? Besides the good vibes, the soft and neutral look of the boho style also looks clean and mature without being at all stuffy. Think light neutral colors, tassels and woven textures, and plenty of houseplants. With the right touches, your dorm room will look like a beachside hotel room, and will be the breath of fresh air you need.


Bold Bohemian
Bold prints inspired by @poemasypoesias_
Of course, the inspiration of the 70s wasn’t only about peace, love and happiness; it was also about having the courage to stand up for those ideals. That’s why it’s not surprising that there are two sides to boho fashion. On one side of the coin is the neutral, beachside look that calls to mind flowing white dresses and oversized sun hats. On the other side is a world of color and pattern that embraces the inspiration of the natural world in all its vibrant glory. This is not inspired by a 70s that smiled sweetly with glasses, but rather by a 70s that called for an end to war and a hippy movement that returned to its roots with Mother Nature.
If this side of Bohemian is more to your liking, then you’re looking for bright colors and natural prints. You want bedding and decor with leaves, flowers, and simple geometric patterns; you want wood, blues and greens, decorative curtains, and… well, you’ll still want plants. It’s good to have some life in your living space.


Cutesy Couture
Cute dorm decor inspired by @soria.love
Let’s be honest: adulthood is scary. You’ve got a whole slew of new responsibilities, people are asking you to make decisions that will impact the rest of your life, and suddenly you feel like all the comforts of your youth are too “childish.” But you want to know a secret? They’re not. You don’t have to sacrifice the things that made you happy as a kid just because you grow up. Was you bedding bright pink and patterned? Did you have a whole collection of soft toys and stuffed animals? Do fairy lights make you want to clap your hands and say “I believe”? You can put all of that into your decor without sacrificing form or fashion.
For this look, you’ll want to find bedding with a pattern that makes you happy. It can be anything from unicorns to power rangers, so long as the rest of the dorm uses a similar color scheme and embraces the bedding as an accent piece. Will cartoon character sheets look “adult,” per say? No, not really. But can you still make them look fashionable? Surprisingly, yes! Again, it’s all about embracing the accent piece. Alternately, pick a geometric pattern that appeals to you (like polka dots), stick to a color scheme, and decorate however makes you happy.


A White Welcome
Simplistic design inspired by @maddienicolemiller
One of the hardest things about keeping a dorm room looking nice is that, even when you clean and organize, a lot of the time of the decor creates a visual noise that still makes the room seem messy. Thankfully, you don’t need a million pieces of decor to convey a personal style. A clean and simple white look is the perfect blend of two fashions: the pure white look that has been popular since Queen Victoria’s wedding, and the minimalism fashion born out of the 50s.
The trick to this look is simple. Get plain white bedding with an interesting texture for a subtle touch of flair, decorate your walls with a consistent design that isn’t interrupted by framed photos or other fixtures, and make sure you have plenty of storage space so that everything can be put away in its proper place. As for decor, find a few simple statement pieces - things like prisms or succulents - and display them wherever makes sense. Voila! Your minimalism white look is complete.


Big and Bold (But Still Stylish)
Unique style inspired by @ocmcollegelife
Simplicity isn’t for everyone. What some see as a fashionable and fitting look, you might see as boring and impersonal. There’s no reason your room can’t be jam packed with personal decor and bright, bold prints without also being fashionable. So how do you put all those personal pieces into a pretty picture that perfectly matches form, function, and fashion? The same way any decoration scheme succeeds: a good sense of square, a solid color scheme, and an eye for spacing.
You’ll want to go with bedding with bold prints but a subdued color scheme - don’t choose something with seven different colors unless you feel up to the challenge of picking out the rest of the decor to match. Once you’ve got that, you’ll want to pick out accent pillows and blankets that fit your intended color scheme. Comfort is key! Finally, try to keep your wall art mostly rectangular and square. This will make fitting it all together into one cohesive visual much more feasible, and will keep the decor from looking too busy.


Summer Sweetness
Sweet style inspired by @karrinapullano
Something that still rings as true in college as it did in elementary through high school: summer can’t come soon enough. That’s why our final fashionable dorm room look today is the look that just screams summer. Why let go of all the good vibes of vacation when you could incorporate them into your dorm room style and get a dose of that happiness every time you walk into your room?
For the best effect, get bedding that looks like a picnic blanket and cover it with brightly colored accent pillows. Don’t be afraid to mix patterns! Your walls can be a totally different design without clashing so long as the colors match. And while you’re at it, add a dash of those happy accents to the walls, too. Your dorm room will be dopamine central in no time.
