Decorating a College Dorm Room

Decorating a College Dorm Room

Heading off to college is an exciting time, especially if your son or daughter is just entering the world of upper level learning. While it might be an exciting time for him or her, it can also be an expensive time for parents. With college tuition costs constantly on the rise, and books and supplies becoming more expensive each year, sticking to a budget can be difficult. Add the cost of decorating a college dorm room into the mix, and you may be looking at student loans! The good news, however, is that you can decorate a dorm room without spending a small fortune!

Important Questions

Before you begin shopping for those dorm room essentials, sit down and make a list of what you'll need based on the following questions.

• What furniture does the dorm feature? Some dorms are strictly beds and a few spare drawers and a small closet. Others may actually be closer to small apartments with efficiency kitchens and private bathrooms.
• What appliances are allowed? Newer dorm rooms may be equipped to handle higher powered appliances, such as microwaves and big screen TVs, while older dorms may not allow anything stronger than a hair dryer or curling iron.
• Will you be allowed to paint, wallpaper, hang pictures, etc? In many cases, dorm residents aren't allowed to paint or wallpaper their rooms, but pictures and bulletin boards are generally allowed.
• How many people will share the room? Again, this may depend upon how old the institution is. Older college dorms often have small rooms that are shared by two people, which brings up the next question.
• How large is the dorm room? Before you head out to your local department store to stock up on decorating supplies, take a look at the room to see how much space is really available. Although you may love that cute chair and ottoman, there may absolutely no room for it in the dorm!

Combining Tastes

If two or more people are going to share the living space, then each individual's preferences should be considered. While of course everything doesn't have to match perfectly and roommates may want to put their own signature style into the room, discussing who can bring what to the dorm is certainly important. If you haven't met your dorm mate, hopefully you have spoken on the phone or via the Internet, so you can come up with a plan in regards to decorating a college dorm room.

Bargain Shopping

There are often bargains to be had as you search for dorm room supplies.

• Check out classified ads in your local newspaper or online at sites like Craigslist.
• You can often find bargains at online auctions, like eBay.
• There are several stores that offer decorating lines devoted to dorm room and apartment living, such as Target and Linens 'n Things.
• Don't be above checking garage and yard sales. You may find just what you need for very little money.

Decorating Ideas

When you first view an empty dorm room, you may be a bit startled by how stark and plain it looks. You can remedy that quickly, however, with a few chosen items, such as coordinating bedding, throw pillows, posters, lamps, and other artwork, and some favorite mementos and knick knacks to decorate shelves and other surfaces.

For added character, add a colorful bulletin board. Take a plain bulletin board, cover it with material, and hot glue to the back. Then crisscross long pieces of contrasting ribbon on the bulletin board, hot gluing where the ribbons cross. Pictures, postcards, etc. can now be tucked into the ribbon, creating a decorative wall hanging that is functional as well.

All of these decorative items will add character and warmth to any room, and yet they can be inexpensive to purchase and easy to change when needed.