5 Tips for Making your Dorm Room Feel Like Home

A dorm room can look austere and uninviting, but with some creativity and a few decorative touches it can be transformed into a cozy home away from home. While most of your college days are spent outside of the room, getting a good night’s rest is imperative for performing well in class. When you master the art of creating a peaceful sleeping and studying environment, you will find that your ability to concentrate will generally improve. Here are 5 tips for transforming your bland dorm room into a place of beauty and restfulness.

1) Bedding
College linens don’t have to be tag sale finds or borrowed from Grandma. New bedding can be very inexpensive if you shop at discount stores or look for sales online. Since dorm room walls are usually a neutral color and students usually are not allowed to paint them, bright, colorful bedding can make a dorm room cheery and homey without a lot of work or expense.

2) Throw rugs
A throw rug looks good on tile floors, wood floors or even layered over the unattractive, industrial style carpeting one may find in a dorm room. Throw rugs can add a punch of color, texture and design to a dorm room that can tie in with the styles and colors used in the bed linens.

3) Window treatments
Bare windows look cold and feel cold if the temperature outside is chilly. Bare windows also have no way to filter bright sunlight. Curtains, drapes or blinds will not only make a room look more like home, they will add another touch of color and style to the space. Long sheer curtains can give a hint of privacy or use a heavier fabric like denim, canvas or even cut up quilts for full coverage.

4) Art work
Whether you choose to decorate a dorm room’s walls with photos, posters or framed art, there are numerous products you can buy that will allow you to hang items without marking the walls or using nails. Art brings color, personality and design into a dorm room and brings home and family with the student while showcasing the student’s personality and interests.

5) Accessories
Throw pillows turn a dorm room bed into a lounging space for friends to sit when they visit. They also add coziness and comfort to the bed which makes a dorm room feel more like home. Baskets and colorful organizers not only keep personal belongings organized and easy to find, they add décor to a room too. A small houseplant adds beauty and life to a dorm room and is fun to watch grow.

By injecting some homey touches into a dorm room, it can go from blah and boring to a cozy space that feels comfortable and familiar.


David is a blogger and contributing writer who focuses on a large variety of home and family topics. He is also a contributing writer for Thrive Furniture, a site that offers a wide variety of options for the home or dorm including designer mid century couch and mid century sofa options.