Photography via Pinterest

5 Dorm Decor Ideas That’ll Make Your Space Pinterest-Worthy

Date August 16, 2016

The year before I started university I had helped an older friend scour Kensington Market in Toronto for the perfect throw pillows. When it came time for me to move away to school, I felt prepared to start my own style search. I arrived on campus thinking my room was going to be the envy of my floormates. I had picked out pink and orange bedding (cringe) and topped it off with a hanging mesh bug net which eventually just collected dust. My mother and sister took a stroll down the hallway to size up to competition and spied a room straight out of a Pottery Barn catalogue. A professional decorator had to have been involved and that fellow freshman and I were destined to become fast friends.

With an overload of Pinterest inspiration and DIY decor ideas, the opportunities are endless when it comes to designing a small space on a dime. Making a mood board of inspiration images helps to flesh out all your ideas and get a feel for design direction. If you’re living with a friend, think about consulting with them before doing any decorating so that the space feels cohesive and lets you both bring your favourite pieces. Keep in mind the many functions of a dorm room and be sure not to eliminate a study space during your refresh.

Click through the gallery below for tips to make your dorm room the perfect home away from home.

1/5

Switch out the bed. For a more modern and minimal approach, swap out the classic dorm style single bed for a DIY pallet platform. Just make sure to store the original cot elsewhere so that it can be returned before move out day.

2/5

Lift the bed with risers to create more storage. It’s a quick fix to make more storage space for clothes, books and snacks.

3/5

Use mirrors to make your space look bigger. Hung in a creative way, mirrors act as wall art and create an illusion of more square footage.

4/5

Dress up the bed with fine linens and tons of throw pillows. Since the bed often does double duty as a couch, make sure it’s cozy enough for a night of #netflixandchill.

5/5

While paint may be hard no, use prints, posters and wall decals to spruce up the boring beige walls. Add twinkle lights for more moody moments.