Youth Incorporated Magazine

22% of university students in the United States live in on-campus dormitories. However, when it comes to decorating your newfound space, making it feel more personal and like your own can seem nearly impossible to do — especially if you’re dealing with a roommate and a small amount of space for the first time. From the benefits of adding furniture to how coordinating with your roommate can help, here’s what you need to know. 

Getting the most out of the space

When it comes to getting the most out of your new room, coordinating with your roommate on how to decorate can be a great way to help make the space feel more like your own; after all, they’re likely to feel the same way about wanting to make the space feel more personal. By reaching out to them before move-in day, you’ll be able to plan ahead as to how you’d like to decorate. This will allow you to agree on a theme (if you choose to have one), and will also aid in making sure that you don’t wind up with doubles of furniture.  

When looking for furniture, it’s worth ensuring that you choose pieces that are multifunctional, compact, and mobile. In turn, this will allow you to save space in dorms that are on the smaller side, and will give you more places to put essentials. Storage ottomans or cubes are a great example of this type of furniture, as they have dual functionality — effectively giving you a place to put bulky items while still offering seating. However, furniture can play an even bigger role in making your room more personal if you happen to have the space for it. 

The major role that furniture can play

If you don’t have a roommate or happen to have extra space under lofted bed, adding larger furniture pieces like a sofa can play a key role in making the room more comfortable. Not only can this give you extra seating for friends, but it will allow you to relax or study in your room without having to lay in bed. Decorating the sofa itself — such as by getting creative with the cushions — will add depth to the space, while adding throw blankets will bring texture and pop of color to an otherwise dull room. Bringing lamps into the room will also help make your dorm feel more like home, and can be quite useful for late night study sessions on the couch.

Adding final touches

When decorating your dorm, adding personal, final touches to the space is the ultimate way to tie everything together and make it feel more like your own. One great way to do this is by bringing something of yours from your hometown bedroom — whether it be your favorite tapestry, a framed collection, or poster, which will help fill in any empty wall space. And, aside from the traditional university pennants and family photos, decorating your desk or nightstand with your favorite knick knacks will further aid in both making the space feel more personal and unique. Decorating a small, dull, brick-walled dorm room to feel more comfortable and personal can feel nearly impossible. However, by coordinating with your roommate ahead of time, adding in larger pieces of furniture, and incorporating final, personal touches, you can effectively make the space your own before classes start.