6 expert tips for dorm room design

It’s almost that time of year. That time when college students across the country start moving into dorm rooms, lugging giant boxes and bags of belongings up stairwells and into teeny-tiny dorm rooms. (Boy, how I don’t miss that!)
 
This fall, college students have the awesome opportunity to really make a space completely their own (well, half their own). Exciting, exhilarating and exhausting, right?
 
Recently, I spoke with interior designer extraordinaire Chrissi Shields about designing the perfect dorm room. Check out her expert dorm room design tips for making the most of your small space.
 
Use Pinterest for roomie collaboration
Choosing a dorm room design is a great excuse to get to know your roomie. Create a group board on Pinterest for both of you to pin your favorite color schemes, patterns and furniture ideas. Then, as you work to design your dorm room together, you can narrow down your favorites and determine a theme or color palette you want to play with.
 
Choose a statement piece that fits your color scheme
Large objects like a rug (to cover up yucky dorm floors) or comforter make a perfect focal point to design the rest of the room around. Whichever statement piece you choose, find it in a pattern you love and use those colors throughout your dorm room. Chrissi suggests choosing two coordinating colors from the pattern because too many colors can make the room look cluttered.
 
 
Showcase your personality with artwork
Dorms are dull, so seize the opportunity to design your dorm room and don’t be afraid to get creative! Use the drab wall space to share who you are through lots of artwork that ties into your color scheme. Share inspiration, highlight your hobbies and show off your personality with posters, adhesive wall decals or removable wallpaper. Don’t worry about ruining the walls — you can’t go wrong with damage-free adhesive strips, so stock up!
 
Bring along a piece of home
The curtains the college provides for you in your dorm room won’t be trendy. Trust us. Chrissi recommends freshening things up by hanging new curtains over the existing ones to match the design of your room. Also, bring a great lamp. Lamps or a great cozy accent chair make spaces feel homey, and because you want this room to become your home-away-from-home, any personal touches will make it feel familiar.
 
 
Use multipurpose furniture and storage pieces
As you design your dorm room, whenever possible, find furniture that can double as storage. Think about using your dresser as a night stand or side table,  or a tower bookshelf that can be used for beauty supplies along with books. Use storage ottomans for blankets or shoes, or try a compact, foldable shelf that can be used just about anywhere. (Hello, football tailgates!) Another great idea Chrissi had? Make sure everything has a cohesive paint or finish to keep your room feeling less cluttered.
 
Design your dorm room in zones
The biggest dorm room design mistake Chrissi sees? Students leaving their furniture in the same place they found it. Move it around to find the best layout, and use the entire space. Fun tools like Olioboard will let you create virtual layouts you can share with your roomie.
 
Chrissi recommends dividing your room into zones — sleep, study and wardrobe. In the floor plan below, she transformed the left side of the room into a study, entertainment and kitchen space and the right side of the room into a space for wardrobe and storage. She added a mirror on the wall to bounce light around the room — a trick to making small spaces feel larger.
 
 
Feeling excited to get this school year started? You should! Remember to plan ahead, but most importantly, have fun. Be creative and reach out to your roommate to create a dorm room design you both will be happy calling home. By finding your inspiration and expressing it, your college experience will be off to a beautiful start.

For even more creative inspiration and design ideas, visit our lookbook.

Top image from Frugal Beautiful.