I’ll admit it. I was pretty discouraged when I walked into my dorm room on my first day upon arriving to BU and saw the high lofted bed, the bright fluorescent lighting, and the large wooden armoire. I thought to myself, “there is NO way I can make this place cute.” I didn’t even know how to make my bed properly when it was 5 feet above the ground.
But with a few hours on Pinterest, a few ounces of determination, and a vision in mind, I somehow crafted my freshman dorm at 140 Bay State into my little happy sanctuary.
My favorite part of my room is my desk area. I knew I wanted to add a unique touch to make it feel a little less like a dorm desk, so I brought a roll of marble contact paper with me from home. I also removed the top shelf part, which opened up my desk space (I moved the shelf under my bed as a shoe rack).
For desk accessories, gold and rose gold helped add a luxe touch. The mini french press is actually an ornament from Starbucks that I fell in love with and absolutely NEEDED.
I made the vision board at a workshop offered through FY101 at Paper Source Brookline. I love how it ties my desk together and adds a splash of color. I always find myself saving little cards in the pockets and put up cute little notes on the corkboard.
A fun twist on traditional string lights are these globe lights. I like the warm glow they give to the room and they make your room feel a little less like a dorm.
A great way to switch up your decor seasonally is with interchangeable throw pillow covers! I got new covers for Christmas and they instantly add festivity to my room! You can find them on Amazon — just make sure that you get pillow covers that match the dimensions of your pillow inserts.
Lastly, a great organization tool is a bar cart! Mine was actually meant as bathroom storage. When I got it, it was 50% off at Bed Bath and Beyond, so it was literally $8. And now it’s even cheaper… on clearance for $4.50! You can get it here. I have it in gold and my friend Jacob got it in silver. It’s great to put your mugs or tea/coffee on, or even perfumes, makeup, etc. If you want a bigger one or one with more “walls,” check out this option. My friend who goes to a state university back home uses this one from Ikea and it is a popular Pinterest favorite.
You don’t have to live in Stuvi 2 to make your dorm look and feel amazing! Get creative, look for some inspiration, and make your room a space with all the things you love!
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