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Eldest Daughter going to college = a mom who takes dorm decorating VERY seriously. From hidden functionality to tiny shelves, here are the 5 things I have gotten the most compliments on in my dorm this year.
- Command ProductsÂ
From a last-minute purchase (genuinely the day of move-in when we were getting groceries) to the star of an accent wall! You can slide them together, or space them out like we did. These little ledges were perfect to hold my seasonal perfume collection. They come in a pack of 2, Command Strips included, and setting them up is super easy! I also loved my heavy duty Command Hooks. They held many purses, as well as my towels, and never once showed any shake or sign of falling. At the end of the year, you would not have even known they were on my wall, and can be perfectly stored away for my sophomore year room!
I get it, every girl on TikTok loves to recommend her storage ottoman. But what they do not tell you, is how unstable it is, and how half of them end up in the trash by fall break. And frankly, what are you even storing in there? I had a few extra drawers under my lofted bed, and did just fine on storage. But climbing up to that lofted bed unassisted, would have been a work of parkour. Enter: a chic but sturdy stool. Perfect for reaching things on top of my closet, climbing up to my bed, and offering guests a place to sit where I could be confident it would not collapse on them.
Speaking of things stored on top of my closet, that was the storage space for my shower caddy! I recommend a plastic one, as mesh ones can get moldy. Even still, my caddy could carry water, water that I did not want all over my dorm. We stored my caddy on top of my closet, on a clear bath mat. It kept my room clean, and my caddy out of the way.Â
When a tiny square of room is the only place completely yours in a foreign city, organization is key. Especially when a wooden desk has to serve as workspace, vanity, and occasionally: dining table. Everyone’s college desk has the potential to be a complete hazard space, but it also has the potential to be organized to a T. Luckily, I accomplished option 2, if only because of my drawer organizers. From pens to pimple patches, everything had a home. Making it easy to find, and even easier to put things away. This kit had plenty of options for size, making it a real choose your own adventure, and these little pink cubbies were found all over my room.Â
And now for a truly fun hidden gem: my calendar! And no, I am not referring to my color coded calendar of assignments for once. I am actually talking about my daily calendar of song lyrics! Particularly at the beginning of second semester, I was feeling a bit dreary. I missed the holiday cheer of being home for Christmas Break, it was absolutely frigid in Buffalo, and I had not quite settled into a routine just yet. I needed something to make each day seem special. I found my Lyrics to Live By Calendar from the small business WillowCreekStudio on Etsy. It gives me a new song every day, with an inspirational lyric, or an anecdote about how it was created. Even through the summer, it helps me keep time, and gives me a little surprise every morning!
As well as being functional, and never too expensive, these items were just a little part of making my dorm feel like a home. That little sliver of space is truly yours, so (sticking within fire codes and housing regulations) have fun! Find your own hidden gems to get you through dorm life.Â