When I first chose that I was going to attend Ohio University, one of my main concerns was the dorm that I would be living in. The University has everything from super nice, renovated dorms with non-cinder block walls, nice cabinets and even sinks in the rooms, to very old dorms that have never been renovated. Seriously, all I wanted was a renovated dorm. When it came time to choose which dorm I would be living in, I quickly realized that this would not be the case (first world problems right??) I was really upset and dramatic about it and was sad all summer, but I was determined to make this cinder block room look like it came straight off of Pinterest.
My roommate, who is thankfully my best friend, and I came together and planned out our room so that it would be coordinated and cute. Now that I am here, I can say with a little bit of embarrassment, that my overdramatic, dorm room meltdown was for absolutely nothing. Our room is so cozy and the amount of compliments we have received is awesome. So, I’m here to share with you my tips on how to make your dorm room a place where you can relax, hang out with new friends, study, and overall, how to make your new room feel like home!
- Make your pictures less cluttered
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Most of the time, I am not one that loves a ton of pictures as a decoration in my room. I feel like it can sometimes make your room look cluttered and overwhelming. But I do realize that it gives a room a very personal feel and I definitely wanted that for my dorm. I came up with an idea that can tie all your pictures together and make them look uniform.
I looked up pictures and quotes on Pinterest that fit my aesthetic and saved them. Then I gathered my pictures with family, friends, and my dogs that I wanted and put the same filter on them. I sent all of these pictures to Walgreens to be printed as squares instead of their regular rectangular shape so they would look good together. With these prints, I was able to create a super cute photo board on my pink wall grid that I bought from TJ Maxx (but you can find wall grids almost anywhere). This adds such a personal but also decorative touch to my room and I love it!
- Get. A. Salt. Lamp
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This is a common thing to have, but it is so important for giving your room the best vibes. When all your lights are off and you just have the salt lamp on it is so nice and cozy! I bought mine from Amazon.
- Make your own flower wall!
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My roommate and I had been seeing so many flower walls on Pinterest and we really wanted to make our own! We went to Hobby Lobby and got a few bunches of flowers that were on sale and pulled them apart into single flowers, using hot glue to join each stem together. We ended up making 5 strings to cover the section of the wall that we wanted to decorate. This is actually one of our favorite parts of the room because it adds liveliness to our room that isn’t just regular plants.
- Buy a seat cushion
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These are awesome for decorating an ugly chair! I have a white fluffy one from World Market but they come in all different materials and colors to match different styles. The pad also makes the seat comfier to sit on for long study sessions.
- Get an ottoman
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I initially bought an ottoman for my dorm so I could use it to get up on my bed (because my bed is raised), but I realized that it also serves as a seat for when friends come over which is so nice because they don’t have to sit on the ground. Mine also has storage in it so I can store extra shoes!!
- Buy twinkly string fairy lights
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Everyone has string lights in their dorm room. They make the room so cute at night and add more light. I decided that I really wanted lights that twinkle and it was such a good decision. They make the room so magical and are more unique than normal lights. I bought my lights from Amazon.