Daily, I tend to count down the minutes until I get back to my dorm. On-campus, it is the place I feel most comfortable and calm. Since it is my home away from home, I try my best to make sure my decor best expresses what I like. If you are anything like me and love a decorated space, you know how expensive it can be. Below I’ve listed some tips that have helped me shop for room/dorm decor that is affordable, along with some of my favorite places to shop.
1. Have a plan/ Pick a theme
If you’ve ever gone to the grocery store without a list, you’ll often end up with things you don’t need. The same can be said for shopping for your room. This year, I picked two colors and shopped based on those colors: pink and black. If you need inspiration, Pinterest is a great place to start. Additionally, I had a list of what I needed. It included things like, a mirror, a pencil holder, satin pillowcases, decorative pillowcases, marvel plush toys, a reversible comforter, a poster frame, a poster, a rug, etc. Having what you need planned out stops needless spending. This, along with having a theme narrowed my options and kept things affordable.
2. Spend time searching
Good, quality items are out there for an affordable price, but you definitely have to search. My favorite site for affordable decor is Amazon; largely because it has everything imaginable, but also because you can find things at an affordable price. I found all of the items on my list above on Amazon for what I found to be affordable. If any of this seems too time consuming, Dormify is an online site that shows you pictures of decorated dorms with their items. They have tons of themes and if you see one you like, you can add everything pictured to your cart. Their items are affordable as well. Pottery Barn also has quality items, and tons of them are on sale. Bottom line, if you see something you love and it is overpriced, or unaffordable, keyword search something similar and it’s likely you’ll find what you are looking for in just as good quality, at a lower price.
3. Shop with smaller businesses!
Many small businesses are very underrated. With them, I find I definitely get what I pay for and items are super unique. One of my favorites is thelamblabel. If you’re looking for rare decor that catches the eye, here you’ll find distinctive pieces for an affordable price. A lot of the time, small businesses offer quite a lot at an affordable value, so again it all comes down to making a list and searching.
Happy Decorating!