Top 4 Hacks BEFORE Starting Your Dorm Decorating

There are a lot of essential lists out there as you plan for your freshman year in college or help your son or daughter plan for their first year of dorm life.  But before you start buying anything, probably the most important thing that you can do is take the time to do some research and make a plan. 

1.       Budget – How much do you have and want to spend on your room?  It is where you or your young adult will be living for the next 9-ish months but then it will all have to come apart to go into storage, come home for the summer or move to the next living space.  My point is think it through; I cannot tell you how much ends up in the dumpster. Be strategic and also remember that some “investment pieces can be sold or saved for the next collegian in the family )hutches, headboards, etc.)

2.       Research dimensions – Check with the housing office at your university.  Dig through their web pages, some may have Pinterest pages too.  Most provide room as well as furniture dimensions along with rules and guidelines regarding electronics (Usually, refrigerators and microwave ovens at specific wattage numbers are fine) and hanging things on walls.  Some are definitely more detailed than others, but the more information you have the better decisions you will be able to make.

3.       Map things out – Most dorm rooms, particularly those that are older, have small closets.  One way to really figure out what you can and cannot fit in your room is to mark space out with painter’s tape on the floor, especially the closet!  If a dorm closet is 5’ x 3’ and the closet at home is much larger than that, it is safe to say that you will need additional storage. Storage - wow that is a whole other post. To Loft or not to loft, is it really a question?  I have yet to meet a college student who does not need extra space in their room. If a loft kit is an option for your dorm, sign up for it. TODAY!!  The real question becomes how high?  And how can you best put that space to work for you? I answer those questions in a blog post linked at the bottom of this post.

4.       Start a Pinterest Board.  I personally love to start with a sharable Pinterest board for this kind of a project.  There is nothing like a visual place where everyone can pin favorites and get ideas flowing; determine a style and color scheme that everyone can get excited about. It also is a great way to carry your ideas with you as you shop.. 

That’s it!!  My four top tips to make the dorm decorating process much easier!!  Start with a budget and know how much you want to spend, do your research, know what you can do and make a pinterest board to help you shop and put together your look.  Trust me, these four tips will make life much easier as you begin to look for what is needed to start you on the process.

Want more great tips and information as your children leave the nest?  Join my email list and be the first to know anytime I post something new on the blog.   Also, do me a favor please and take a moment to let me know what you think!  Comments are always welcome and are all read. 

If you are interested in learning about other storage solutions for college students, go to my post titled about first apartments titled stylish storage solutions. https://www.partialtopearls.com/blog/stylish-storage-solutions Many of our storage solutions were recycled from the first dorm room for the first apartment.