Dorm Life, how to make it work.

[pointup]

Ok, I really am excited to live in a dorm. Aside for the fact that they are really ugly (see pictures.. the beds will most likely be lofted however) .. I'm not sure of any creative ways to cover walls (no use of nails.. just sticky tack stuff).. i'm thinking of getting a tapestry/cool old sheet? How can I display pictures in a totally un teeny-bopperish way?

I trust in tFS to give me some good ideas on how to improve aesthetics in my room..But.. I'M SCARED MY ROOMMATE IS GOING TO BE TACKY!

 

[Luna]

you could always pin pictures to the sheet if you hang one on your wall.
i had one of those memory boards to put my pictures on.. I still use it.. i'm too lazy to buy frames. if you dont want to do that.. get a big piece of cork and attach it to your wall.... make your whole wall cork if you want...
just please don't get those glow in the dark stars.

 

[cupkate]

curtains! they work wonders in making it feel more homey. my roommate and i bought a few different sheer green fabrics and draped them.
also if you have room, take out the chairs they provide you for the desks (put them in the lounge, we had one on each floor, or something then at the end of term return them for inspection) and use a chair from home or buy one at a thrift store. the ones they provide are never comfortable anyway.

the walls will cover themselves. it always happens. don't worry about that.
lunas idea about the cork wall is great.
and the glow stars! the horror.

 

[pointup]

but i bought 20 packs of glow stars

thanks for your help luna and cupkate..

 

[P.Peach]

Drape exotic fabrics alllll over the place. You can normally get small amounts at a discount price (since they are the left overs). You can make pillows, slip covers for those office chairs by the desk... if you get larger amounts of fabric, you can drape some around the beds, since they may be lofted.

 

[Luna]

yes.. draping is an awesome idea, PPeach...

Drape around both the bottom bed and top bed so you each have your own privacy.. you can attach some velcro and that way the drapes close.. plus it'll keep a lot of light out if you're a light sleeper...

 

[marcj]

Jonathan Adler has some great stuff..... www.jonathanadler.com

 

[wannabe_gisele]

Aparmenttherapy.com has lots of ideas for small spaces. Their "small home challenge" is the best for ideas. Maybe you can find something there.

 

[coeur]

your dorm is better than the dorm i stayed before! it was very dark with ugly beds & dirty walls! & yet it was considered the best girl school in the metro!

 

[cloud9]

im not too crazy about draping sheets all over... new curtains should be enough. i used to cover my walls with pictures, magazine pages, and posters..oh and lots of ppl buy paper lanterns from urbn..

well. its not really a decoration idea.. but get some scented candles.. (illegal in 99% of dorms, but who cares )

ive lived in dorms for 7 yrs so i kinda gave up on decorating my walls.. its a pain to put things up and take them down every year

 

[pointup]

QUESTION.

I want to find some good cheap bedding.. Just a fun comforter or quilt. I would wait until I moved and go to ikea but I can't tell what they have because the textiles section of their website isn't exactly well "stocked".

Urbn has a poor selection right now (only sale, I find their other apartment objects to be soooo overpriced!).. and some of the stuff even at Target is a little to spendy for what you get..

 

[travolta]

if you can snag an ikea bedspread go for it. infact, ikea is your dorm solution --where was it when i was buying stuff for college??


i like the idea of pining pictures to a sheet. white walls in a dorm room are rarely cozy. also, lighting is KEY. the flourescent dorm room lights are depressing. so buy yourself some nice ambient lamps and a good reading light. a colorful rug or two will brighten up the floor.


oh, and don't forget you can always go thrifting for cheap lamps and random other accessories. will you have a car? i could point you in the right direction for cool thrift stores

 

[invertedpanda]

Get a large sheet of metal (something that magnets will attache to) that is lightweight, and some of those magnetic poetry things.

Your furniture looks a lot like mine @ my college. I have one more semester left, and then I graduate

 

[Kimkhuu]

I think adding a cute fun wallpaper in colors like mint or purple could add lots of fun..... The possibilities are endless......

You can also add funky colored lamps too....... Call me tacky, but Urbn makes really cool colored room decoration accessories... Their colorful tapestry, pillows and chairs are so much fun!!!!!

 

[Kimkhuu]

Just for you Pointup : great picks from Urban outfitters that I like...... I hope you find something great there!

Cool curtains - 48$

Cool curtains - 36$

Printed mirror - 34$

Silk Floral Sconce - 12$

Sweet dots bedding set - 69.99$

Hawaiian Sunset Wall Mural - 120$

Manhattan lights wall mural - 120$

all pics from urbanoutfitters.com

 

[PrinceOfCats]

but i bought 20 packs of glow stars

Just say they're post modern

 

[Sunkist]

I agree with the person who said lighting is KEY. Not only in terms of aesthetics, but in terms of preserving your eyesight! Make sure you get a desk lamp, and if you do plan on reading in bed, a bedside lamp as well.

Also, it's probably a good idea to talk to your roommate over the phone or in person before deciding on how to decorate any shared areas.

 

[DressageChick]

I have to start dorm life this year too. This thread is helping with decoration ideas.

 

[star]

i really like those items from urbn. im going to take a look

 

[Luna]

QUESTION.

I want to find some good cheap bedding.. Just a fun comforter or quilt. I would wait until I moved and go to ikea but I can't tell what they have because the textiles section of their website isn't exactly well "stocked".

Urbn has a poor selection right now (only sale, I find their other apartment objects to be soooo overpriced!).. and some of the stuff even at Target is a little to spendy for what you get..

I actually got a great deal at target for my bedding... and I got a different set at K-mart... it was cheap!! 20 bucks for everything... comfortor, pillowcases, fitted sheet, flat sheet. Gotta love that Martha Stewart