Dorm Life, how to make it work.

[travolta]

i like this ikea lamp:

^ plastic mini lamp only 3.99


btw. i usually never spent an arm and a leg, because i was constantly moving!

 

[strawberry daiquiri]

btw. i usually never spent an arm and a leg, because i was constantly moving!

And that would have been more difficult without arms and legs?

 

[travolta]

^ psshh!

 

[waukon73]

Ugh, I lived in a dorm all summer. I wish this had been here then.

 

[FashionFriendly]

Pointup, the picture of your dorm room looks like a jail cell...yah you definately need to do some majore decorations to make look normal.

 

[Kimkhuu]

^ Sad but true! But we're all here to help our dear Pointup turn her room into the coolest in town!!!!!

A few more great items I hope you like from Ikea:

Vork rug - 25$

Sheepskin rug - 19.99$

Beakta mobile - 3.99$

Poster - 9$

All from Ikea.com

 

[pointup]

thanks so much everyone.. yes I do love ikea


it does look like a jail cell

 

[Snow-White]

i bought a pretty printed rug

big huge square pillows to lie on

good bedcovers, just because you live in a dorm doesnt mean it doesnt have to look pretty

a soft board comes in handy



your dorm doesnt look so bad ... mine was worse. LOL

 

[Winter-Blossom]

If you're looking for cheap bedding... please don't laugh at me here, but try wal-mart, the olsen girls' line... seriously, for living in a dorm in which you may end up spilling stuff on, moving, having undesirable roomates doing undesirable things on... It's just not worth it to spend too much money decorating it. Still, as a recent graduate who understands the need for cute and homey, it really is all about the lighting... Also, try collage; I did this all over my dorm wall with stuff that I collected from the semester like party invites, raves I attended (okay, I was a freshman living in a dorm a while ago!), flyers from events, letters from home, cards, Pictures... get creative and when the semsester or year is over, get a scrapbook and put it all together to preserve the amazing memories of college!!!! Good luck!

 

[waukon73]

*bump* I like this thread to much to let it die. I will be living back in a dork again in less then 4 monthes. *look of unconditional glee*

 

[claruska]

I wish I had found this board before I had arrived at uni! I still don't quite know what is going on on my side of the room. It's come to a purple trend, and I don't even like purple! Thankfully, my roommate also loves fashion editorials and ads, so we have those on the walls around the room. I'll try to get some pictures soon!

 

[Velouria]

I've never lived in a dorm (my uni offers apartments to some students) but a lot of my friends have. Rugs and curtains are key! My friend made her room looki a million times better and less drab just by adding bright pink curtains and a colorful, fluffy rug.

 

[maganda_x3]

the walls of my room are completely covered in magazine clippings, one of them is covered with ONLY black and white fashion ads and pictures from magazines. i love it, i always catch myself just staring at it, and its a good convo starter with people in your dorm. give it a try!

 

[elschic111]

i like this ikea lamp:

please see tFS guidelines- no photo quoting

^ plastic mini lamp only 3.99


btw. i usually never spent an arm and a leg, because i was constantly moving!

Lol no way! I have that lamp in my dorm room.

I'm into the mostly white, some neutrals (beige for the most part when I deviate from white) and then some simple sweet or pretty or interesting stylish touches. I have a nice looking white bedspread, it is a smooth, I don't know exactly what the material is...it's not shiny and doesn't quite have a sheen but it's not dull. I don't know if it's brushed something or other? Anyway, the carpet is beige, and I have quite mosquito netting (not too much, just a tad) draped on a rod over my bed (which is right next to ugly old blinds) to draw your attention away from the blinds a little bit--not to give an island villa look or anything).

Then I add touches of color. I have small color photos of my friends (i modified them and printed them at a small size, in little squares) and then arranged them in a grid. I have some photographs I like, such as a couple photographs of "Spiral Jetty" by Robert Smithson done by a photog named Martin Hogue. I put them in simple white frames from Ikea.

It is also nice to put up some magazine pictures--some of the ones that are like art, photographs that really speak to you, not ads (lol my roommate last year put up Tiffanys and Coach ads... !!! but if that is your thing go for it).

I reccommend looking in mags like Numero or Paris Vogue or Italian Vogue etc.

I also put a couple fake butterflies (super realistic looking) that I found at Pottery barn a few weeks ago. I took the blue one, white one, the black and red one and the yellow one from the kit.

Now I am working on making a sort of art installation of my wall - with little pieces of mirror and some realistic fake flower petals. I drew inspiration for this from a piece I saw at a museum. Anyway, we shall see!

Mirrors and light are also VERY important...I agree with that totally.

Also, to make life simpler, I find that it's really a good idea to think about what you need--like sit down and make a list of everything--and then think about where it is going to go...it will help you choose furniture and storage accessories so you don't have to worry about organizing things later.

Here are some links for people trying to decorate their dorms:

(My tastes are really not the target/urban outfitters for the most part...I don't like the colors. I prefer a little more subdued and less "democratise" i think the word is in french...I don't like it once it becomes something seen everywhere, I like things that I won't tire of...I like clean lines, and subtle points of interest.) Anyways...

www.momastore.com
www.thecontainerstore.com
http://www.artecnicainc.com/products/P/curtainpage.html
http://momastore.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&categoryId=10256&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=10851
http://www.shopwildthings.com/index.html

for ideas on arranging things for "wall installations, see: http://jpricharddesign.com/

 

[jdrumstik]

yeah, trust me your dorms are beatiful compared to mine. Mine are just screaming 1970's back when my university was a 2 year school.

I actualy live in apartments across the street. They suck so hard. I hate it. I want to move.

Anyways, as far as posters go. Buy a $6 frame at wal-mart and put like 2 or 3 of them up. It will look way nice.

 

[waukon73]

I'm moving back into a dorm less then a month. What are some cheap cool ways to make your room look unique?

 

[pinkvolvo]

IKEA, omg!!! IKEA has the most affordable furniture for students ever!! (prices in canadian dollars)

19.99


[ removed lamp pick 'cause it was already posted, SUCH A GREAT DEAL!!]

59.99

CREDIT: www.ikea.com

 

[gius]

i suggest adding some cute plants
and if your roommate doesn't mind, also have some kind of essential oils (ie. mint scent, sandalwood, etc.) in a small container to "keep your room fresh"

 

[Elegance.Is.Refusal.]

i must admit my room is i mish mash of everything

i didnt buy anything because im going to be somewhere else every year i wont invest until i settle somewhere plus things are so easily broken!

but if i did start buying things then i would be heading straight to ikea its the best place ever

 

[chrissytina119]

For my dorm room and even apartment bedrooms in college me and my roommate of all four years have a tropical theme that is a lot of fun, a little cheap looking, but hey in college your still allowed to be cheap or tacky . We use bright aqua fabric to cover the walls, and then have beach posters on the walls, with our own pictures, and then a fake party pineapple hanging from the ceiling, and a mexican paper hanging decoration strung over the room with xmas lites. So my advice is go to a party store, pick up some cheap decorations, and include lots of colour, go with your personality! But definitely cover up the blah walls with fabric, it makes a big difference!