HERES A RIDDLE FOR YOU…
What do DORM rooms, Studio Apartments and OLD COUNTRY HOUSES have in common?
ANSWER: THEY are all places I have lived!
I HAVE MOVED OVER 15 TIMES, and the bulk of those moves happened before I was 30. By the time I was 7 my Mom knew that the key to keeping me happy and helping me transition was to send the troops ahead and get MY room ready FIRST . The original DIY-er, my Mom involved me in the process each step of the way : Choosing colors, fabrics, accessories…and lighting. We would pour over paint chips and drool over wallpaper books… she herself would make my bed spreads and shams and curtains…and by the time we moved in…I had a place to call my own. It really DID help the transition and in the process I learned so many important lessons about decorating, especially bedrooms and small places…and these lessons have served me well, over the years. IN addition, I learned to look FORWARD not BACKWARD…and I swear it has helped me deal with change my whole life..
THINK FORWARD!
4 key components to decorating
DORM ROOMS, BEDROOMS (ESPECIALLY SHARED ONES) AND SMALL APARTMENTS ARE:
1. BEDDING, PILLOWS, LINENS AND RUGS THAT complement each other and are COORDINATED BUT ARE NOT MATCHY – MATCHY.
2. STORAGE THAT IS EASY ON THE EYES – AS WELL AS FUNCTIONAL AND SERVES DUAL PURPOSES…SEATING AND STORAGE…
3. CREATIVE WAYS TO DECORATE THE WALLS AND DISPLAY ART WITHOUT NAILS .
4. COLOR CONTROL. CHOOSE A SIMPLE PALATE, WHEN ALL OF YOUR STUFF GETS IN THERE, THAT WILL BE BUSY ENOUGH!
1. BEDDING, PILLOWS, LINENS AND RUGS THAT COORDINATED BUT WERE NOT MATCHY MATCHY
College is A LOT of work. The days are long and quite often the most relaxing time of the long days comes when you crawl into your little twin dorm bed. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT skimp on sheets. treat yourself, get cute ones, soft ones, high quality 100% cotton sheets that make you happy, despite the home sickness that creeps in from time to time…and if YOU, Mom are doing the shopping, pick something that brings back a touch of home. The Dorm will be his or her home!
PILLOWS!!!PILLOWS! PILLOWS!
one girls could get the navy…
and one the pink!
- coordinated fabrics…..
complementary colors…NEVER too much of any one color…
I AM A HUGE FAN OF QUILTS….WITH WHITE DUVETS…..they NEVER SEEM TO LOOK MESSY NO MATTER HOW UNMADE THE BEDS ARE….
and this rug can go from the dorm to their first living room!
2. STORAGE THAT IS EASY ON THE EYES AS WELL AS FUNCTIONAL AND SERVED DUAL PURPOSES
WE ALL KNOW THAT FOOT LOCKERS ARE A GREAT WAY TO STORE AND CAN DOUBLE AS TABLES…OR SEATING….
- COLORFUL FOOT LOCKERS…MORE COLORS HERE ON PB TEEN
AND NOW THERE ARE SO MANY MORE WAYS TO MAXIMIZE STORAGE!!!
I WISH I HAD HAD ONE OF THESE!!!
- IKEA BED THE WHOLE UNDERSIDE IS STORAGE!!!
- PINTEREST – UTILIZE CREATIVE STORAGE SOLUTIONS
- I WOULD DIE FOR THIS locker bed from PB TEEN FOR THE BOYS!!!!
- SERIOUSLY!!! My husband would love this too!!!!!
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LOCKER BED!!!!
- 20 Bushel Canvas Hamper – think of the possibilities!!!including additional places to sleep!
- BEAD BOARD END OF THE BED STORAGE – PBTEEN – you can take any box and put a lid on it…voila..storage…add a cushion..seating!
- FURRY SHOE STORAGE OTTOMAN FROM PBTEEN
- and don’t forget the little things…pretty storage adds a pop od color and pizazz to drab dorm rooms!…
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pb teen preppy jewel boxes ohhh and matching sheets for those cold nights when Mom is not there to tuck you in!!!!
dottie flannel sheets pbteen - 3. CREATIVE WAYS TO DECORATE THE WALLS AND DISPLAY ART WITHOUT NAILS .
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no nails pin board pb teen - I am NUTS about this peel and stick wallpaper!!oh the possibilities!!!!!!
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PURE HOME – REMOVABLE WALLPAPER GET CREATIVE!!!
WHERE WE ARE BLOG REINVENTING THE BULLITEN BOARD!
WHO SAYS YOU CANT HAVE PATTERN AND COLOR!- BULLITEN BOARD FOR DISPLAY MAKE A SPOON MIRROR!
DIY SPOON MIRROR FROM COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE 
I ADORE THESE KEITH HARING WALL DECALS! 
KAREN AND I HAD A WHOLE COLLECTION OF CAST OFF WOODEN COKE AND PEPSI CRATES THAT WE USED TO STORE JEWELRY AND SMALLER TOILETRIES. FLIKR 4. COLOR CONTROL. CHOOSE A SIMPLE PALATE, WHEN ALL OF YOUR STUFF GETS IN THERE, THAT WILL BE BUSY ENOUGH!
Here are just a few examples of rooms that stick to a simple color scheme…paving the way for the LIFE in the room to fill it up.
PINTEREST WITH COLOR…ALWAYS REMEMBER…A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY! NOTE HERE, THE BEDDING IS ALL WHITE…THEY DID NOT TRY TO PULL THE COLORS INOT THE BEDDING, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN OVERKILL….KEEP IT SIMPLE….
lamaisondannag 
DESI CRESWELL 
VT INTERIORS!!!! . NOTE WHITE BEDDING WITH POPS OF COLOR! ******************************************************************************************
IT ALL HAPPENS TOO FAST…one minute you are decorating their nursery and in what amounts to the blink of an eye…you are packing them off to college. Even if your son or daughter is not very interested in decorating…they are going to want to be comfortable and have adequate storage…and planning their Dorm room, even just directing them to the right places to pull the ingredients together seems like a great way to share the experience…
Have a Great Day!
Great tips! I never thought I’d say it, but I almost wish I had a dorm room to dress up!
I’m faced with helping my Grandparents scale down even more into a tiny assisted living apartment and I think there are a LOT of good tips here in the dorm room decorating. Especially the color and cheerfulness. This makes the decorating process for them a lot more fun!
My freshman year I actually met my roommates ahead of time to go shopping for stuff for the dorm. It was tricky, because there were 4 of us, so our room didn’t look super put-together. However, we made sure nothing terribly clashed, and all agreed on the bathroom decor. It was also really nice when we moved in not to be just meeting them for the first time.
This is such a great story! And I think you are right, it is a good way to get to know your new dorm-mates…and it sounds like you made some wonderful memories in the meantime. xo
I love hearing this and I think there are so many life long friendships which start with the decorating of the dorm room!
Ahhhh….! This is so timely. We leave in 2 days to take my firstborn to college & have been busily gathering & making things for his dorm room (duvet, pillows, fabric covered bulletin board) so I love that you said your mom did that for you and it helped with the transition! My dining room is the “dorm staging area” & is ready to be boxed up tonight & tomorrow. Love your blog – keep the inspiration coming 🙂
Ah Mary, it just goes too fast. I hope the drop off went okay and that you are doing well. xo