I am a neat freak, interior design loving, freshman college student. I do not go to a preppy southern school where the girls like to team up and decorate their dorms (wouldn't that be lovely), but I do have a pretty cool dorm room, if I do say so myself. Due to my desire for a "Pinterest" worth dorm room, I have adapted just a few small tips and tricks to maximize space, keep it clean, and, of course, good looking.
1. Dryer Sheets
I have a thing about scents: they must be fresh and known to me. Additionally, I love the smell of laundry, hence the dryer sheets. I place dryer sheets in between all of my piles of folded clothing and replace them every few months. This way, my clothing stays static free and constantly smells like laundry, rather then the wooden drawer they are folded in!
2. Keurig
I know this one may seem straight forward, but having a Keurig has been so helpful and convenient for so many reasons other then coffee. Yes, it does make coffee, but the Keurig can do so much more then that. Oatmeal, hot water for tea, Ramen noodles (gross, but true), Easy Mac... there are so many different foods you can make by just using the Keurig! I have a small single serving one, meaning I pour the water in each time I use it, and its perfect for me. It replaces just about every need I would have for a microwave, it doesn't smell bad (like many microwaves do), AND it comes in a variety of adorable colors. So, if your hesitant on the Keurig front I highly recommend you get one before you decide to invest in a microwave, as it is not nearly as expensive.
3. House Lamps
No, I don't just do this for good selfie lighting, although it is nice. Having house lamps in my room has really helped to make it feel more like a comfortable living space then a stuffy old dorm room. I bought a lamp for near my bed and then a few other scattered throughout the room and they are SO much better then the painfully bright and yellow overhead lights. I bought a few lamps from Ikea, very inexpensive and easy to set up, and then a clip on lamp from Target for next to my bed. Overall, this, in addition to #4, has been the biggest thing to make my room actually feel like my room.
4 . Full Sized Room Rug
Originally I got this rug because I thought the floor would be cold in the winter (TBD, I will let you know when the time comes), but the rug has really made a huge difference in opening up the tiny space of my room as well as, just like the lights, turning it into a living space. I got a basic in door outdoor light brown rug that is the size of our floor and it really added to the look and feel of the room. Additionally, I put a small white shag rug by my bed, which matched my bedding. All in all, a great purchase that I know I will be able to use next year as well!
5. Poof with Storage
I have a lot of shoes and I have a very, very tall bed. While a lot of people get poofs to add a decoration to the room, my room is very small so when I am adding objects to the room they need to serve multiple purposes. So, my poof not only adds to the decor, but it also provided me with a place to store my many pairs of shoes, an additional sitting place, as well as a stool for me to get up on my bed (yes, it is that high and yes, I am that short). I got mine for $12 from Ikea and it has been great!
Xoxo,
Salut Sophie