Decking Out the Dorm Room
Excitement is in the air! Parents and students are gearing up for the big trip to (or back to) college. It’s an exciting time and there is a flurry of preparation and anticipation. One of the best ways to make your son or daughter feel at home in their new digs is to give them a chance to choose the style of their decor. Time to let go a little and let their personality and taste shine through. Dorm rooms are usually pretty basic so they’ve got a blank canvas to work with (within reason).
I have a few tips that may help you agree on the things they choose and you pay for.
- Have your child call their roommate and chat a bit so they can coordinate their styles. Just agreeing on a basic color palette will help immensely. (I started college in the late 80’s and our palette of choice was light grey, pastel pink and peach. Yikes!)
- Kids may not realize their limitions in decorating so give them the lowdown on where they can show their style: bedding, table lamps, towels, artwork, rugs and technology.
- Having a place to put the “stuff” is vital. Hooks for towels, shelves for books, clothes hangers, boxes and bins help keep a small space livable.
- Storage is usually minimal so bed boosters and slim storage help create some much-needed space.
- Choose bedding that is easy to wash and hides stains. Pizza and white sheets don’t mix.
- Have an area set up to store food with a couple of place settings of plastic wear.
Dorm room decor is hugely popular these days so you will find that some of our vendors have created a specific “dorm room” section on their websites. These include affordable options, a focus on twin bedding, and large selections of items in coordinating colors. They also offer checklists that will come in handy so you don’t forget anything vital. Some of the sites I ran across:
Pottery Barn Teen - Dorm Central
Linens-N-Things - Destination Dorm 2008
Enjoy spending time with your children and send them back to school with a bang!
