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Am I the only student on the planet who is interested in decorating my dorm room? Please tell me that I'm not the only Mad Decorator out there! What are your ideas for getting around the "no nail" rules, and ways for making such a small space beautiful and unique?

By Nabo (Nabo) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 05:29 am: Edit

I found this incredible spraypaint at Home Depot. It turns into a chalkboard. You spray it on anything and you can write on it with chalk. The best things is that you can scrub it away with a little bit of effort. I imagine you could have fun with that.

Another idea I had was to use sound canceling foam [the one with a pattern of small pyramids]. It's nice and soft, so you can jump up against it. Also it'll be considerate to others when you have your sound system booming in the middle of the night.

I was also thinking about getting cheap Persian rugs and hanging them up like tapestries. I think that would be a cool effect.

By Baltodad (Baltodad) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 10:12 am: Edit

My son isn't making any plans until he finds out his dorm and roommate assignments in mid-July. Preliminary thoughts include lofting the beds, with a futon under one and fridge/TV/Playstation under the other. Carpet remnant on the floor. Who-knows-what on the walls.

A rental fridge through the school-approved company (with attached microwave, no less!) seems to be the way to go, since he might move off-campus in soph year. There's a rental deal for lofts too, but they're ugly metal. The deal is that he's paying for any room upgrades with his own $, so the choice is his.

Anyone have any thoughts about the "memory foam mattress toppers" (knock-offs of those horribly expensive Tempur-Pedic pads that you see in the mall)?

By Cleveland (Cleveland) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 12:41 pm: Edit

Nabo, they also have paint that makes surfaces so they'll hold magnets.

By Anglophile (Anglophile) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 03:48 pm: Edit

Thanks for responding! As for my own ideas, I think the most important thing in a small space is to think vertical. I'm hanging a large colorful india inspired sarong (big soft piece of fabric) on the wall. I've seen students hang a big piece of fabric like this, and then attach other pictures to it so as to do as little damage to the wall as possible. I'm also thinking white Xmas lights around the room.

By Butrfly955 (Butrfly955) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 04:22 pm: Edit

Lots of plants to make it feel natural...also I'm bringing a big board that I do yoga on and I think I'm going to paint it orange and pink with some designs...I figure it will look nice propped against the wall and will add a little color to a typically melancholy space.

By Valpal (Valpal) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 04:31 pm: Edit

There's a sticky putty that you can buy at craft and home improvement stores that is great for hanging posters. It sticks well until you have to remove it, then it comes right off without damaging the walls. Just apply a small piece to each corner of your poster and press it against your wall. voila!

By Kyle8744 (Kyle8744) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 05:15 pm: Edit

some colored LED mood lights to put under the bed and desk.

By Jon (Jon) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 05:22 pm: Edit

a minibar

By Acennace (Acennace) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 07:06 pm: Edit

Framed cartoon for my wall and also my artworks!

By Scubasteve (Scubasteve) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 07:23 pm: Edit

lol im feeling ya jon

By Lildv (Lildv) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 07:44 pm: Edit

My friend said he used adhesive backed velcro for like everything...he used it on posters..and also to stick his remote to the wall so it wouldnt get lost. Also they have adhesive tabs that you just pull to release.

By Fiza (Fiza) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 11:05 pm: Edit

Lots and lots of posters.

I think you could have mucho fun decorating ur own posters. I'm making a "HS memories" one with lyrics from the Eve 6 song "here's to the night" and pics of friends and stuff from hs.

Oh does anyone know where to get CHEAP posters? The poster stores online and pretty expensive (for a future college student).

By Excusememixed (Excusememixed) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 11:25 pm: Edit

I'll be decorating..but not too much. I hope I don't get one of those "wannabe interior designers" who try and ease their ugly designs onto my side of the room.

By Alisone05 (Alisone05) on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 01:35 am: Edit

my sister did her entire ceiling in her dorm room w/ freebie cd's...she jsut stuck them up with double sided tape, bottom facing down, and tiled the whole ceiling w/ them. it gives a pretty cool effect, and if the room is small, wouldn't take too long. just make sure the double sided tape is some strong stuff, or the cd's wont stay up.

By Stopps86 (Stopps86) on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 11:23 am: Edit

I got these really pretty paper lantern string lights which I plan to put up. I also have a couple awesome posters to put up.

A friend of mine did some really cool things to her dorm room. She put up all these postcards all around some of the walls, but before she took pictures of different angles of the room while it was empty and hung some of the pictures up with the post cards in the place where the original pictures were taken (they were shaped like post cards). It looked really cool because you saw what the spot looked like before decorating, at the same time that you were looking at the finished product. Also, she bought a chinese umbrella and hung it upside down from the ceiling and it looked like a really cool lamp. She also took a large piece of fabric and hung it on the wall like a tapetry (like a rug but much less expensive).

By Lildv (Lildv) on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 03:04 pm: Edit

well excusememixed... I hope you do not get a roomate like me then. I'm just afraid my roomate will hate me because well...all of my stuff coordinates...and I plan on decorating a lot cuz otherwise the dorm rooms look so unwelcoming! So for my decorating: I found some cute striped sheets and a hawaiin looking flowered duvet cover from pottery barn...and a poster of a beach and palm tree (allposters.com is a good place to get kinda cheap posters) and a bunch of other fun beachy type stuff. Seeing as i will be in wisconsin and very far from any actual beach...might as well pretend im somewhere tropical.

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 03:41 pm: Edit

I used Velcro for everything. Strong enough to hold up sarongs (as tapestries).

It's hard to over-decorate a room. The more colour, the nicer it will be to spend a lot of your time there. You do end up spending a lot of time in the room - sleeping, studying, playing on the computer, and hanging out with friends.

By Excusememixed (Excusememixed) on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 06:07 pm: Edit

No..I don't mind decorating..I'm just not fond of ugly designs...like polka dots.

By Jenskate1 (Jenskate1) on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 10:56 pm: Edit

haha, lildv! I have a hawaiian type quilt from pottery barn, as well...I'm totally going to decorate my room...not like fancy or anything, but homey. My things coordinate too. lol.

It will be nice, i think.

Jenn

By Rondafaye (Rondafaye) on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 11:01 pm: Edit

Found an interesting site for comforters, etc., but it's definitely for girls only. Some of the stuff is quite alarming and obnoxious, but some is OK in small doses. The site is wakeupfrankie.com.

By Anglophile (Anglophile) on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 - 03:34 am: Edit

I just found a great site for dorm decorating ideas. It covers the basics, and has links to other websites. Wakeupfrankie is a good one.
www.rentaldecorating.com

By Lildv (Lildv) on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 - 06:07 pm: Edit

jenskate, dontcha just love pottery barn? I know I do! I'm just scared my roomate will like not be a big fan of bright colors! Most of my other friends seem to have gotten their roomate assignments... I still have yet to get mine! anyone else in the same boat on that one? If anyone finds any really good websites for dorm decorating ideas...please post them here! I need more ideas!

By Jenskate1 (Jenskate1) on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 - 09:38 pm: Edit

I don't have a roommate assignment yet...and i won't get it until at least july 4, probably later

By Wonduhbread (Wonduhbread) on Thursday, June 17, 2004 - 12:37 am: Edit

i hear ya jenskate. also, what is the deal with not being able to loft beds at some schools? seems to me it would be great for storage.

By Kwtortoise (Kwtortoise) on Thursday, June 17, 2004 - 01:00 am: Edit

My roommate assignment isn't until August. Seems like an eternity from now. Also, I won't know what kind of beds. Some of the beds are regular, other bunked, and some lofted. Lousy situation. But, the dorms are overall nice. I think they even have maid service for common areas and maybe the private bathrooms.

By Jon (Jon) on Thursday, June 17, 2004 - 01:09 am: Edit

since you probably wont take me up on the minibar idea, more seriously:

- chili pepper lights (because nothing says party like lights)
- nice posters (you can usually buy nice posters at record stores around your school or something)
- photos (although i'd suggest you leave all your high school memories behind you)
- a flag (in my case, a 3' by 5' CALIFORNIA state flag)
- sheets to put on ceiling/light (lots of girls do that stuff)

By Demonllama (Demonllama) on Thursday, June 17, 2004 - 01:33 pm: Edit

hey some of you are lucky. i won't find out who my roommate is (or whether or not i even get a room) until August 20th. and move in is September 11-12...so yeah, that sucks.

By Lildv (Lildv) on Thursday, June 17, 2004 - 01:48 pm: Edit

Now I don't feel so left out in not having my roomate assignment! woohoo

By Titanz05 (Titanz05) on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 07:17 pm: Edit

What exactly do you find out in August about your roommate when room assignments are distributed.

Just his/her name? Their home address..etc?

By Kwtortoise (Kwtortoise) on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 07:50 pm: Edit

Depends on the college. It seems like they usually give out a name, number, address, and maybe e-mail.

Then, you can talk a bit and get to know each other so the first few days are not so odd. Seems like a great idea. And, you can figure out who is bringing what.

By Platinumtlc (Platinumtlc) on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 10:20 pm: Edit

I'm going to be graduating next year. About roommates, is there like any way they determine who is your roommate? or is it computer generated? What if you get, like a roommate who is polar opposite, or ugly or something?

By Fiza (Fiza) on Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 12:26 am: Edit

stop talkin about roommates. if u must discuss not having a roommate or finding out about one, please start a new discussion.

sorry if i sound rude, i dont mean to, but I need advice on the topic of the thread: dorm decorating.

By Acennace (Acennace) on Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 08:01 pm: Edit

I'm thinking of bringing framed posters (like IKEA's), but I'm unsure of the surface are. Are these posters gonna be too huge? My university doesn't tell the height of the room, only the width and length.

By Gidget (Gidget) on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 10:11 am: Edit

I am excited about decorating my dorm. I have a few fabrics to hang on the walls around my posters and some cool lighting.

Acennace- I think you will be okay with the framed posters.

As a note for all those who plan to tack things to your walls instead of tape ... most colleges hand you a sheet at the beginning that has categories ( ie. walls, dressers, door) and you mark down anything that is wrong with your room in the beginning (ie. chip on desk, broken door handle, pin holes in walls) and then at the end they know if you caused the damages or they were there when you got there.
I found it helpful last year to mark pin holes on my initail sheet so I didn't get busted for them at the end of the year.

By Anglophile (Anglophile) on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 06:49 pm: Edit

Gidget, that's brilliant! Right now I'm looking at rugs and plants. Silk plants can really make a space homey, and real plants are even better. As for cheap rugs, I got a nice quality 4x6 pink floral rug from the Orange County Swap Meet for $70!!! Good cheap rugs are hard to find, but I wanted something to cover that nasty industrial dorm carpeting. I've been looking online, but most of those carpets are UGLY and overpriced. If you have a bigger budget than I do, Mary-Kate and Ashley have a line of rugs that are very nice for around $150.