Friday, July 19, 2013

Dorm Decorating Mistakes


Contemplating you new college life? Getting excited about making your new space your very own? Her's some mistakes that you'll want to avoid.


As you embark on your college adventure, you are digesting the good, the bad, and quite possibly the ugly of your dorm. College dorms are not often known for their beauty, but there are plenty of decorating tips that will help you make the space your own. Of course there are also plenty of decorating disasters that can make your space feel less like the cozy erudite study pad it should be and more like a dank cave of clutter.

1. Matching is Madness - Resist the urge to be matchy, matchy with your roommate. It's possible to have a cohesive decorating plan without matching completely. Color palettes, patterns and styles can intersect in a unique way that shows the individual personalities without seeming too coordinated. When a room is identical on each side, it is hard to see where you begin and where your roommate ends.



2. Low Light - Proper lighting is so important to a learning and living environment. Dorm rooms, like many apartments, have atrocious lighting. There are often fluorescent lights or overhead lighting that aren't a great solution for studying at 2am. Investing in a few floor lamps, a desk lamp or a clamp lamp can make a huge impact in improving your study habits and ensuring that your roommate doesn't go to bed angry.

3. You Can't Bring it All - Clutter can make a small space seem even smaller. Resist the urge to bring too much stuff from home. While it is a great idea to bring personal mementos to remind you of home, too much stuff can become overpowering and create clutter. If you have items at home that you grow to miss during your first semester, switch out some items when you leave for a holiday or break.

4. Don't be Dull - Dorm rooms are boring and ugly. This is what you have to work with: boring and ugly. The simplest personal touches will help transform the dreary in to delightful. Add a lively comforter with throw pillows. Have some curtains made for your window. Spread a rug, a real rug, on your floor. Resist the urge to buy a rug from a box store. Try shopping for a rug that not only enhances your decor, but perfectly fits your space and your personality. You'd be surprised how lovely it feels to wake up and walk on plushness, rather than a cold hard floor. Also a rug can help expand your sitting options, particularly since the furniture in a dorm is very limited.


Add Some Shag
5. Too Much Emptiness - Don't make the mistake of avoiding clutter by bringing nothing. Depending on your college experience and location, you may not have the opportunity to bring a large amount of items from home, however, you can still try to add to your space to make it your own. An empty stark dorm room can be just as uncomforting as a cluttered, overdecorated room. Find your happy medium.

6. Decorating is More than Just Bringing your Stuff - Even though you have brought some personal mementos from home, you still will want to add to your space to make it feel more like home. Choose a color palette, decorating style or pattern by which to coordinate accessories and bedding. Again, remember, more is not exactly better, so be smart about your decorating. There are plenty of DIY ideas that cost less, take up less space and still let your personality show through.



7. No Storage - Without storage, your room will become a mess very quickly. Your roommate will hate your mess encroaching on their space and you will hate that you can't every find anything. Adding a few simple storage bins, baskets, totes or tray will help hide the clutter and help you stay organized at the same time.

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