When your kids move away to go to college, it’s their time to make a mark on the world. They will finally have all the independence that they have probably craved throughout their teenage years. Plus, you won’t be there looking over their shoulder anymore! So, many college students feel that they are finally free to make all their big life decisions on their own for the very first time in their lives. That will certainly be very liberating for them!
And one of the first places they will want to make their mark is in their college dorm. Now that they have their very own space, they will be able to do whatever they want to it and decorate it however they like. You won’t be able to have any say in their bedroom design now that they no longer live under your roof! But, even so, it’s still a good idea to pass on some decor and organization tips to them so that they can create a college dorm room that is both comfortable and practical. Here are some great tips that you should pass onto them to ensure that they don’t make a big hash of their college dorm, and that they can turn it into a cozy home away from home!
Use Plenty Of Photos
It’s a good idea to remind your kids to take some family photos with them to uni. They should also gather together some pictures of their friends as well. Photos are a great addition to any decor and adding lots of familiar faces to the walls will make your child feel a bit less homesick once they first move out. They’ll be able to display their photos in frames or they can simply stick them to the walls. They just need to make sure that they don’t use pins or any adhesives that will damage the paintwork as that could lose them the deposit on the room!
Add Some Posters
As well as photos, your child should consider getting some posters to add to their walls. Again, these will need to be applied using an adhesive that won’t damage the paintwork on the walls. Whether your child prefers music or movies, there will be plenty of posters that I’m sure they will be into. They can check websites like All Posters to find some really cool movie posters. If they’d rather have a poster of their favorite band, they could pick one up at their next gig or concert.
Get Plenty Of Seating
When your child moves into their office dorm, they will probably find that there is only enough furniture for a single person. One bed, one chair - that might be it! If they are lucky, they might also find a very small sofa. So, as you can tell, there won’t be enough seating for them to have guests around. They’ll be allowed to add some extra pieces of furniture, though, so it’s worth getting some more chairs. They might also want to take a look at the Sack Daddy website to get some super-comfy bean bags. These will add some extra shape and color to the dorm room, which will make the overall interior design extra inviting to guests!
Take Extra Bedding For Guests
The college won’t supply any extra bedding for students to have guests stay over. That’s not to say that your child won’t be able to have guests stay in their room with them - they just won’t get any extra bedding for them! So, it’s a good idea to send your child off to college with an extra duvet and pillows. There won’t be an extra bed for any guests, so they should also take a sleeping bag and camp bed to make up for this. Camp beds can be easily folded up and stored away when not in use, so they won’t take up too much space in the dorm room.
Cover Tiled Flooring
You won’t be able to change the floor that is in the dorm room, but there are some ways you can cover it up. If your child moves into a carpeted dorm room, then there should be no reason to change it, as the carpet will provide the room with some warmth. However, tiled flooring can be very cold and could make the whole room come across as quite cool. There’s an easy way around this, though - just add some rugs! Rugs come in all shapes and sizes so your child will be able to find one that can cover most of the floor of their room and cover up as much of the tiles as possible.
Add Lamps To Dark Rooms
The majority of college dorm rooms are quite small and cramped. As a result, they will often feel quite dark and dim, which, in turn, can make the room feel even more cramped than what it actually is. To break this circle, you will need to open up the windows to let as much light flood in as possible. The best way to do this is to replace any dark and heavy curtains with some thinner ones. It’s also useful to get some curtains that come with bows or ties so that you can open them as wide as possible and tie them back so there is no chance of the material falling in front of the window.
Make A Wall Mural
If your child has a creative streak, then they might like the idea of making their very own wall mural in their college dorm room. This is a great way to create a focal point in the bedroom which will instantly attract everyone’s attention. There are lots of ways to create a mural, but the safest in a dorm room is to just stick a variety of things to the walls. Your child won’t be able to be too artistic and draw on the walls, so it’s best to keep things safe and just stick numerous posters, photos, and other cute decor additions onto the walls with some safe adhesives.
Take Advantage Of Washi Tape
I’ve mentioned a few times already in this post that you need to use some adhesives that won’t damage the walls too much when you are sticking the likes of photos and posters to them. The best adhesive for this is washi tape. This is long strips of tape that won’t leave any residue when you remove them from walls. The strips are easy to peel away from the surface onto which they are stuck, and they also won’t remove any of the paintwork with them. But that’s not the only reason for choosing washi tape. The tape itself is covered in colorful patterns and images, so it is also a great way to decorate your room. You could cover the edges of bookshelves with the paint to add a splash of color, for instance. You’ll be able to find washi tape in most DIY stores as well as online.
Get Some House Plants
Another way to instantly add some color to a college dorm room is to add plenty of house plants and flowers. You might even want to treat your child to a bouquet of beautiful flowers as a leaving gift for them. Plants will keep a lot longer than flowers, though, so it’s a good idea to encourage your child to get some plants as well. Don’t worry about your child neglecting the pot plants and leaving them to die - there are quite a few varieties that are very easy to look after and require little attention. Take cacti, for instance. These plants are originally from the desert and are used to getting by on very little water, so there is no reason to worry that your child might kill one by forgetting to water it! You can get lots of different types of cacti, some of which grow pretty little flowers, so it’s worth getting a few different ones to add some variety to the dorm room.
Invest In A Room Divider
If your child is moving into a shared college dorm room, then they might find that the lack of privacy is a bit of a struggle to get used to. There is an easy solution, though. They could simply buy a room divider. It’s possible to buy some really decorative dividing screen across the middle of a room so that they don’t have to see their roommate the entire time. If you think that it could come across as a bit rude, you could simply place the screen in front of the closet so that your child has a private space in which they can get dressed and undressed every day.
You will probably remember your college dorm from back in the day - was it slightly cold and sterile? Well, your child won’t have to worry about an unaesthetic room anymore thanks to these great tips! Don't forget to pass them onto them when they move out!
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