Every Decor Piece We Bought For My Sister’s College Dorm Room! (Aesthetic, Cute, & Trendy)
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In need of some decorating ideas for your dorm? I’ve got you covered!
In this post, I’m sharing details on all of the decorations we bought to decorate my sister Olivia’s freshman year college dorm room.
She just wrapped up her first year in a Physician Assistant Program and absolutely loved her dorm!
She did have a roommate, but this post will just focus on Olivia’s side of the room. For decor, she wanted a trendy dorm with a cute and girly aesthetic.
She’s also huge ‘Friends’ fan, so we made her a whole display of Friends-themed mugs, picture frames, and other cute things to decorate her dresser with.
Read on to see how we put everything together, hung up wall decor, where we found everything, and for some decorating tips!
*Small note, I tried to link to as many of the original products as I could, but if I couldn’t find it, I linked a similar option for you to check out.
Bed
All the details on Olivia’s bedding and bed decor!
Headboard
From: Dormify
For her bed, we went with a super pretty neutral color palette, starting with this headboard from Dormify.
This headboard is perfect if you’re looking for something simple that’ll go with any decor style but something that’s not plain or boring.
Plus, it even has a charging strip built into the side so you can use your devices in bed while they’re plugged in.
Bedding
From: HomeGoods
Next, bedding! My mom found this gorgeous fringe comforter at HomeGoods that I’m seriously considering buying a larger version of for my apartment.
I love white bedding in small spaces like dorms and studio apartments. To me, they brighten up the space and make it feel just a little bit bigger. Always a plus for dorm living!
Related: How To Create the Ultimate Aesthetic Danish Pastel Dorm Room!
Throw Pillows
Square & Rectangle Pillows: HomeGoods, Flower Pillows: Amazon
How cute are those flower pillows? Funny story - I actually got Olivia the smaller one for her birthday without realizing her friend got her the same pillow but larger.
It ended up working out though and I think they look beautiful paired with the brown, beige, and white pillows behind it.
I looove the texture on all of those pillows, too. If you feel like your dorm decor looks a little plain and you’re not sure how to spice it up, try adding textured decor.
It can be through pillows or even another decor piece of your choosing. Also, throw pillows themselves can be a great way to spice up a boring space!
Chair Pillow
From: HomeGoods, Similar Option: Amazon
I had one of these in my freshman dorm and for all those times I didn’t feel like working at my desk, this was the perfect solution.
Chair pillows make a great gift idea for college students too - we love the ability to sit/lay in bed and get stuff done while still being comfy!
Bed Skirt
Here’s a similar one from Amazon! I don’t remember where the original is from - we bought it four years ago for my freshman dorm.
Since we already had this bedskirt, the gray color stands out a little from the rest of the neutral theme going on in the bed, but I still think it looks cute!
Definitely save money where you can and re-use decor your older siblings don’t use/want anymore.
But if you do plan on buying a new bedskirt, try matching it to the colors in your bed for a well coordinated and aesthetically pleasing theme.
Bedskirts aren’t an absolute necessity in a dorm room, but if you’re going to be using the space underneath your bed for storage, I definitely recommend getting one to cover up what’s underneath.
I find it just helps to make your dorm look a little bit neater!
Rug
We brought it from home, we’ve had this for years and I don’t remember where we got it from. ): But hey, it goes with the neutral bed theme!
Wall
From plain to cute and trendy!
Strip Lights
From: Amazon
I feel like these are a staple of dorm decor now! The ones in Olivia’s dorm wrap around the door and the entire room - including on her roommate’s side. It has a ton of gorgeous color options too.
They look super cool during the day but especially so at night, so if you get some, definitely play around with the color settings at night for some extra cozy and aesthetic vibes.
How we hung them up: all we had to do for these was peel off the adhesive backing and stick them right onto the wall. Nice and easy!
Photo Collage
From: Etsy (I couldn’t find the original product but I’ve linked one in a similar style!)
Here’s a decor trend that’s a personal favorite of mine! I just love the concept of having a pretty photo collage in your room - almost like a vision board.
It’s just one of those things that makes you smile every time you look at it, and who wouldn’t want that in their dorm
How we hung it up: sticky putty! Perfect for hanging up lightweight wall decor like photo prints. Plus, it’s easy to peel off when it’s time to move out and doesn’t damage the wall paint.
Hanging Shelves
From: Amazon
I adore the simple and minimalist style of floating and hanging shelves!
My biggest tip when it comes to decorating with multiple of these is to hang them up on a diagonal like in the picture above.
This technique creates a bit more “movement” in your decor. It makes your space more dynamic and visually interesting to look at.
How we hung it up: good old fashioned command strip hooks!
Related: 25 Things NOT To Pack For Your Dorm Room (From A College Junior)
Dresser
How we decorated Olivia’s dresser and the wall space right above it.
Neon Whale Tail Light
From: Amazon
Mini neon signs are just so cute, especially this whale tail one from Amazon.
This sign is perfect for adding a beachy touch to any dorm room - even when you’re nowhere near the ocean like us!
How we hung it up: we used these sticky command hooks! I love that they’re clear so they’re not super distracting from the overall aesthetic of the sign.
Shelf Display
The original is from Tj Maxx, but here’s a similar alternate from Amazon!
We obviously used this display as dresser decor, but you’ve probably seen these on desks a ton too.
They’re super helpful for keeping your workspace organized and your desk surface clear!
‘Friends’ Decor
Here’s some cute inspiration on how to incorporate your love for your favorite movie or TV show into your dorm room! Using mugs is a great idea because then your decor will be both functional and aesthetic.
Related: Super Aesthetic Desk & Tech Accessories To Help You Be More Motivated + Productive in College
Instax Mini Film Camera
From: Amazon
So obviously, this is a functioning camera, but they’re just so darn cute and make adorable display pieces when you’re not using them!
Desk
Olivia’s desk setup for success!
Desk Organizers
Rotating caddy (similar version linked): from Amazon
Wood organizer with drawers: We got this at Tj Maxx years ago - I was probably in middle school!
Some kind of desk organizer - whether it be a caddy, pencil holders, drawer organizers, etc., are a dorm room must have in my opinion.
Between pencils, pens, folders, notebooks, erasers, tech accessories, and whatever else you might need for studying, it’s easy for your desk to get messy!
Organizers like the ones above are an easy and cute way to help keep your space neat so you can focus on studying instead of trying to find lost supplies amidst all the clutter.
Mini Desk Calendar
From: Target, item unavailable (similar one linked here)
So you can always look up and instantly know the date! Just remember to flip it every morning or the night before.
Mini Fake Plants & Flowers
From: we found these at Tj Maxx and HomeGoods, but you can find similar ones at any decor store. I usually get mine from Amazon and Target.
Many dorms do allow live plants in them (always check your university’s rules before buying plants) but I’ve always opted for fake ones, and Olivia did the same.
Neither of us know much about gardening, and love the fresh atmosphere that fake plants bring to our space without the added responsibility of having to take care of it.
Vanity Light Up Mirror
Original: from Tj Maxx, similar alternate from Amazon
Perfect for getting ready for class in the morning at your desk!
Lamp
From: Target (item unavailable)
Desk lamps are another dorm room must have for those late night work sessions.
I’m a fan of this simple one from Target that has a tray as its base for a little extra storage.
Outro & Closing Thoughts
And that’s every decor piece from Olivia’s freshman year dorm room!
I hope you got some inspiration and even a couple of tips from this post, and best of luck with moving in and decorating your dorm.
Thank you for reading!
For handmade digital art prints, icon packs, wallpapers, & more designed by me, be sure to stop by my digital boutique: Designed By Nikki Lo.
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