A Guide to Aesthetic Dorm Room (+ Inspo)

As you embark on your university journey, you might find yourself coming across new changes, one of which is the place you call home. Like most students, you may also have your chosen college far away from home for a variety of reasons. This, of course, will compel you to move into a shared dorm that likely sits on the campus for your convenience. If moving into a new space sounds a bit scary for you, though, we got you! Aside from enjoying your newfound independence, you can also harness your creative freedom and express yourself through decorations by having your own place. Luckily, we got this aesthetic dorm room guide to help you manifest your dorm vibes!

Read on to find out more about what dorms are like, how you can personalize your space step-by-step, and some room inspiration to display your very own definition of aesthetic!

Dorm Room 101: Everything You Need to Know

So what is a dorm room, to be exact? A dormitory, or a dorm for short, refers to a residential building that houses a large number of people, most especially in boarding schools, colleges, and universities. In particular, a dorm room is a unit or space assigned to a student, which is typically shared by several individuals. Don’t worry, though, as you will most likely still have a space of your own to personalize!

Dorms vary per institution, but you can expect a single bed, a study table, and a wardrobe waiting for you as essentials. Since dorm rooms are commonly shared, chances are you might have limited space for your belongings. Hence, we recommend that you only bring items that you’ll need so as to not crowd your personal space. This will also serve handy later when you start customizing your part of the room.

If you’ve read over your dorm’s rules and policies already, it might be time to plan your dorm decorating journey ahead! Learn how you can transform a tiny space into a place you can call home on campus through the steps below.

1. Reference to Your Favorite Aesthetic

Just like in our aesthetic bedroom ideas post, it’s always best to think of the theme or aesthetic that fits your interests first. While this is entirely up to your preference, we do have suggestions for aesthetics that you may find suitable for your dorm room. For example, it would be best to choose a space-saving motif that would not crowd your space just to achieve the theme perfectly. This also includes not-so-distracting aesthetics that may impede you from focusing on your studies or having a more organized setup.

Some examples of these aesthetics include minimalist ones with neutral hues, clean displays, and a relaxed atmosphere. The limitedness of visually stimulating features or the lack thereof may be conducive for late night study sessions for exams. However, we understand that some may prefer a pop of color for a fresher and cozier feel. The pastel aesthetic with a hint of cottagecore may just give you that desired atmosphere with soft candy hues and a sufficient amount of greenery a la Studyblr.

If you really desire a scholarly vibe for your room, though, we encourage you to take your pick in some motifs under the academia range. For a calm and vintage feel, you would likely want your dorm room to be inspired by light academia. If you love eerie and edgy vibes, go for dark academia! If anything, the academia motif is the best aesthetic to pattern your dorm room decorating game for a studious touch.

2. Up Your Decorating Game with Elevated Single Beds

If you’ve seen many dorm rooms online, whether aesthetic or not, you have probably noticed that most beds are elevated, sometimes much like a loft bed. Unless your dorm provides a bunk bed instead, these elevated beds also come in a single size for its space- and cost-saving quality. However, you can also capitalize on this elevated design for its aesthetic features for a royal vibe.

Basically, you can elevate the vibe of your dorm bed further with various types of throw pillows, beddings, and duvets. Although solid muted colors are the norm, you might also want to explore safe patterns such as plaid and ditsy for a homely touch to your dorm space. Choose flowy beddings that reach the floor for an elegant and vintage vibe. In terms of your pillows, stock up on fur and lightweight cotton fabrics to be ready for any season on campus.

3. Aim to Maximize Space and Storage

As earlier said, elevated beds make room for more storage furniture like cabinets, dressers, drawers, and shelves. This is where you can keep primarily your clothes if you have no provided wardrobe, bed linen and pillows, stock of toiletries, and other whatnots. Since you can also cover the space under your bed with curtain-like sheets, it would be best to put the not-so-aesthetic essentials you have here. Whether that’s a pile on a laundry basket, some cardboard boxes from your move-in, or a trash can, anything can be kept out of sight under your elevated bed.

3-tier trolley carts and wooden iron shelves are also fairly common to store your books, vanity items, and other trinkets. Again, if your dorm room provides a high ceiling, we encourage you to use your wall space to hang shelves and install hooks. Also, creatively maximize your walls by hanging fairy lights, light-up signs, and some aesthetic paintings. Picture frames and photocards may also be ideal for you to feel closer to home!

Still, don’t forget to decorate and make the most out of your floor space. Aside from protecting your dorm’s flooring, carpets or rugs are excellent pieces to add a flair to your floor. Choose from materials like fur, rubber, or straw for your floor decorations to complement your favorite aesthetic. If permissible, you can also add potted artificial plants on a corner for a calming sight of green and/or other invigorating hues.

4. Adjust to Your New Place with Multipurpose Pieces

The key to adjusting to a tiny dorm room is to rely on multipurpose pieces of furniture. You would not have to sacrifice your comfortable lifestyle back home if you can get creative with your dorm furniture. For example, to combine your studious and chic lifestyle, you might want to have the same desk as both your study table and vanity. Simply furnish a mirror on the wall and allot a separate section for your stationery supplies and makeup to organize and transform your dual-purpose desk. You can also place this desk next to your bed and install a night lamp to double (or triple) as your nightstand or bedside table.

If you’re also down for customizing your bed, you might want to consider a daybed that can receive any visitors you may have (if allowed) and conveniently expand to provide a larger bed space. It will also make your room look more organized during the day given its sofa-like appearance. Along with this, you may prefer a bed table or tray for studying or breakfasts or snacks in bed. It’s the perfect multipurpose item when you just want to watch Netflix on your laptop and have a late-night snack after a tiring school day.

5. Dedicate a Study Corner for Academia Vibes

Surely, a study corner should not be missing in a dorm room on campus to facilitate your review sessions. In your study corner, make sure to rely on a sturdy table with ample space for your laptop or PC, keyboard, notebooks, pens, and other desk trinkets. Pair it with an ergonomic swivel chair or at least a cushioned seat with a backrest so you can feel relaxed as you study. You can also put some plush pillows on your seat to fit your chosen aesthetic. Our pillow section can provide you with an array of aesthetic options to put on your seat!

6. Complete with Essential Aesthetic Dorm Room Decors

The best part of your aesthetic dorm room decorating game has just come! When it comes to dorm decorations, it’s a good idea to first emphasize the essentials, such as stationery and storage items. To channel those Studyblr vibes you see on Instagram, you can get an iron wall grid or a customizable plastic pegboard to attach your sticky notes of motivational study quotes and goals. Keeping it old-school with a bulletin board and a box of push pins or thumbtacks is also an excellent idea.

You can also organize your pens, highlighters, and other stationeries using collapsible baskets, tiered pen holders, minimalist bookends, and mini drawers. Don’t forget the aesthetic light-up digital clock for your Pomodoro sessions and an adjustable lamp to spotlight your notes. Some bust figurines of Greek philosophers here and there may also give you some scholarly inspiration.

Fake plants are also seamless decorations to consider, especially artificial vines, dried flowers, and small potted plants on your table. They fit in almost any aesthetic, which make them a foolproof choice for an aesthetic dorm revamp!

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Have you already created an outline for your aesthetic dorm room decorating journey? We’re hoping that our handy guide has helped you in curating your own study and sleeping space in the campus! While you wait for your next semester move-in though, you might want to check foolproof decors in our aesthetic bedroom ideas.

If you’re still not over with the Christmas season, you can visit our pastel Christmas decor guide for candy-colored inspiration! Also, feel free to check out our campus-related aesthetics such as academia for more study-like inspo!

Thanks for reading and happy shopping!