Tag Archives: college dorm

dorm life, Guest Posts

Creative Organization Ideas for College Dorm Rooms

1 Comment

 

My guess is it happens to at least one of every two college freshman each fall. Living on campus has been something they have dreamed about since that day they caught their little brother reading their diary in seventh grade. Everything about it is new and exciting, including the freedom and the novelty of it all. Yet sometimes it may come as a surprise when they arrive and realize just how cramped their new college dorm rooms can be. In most cases it doesn’t matter because the simple truth remains: they are living on their own.

Along with that comes the opportunity to personalize the new space, which we think can be made a little more fun by using some of these creative and space-saving ideas:

Dress up that plastic storage

Chances are at some point in college, you will find yourself in need of plastic storage. Not only are these handy vessels essential to staying organized in small space, but they are portable for those multiple moves you may make throughout the college years. Make them a bit more private and a lot nicer to look at by giving them an inexpensive makeover.

college dorm rooms
via LW Designs

Think outside the box

Why buy one of those tiny space-saving ironing boards you will only use for four years when you can repurpose something you most likely already own? A foldable TV tray can serve the same function when covered with some batting and fabric. Not only is it space-saving, but it’s cute and could double as a desk or other surface in a space that generally lacks surfaces to work on.

college dorm rooms
Via Like A Saturday

Don’t waste hidden storage opportunities

Finding a place for everything is probably among the biggest challenge in dorm living, especially if your roommate also has way too many pairs of shoes. Make life a little simpler by remembering to use every empty space that could be otherwise forgotten, including under the bed.

 

college dorm rooms
Via The Berry

Simplify the shower

If your dorm room has its own bathroom, chances are you are sharing it with at least one roommate, if not several suite mates. Simplify your shower storage by adding a second shower rod inside the shower where you can hang extra essentials like loofahs and shower caddies, without having to lug them around everywhere each time.

college dorm rooms
Via By Dawn Nicole

Get crafty

In a small space there may not be room for a bedside table, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need a place to keep your book and glasses after all those all-nighters. To avoid having the little things accumulate in random places, consider making a bedside caddy that suits your space needs.

college dorm rooms
Via My Poppet

 

Reinvent the white board

White boards and calendars are a must in dorm rooms for keeping up with multiple busy schedules. But it’s okay for you to think beyond the white. Dress up the traditional organizational concept by using fun alternatives, like a photo collage piece.

 

college dorm rooms
Via Dormify

Make the space your own

Function meets style with the right furniture choices. If your budget allows, consider investing in cube storage that can not only create additional storage options, but act as a room divider.

 

college dorm rooms
Via: Ikea

Today’s post was written by Tyler Schmidt. For more design ideas, head to Modernize.com.

dorm life

Making the Dorm Feel Like Home

 

designer dorm roomOne thing that can help with empty nest syndrome when your children move away for college is the knowledge that the environment your kids live in is the best for what they need. That means going with them to check out their choices of dorm, and taking a good look at what’s on offer.

The all-important location

Location is more important than you might think. For a start, is it a safe neighborhood? Teens are very vulnerable when they’re first away from home; and the safer the area, the better. If you don’t know the city or the areas in which the dorm choices are offered, it’s a good idea to spend a day there to check it out, and do a bit of research online to see what the rest of the world is saying about it.

Room size matters

Not all dorms are configured the same. Some are effectively studio flats with one main room for eating, living, and sleeping, while others have communal living areas and kitchens and sometimes shared bedrooms. How much space your child needs will be dependent on what they’re going to use their room for, as well as how many people are going to be housed in that room. Small is cozy, but can be a little too cozy; bearing in mind that no one really knows each other at the start of the semester.

Convenient bathrooms are necessary

Not all dorms have en suite bathrooms. In fact, in some cases, the bathroom may be shared with other students in the dorm. Not an easy prospect, and for that reason alone, any dorm with a bathroom shared across more than two students should probably be either abandoned, or at the very least, pushed down the list. Other people’s personal habits can be a little too much to take in addition to the myriad new pressures that meet a student when they first move away from home.                                                                                            

Room furnishing

It might sound a bit picky, but you can tell a lot about a place if you look at the way in which it’s furnished. What kind of carpet is it? What’s on the windows? If your child is sensitive and allergic to dust and other things that can be found in the room, it’s as well to keep an eye out for a place that has shutters on the windows instead of blinds or curtains. They’re easier to keep clean for a start, and a set of sleek and stylish shutters can really modernize a place, keeping it a positive, pleasant place to live in, even when your kids are feeling homesick. Shutters also let in a lot of light during the day, either thrown completely open, or with adjusted movable slats.

Whatever the choices, you need to rock that space with your kids so that you both feel that it’s the best option for when they go away. You might feel a bit bereft for a while, but your kids will probably also miss you too, so the cozier, more convenient and similar to home that you can make it for them, the better it will be for everyone.