Best ways to decorate your dorm room
Dorm rooms are small, there's no doubt about that, and whether you're living in a suite with three other students or manage to nab one of the few single-occupancy rooms, decorating might be a challenge. During the few rainy days of the summer, you can get ahead of the curve by being crafty and constructing space-saving, decorative and useful pieces of dorm-friendly furniture. If you're flying to your future home, you can still hop over to a hardware store or IKEA to make this small space the envy of all your new friends.
Academic green thumb
Plants purify the air and are nature's perfect decoration. Although you might think you don't have time to care for these green creatures between studying and hanging out with friends, there are a bunch of potted plants that don't need a lot of TLC, but still look great.
African violets are not only easy to take care of, but sprout beautiful purple flowers during the spring. Small enough to fit in a windowsill, they require minimal watering and sunshine - perfect for small dorms that get just a smidge of light. You can purchase these pretty succulents just about anywhere.
Pegboards
They're cheap, easy to assemble and a great way to organize photos, notes and other knickknacks like keys, umbrellas and backpacks. Pegboards also come in a variety of colors so you can keep your dorm room pallet in line with your personal taste. Got a few hours to spare? Paint stripes or decorate it with stickers of your favorite sports teams for an added touch.
Bringing Feng Shui into the dorm
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice involving organizing living spaces to maximize positive energy and efficiency. Today, interior designers use basic principles to illicit optimal room design. There are no rules for dorm room configuration, and before you settle in and post all of your photos on that sweet pegboard, take some time to rearrange big furniture pieces to make the most use of the space.
Nothing should obstruct the doorway, and the best position for beds is in the opposite corner of the entryway. Try to remove as much clutter as possible - whether you're a neat freak or skip cleaning every so often, a neat and tidy room provides the best studying atmosphere.
