Moving into a college dorm room can be stressful and make you feel homesick from the moment you step into a space that’s not really your oasis just yet. This transition will be a lot easier if you try to recreate your favorite place where you feel calm and secure. Therefore, you need to achieve that homely feeling and start conquering the start of your adult life.  

Come up with a theme

Imagine the blank canvas and all the possibilities you could create with a little imagination and creativity. If you have a specific style, why not make it the main focus of your room and work around it to create a nice flow? Everything from glamour, retro and modern to boho and basically any other trend you could imagine can be implemented into your new space.

Pillows and blankets are a must

Whether you’re an avid reader and like to use your free time to relax with your favorite book, or a sleepy head who likes some shut-eye between classes, a bed filled with comfort will be the best part of your room. You can just throw pillows all over it and place a blanket somewhere in between. On the other hand, all those neat freaks can place these covers carefully and create some order. This will not only add warmth to your bed, but will also come in handy after a long day when you just need to fall into a pile of pillows.

How to organize your furniture

The most important thing in a dorm room is a great bed or a comfy mattress where you can enjoy a good night’s sleep. Also, a comfortable chair and a table are desirable for that late night studying time and you can use them when you have visitors as an additional seating area. Dorm room floors can often be damaged so it’s not a bad idea to add some additional floor rugs to hide the imperfections. An ottoman is also a great feature and it can be used for sitting or as a coffee table when you have people over.

Make it smell like heaven

Fresh flowers can be beneficial on so many levels – they add color, and give the room an upscale look and a fresh smell every day. If you’re not a flower person, you can opt for air fresheners or air purifiers, which can be great because you can choose your favorite scent. That way, your room can smell like wildflowers, vanilla, fruits or anything you enjoy! Also, scented sticks are a wonderful decorative element and can be useful when it comes to fresh scent. This is a great option if you want a constant source of the scent and wish to turn your room into something special.

Create a gallery wall

Sure, you can add a big picture or even some patterned tapestry to cover your walls, but creating a gallery wall is a much more creative way to do so. You just need to buy some cheap picture frames and dig out some old photos of your friends and family. This will be a great thing to look at during study breaks and it can also add a cozy feeling to your space. Apart from that, you can frame some great patterns and sayings to lift up the look, or get inspired when you don’t really feel like studying.

Let there be light

Lighting is an idea you can realize in more ways than you can think of – whether you’re using lamps, string lights or LED bulbs, the possibilities are endless. Because dorm lighting is usually bad, you can use the secret many designers prefer and have three sources of light, just to be sure the room is properly lit at all times. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but have in mind that lighting has a strong effect on our mood and health, so it’s better to have it done correctly.

Don’t panic and overcrowd your room with lots of unnecessary items which will only get in your way. You can start slowly and then upgrade your room when you find the time and save up enough money. Maybe you’ll even come across some inspirational stuff a few weeks after your arrival and you’ll want to include it as memorabilia of your first days spent at college.

Emma B. Joyce is blogger based in Australia. She is a true home decor and DIY fanatic. Emma is interested in music and also is a big reading enthusiast. Finding new designs and patterns is her daily task. She is a regular contributor on https://smoothdecorator.com.