With the end of summer just around the corner, many families are getting ready to send their sons and daughters off to school. Whether it’s boarding school or college, living away from home isn’t always easy, but it can be less of a challenge if students make their dorm rooms their own. Dorms often have rules that specify what residents can and can’t do within their room (be sure to check these first before embarking on a huge decorating spree with your son or daughter). Typically, the student can do pretty much what they want with items of a non-permanent nature, such as bedding, rugs, storage units, and so on.Bedding is a great place to start, as this is where you can add a huge pop of color and pattern. They should pick something they love and that makes them happy. If they have a roommate, maybe they can coordinate colors and the look in advance. For even more color and pattern pop, hang a matching window valance. This will also give the room a feeling of height as it will draw the eyes up. Next, get a colorful area rug to coordinate with the bedding. Don’t be afraid to mix and match patterns—stripes can be great with dots, and vice versa. As long as you stick with the same colors, they’ll work just fine.Storage units can be another great way to add some color. Get some decorative boxes and bins, in colors that match the bedding, to hold personal items. Not only are they good for keeping things organized, they are also a great place to stash stuff when the room has to look neat in a hurry (such as when you visit!).
Another good stashing approach is to put a tailored or ruffled bed skirt on the bed. This also is a great way to maximize the storage space in the room, especially if the school allows putting beds on cinderblocks. And, yes, it’s not a bad idea for guys, too. Bed skirts are not just for girls!
You might even be able to fix up those plain white walls with large removable decals. They are quick, easy, inexpensive, and they come right off without damaging the wall when it’s time to say goodbye, or when it’s simply time for a change.