Dorm Decor Ideas

As an incoming freshman, I was so excited to decorate my dorm room. Growing up, I only got to redo my room once – painting my walls from the baby pink to that once trendy turquoise I still have today. So, when I got the chance to have all new everything for my dorm, I could not wait. Believe me, having decorations on your walls and around the room make the blank dorm walls into your new home.

For me, I am a pretty minimalistic person, so I tried not to be excessive with my dorm. I picked out a general color scheme – grey and navy (for Penn State of course) mostly. Pinterest offered a lot of inspiration from Pinterest, so don’t be afraid to steal a few ideas.

Pictures and Posters

In the summer going into freshman year, I ordered over 100 pictures from Shutterfly to have in my dorm. Yes, that was a bit excessive, but I wanted options. I put them on my wall and above my desk - these pictures of my family and friends helped me with any homesickness while being an easy and cheap decoration for my walls. Another fun option for your walls are posters. Redbubble has a lot of cool and affordable ones to check out.

Pillows

As for decorative pillows, do not be afraid to have more than one. They are an easy decoration for your bed and can have special meaning. I had a “C” pillow and one with my beach town’s name.

Blankets and Throws

I love to use a blanket over a comforter, so this was a necessity when I was dorm shopping. Because my bedding was a solid grey, I had a bit of fun choosing blankets with some fun patterns.

Rugs

Adding a small rug into your dorm can help make it a bit cozier. Also, you can jump out of your bed in the morning to a warm rug instead of the cold tile or hardwood floors. I got a navy one, which tied in my whole color scheme.

Letter Signs

My obsession with “C” signs started long before dorm shopping. Every time I was in a Home Goods, TJ Maxx, or Marshalls, I would find a “C” and of course had to buy it. By the time I was packing for college, I had four accompanying “C”s to bring with me.

Catherine Cavanagh

Team C Envoy