Tips and Tricks for Dorm Design

Attending college gives young adults a new level of freedom and autonomy in their day-to-day lives. For many, a dorm is the first space that young adults can truly make their own. However, for those who don’t have experience in interior design, coming up with a coherent vision for your space can be daunting. 

Graduating Scarsdale High School seniors Jadyn Susanke and Cate Bellesheim recently completed a six-week internship at Homestead Advisors, where they learned about various interior design concepts and strategies. As a final project, they created design spreads of college dorms for each other and would like to share not only their designs but also some decorating tips.

Design 1

For her project, Cate designed this “floral-boho-nature” spread for Jadyn’s dorm. To convey this vibe, the design includes patterns such as flowers and butterflies, as well as some different textures, like fringe and woven baskets. To help keep the room cohesive, Cate stated, “I kept the main color different shades of green with some subtle pops of blues, yellows, and other colors in things like the duvet cover.” But since the spread is intended for a dorm room, she wanted to make sure it was still cozy by adding “fuzzy blankets for the bed, lots of throw pillows, and even a floor pillow to provide more seating space and comfort.”

Design 2

For Cate’s dorm, Jadyn designed the room around a calming aesthetic that would help her unwind after a long day. She specifically chose to use warm-toned colors to help create a relaxing environment. Jadyn used the comforter as a vocal point of the design scheme and then based the rest of the decorations and accessories around it. She also made sure to include practical aspects in the design, such as a lamp and storage unit. Jadyn also added wall decorations and “…did one piece that’s more fun with a disco ball to bring more ‘personality’ to the room and spice things up.” Ultimately, she struck a balance between calming and fun for this dorm design.

The two reflected on the steps they took and strategies they employed to create these design boards. And according to the pair, the first step of designing your dorm is to “Choose what ‘vibe’ you want to have, and then base all your furniture and accessories around it.” Then you should keep a few basic interior design “rules” in mind:

1. Less is more.
2. Don’t mix too many patterns; either use a patterned duvet and more plain pillows/blankets or vice versa.
3. Mix materials (ex. Wood and metal) to give the room more depth and texture.

But their advice extends beyond the more technical aspects of interior design. The pair suggested personalizing your dorm room:

1. Fill it with things that make you happy.
2. If you don’t think you’re going to use something, then don’t get it—your dorm room is small anyway, so why add clutter?
3. The more fuzzy blankets, the better.
4. Think practically and buy things that will have built-in storage.

Jadyn and Cate also shared a list of where to buy dorm furniture, supplies, and decorations:

1. Dormify.com
2. Target
3. Urban Outfitters
4. Amazon
5. The Container Store
6. Crate and Barrel
7. Anthropology
8. PotteryBarn