One of the most exciting things about transitioning from high school to college is getting to decorate a whole new room exactly how you want it. You literally get to start from scratch for the first time in years. The amount of options you have to choose from as far as a theme can be very overwhelming. Here’s a list of some dorm decor aesthetics to hopefully inspire you to make your room look like yours.
Eclectic preppy is kind of a modern spin off from the southern prep trends you saw in the early 2000’s. The “old” preppy consisted of Lily Pulitzer covers with monograms plastered everywhere. With a more modern twist implementing more eclectic inspirations, you have lots of opportunity to personalize the space.
This aesthetic derives from multiple statement pieces with bright, vibrant colors. From teals to magentas, to bright yellows and oranges, everything stands out. While it may sound overwhelming, when done with the right amount of balance, this inspiration can be really fun.
An example of something this aesthetic could use is anything with a colored zebra print. Whether it’s a blue zebra rug or pink zebra pillows, it’s a great addition. Another decoration to fit this theme is anything gold. Gold picture frames or a gold bar cart could really tie the space together. Run wild with this, sky’s the limit!
Like the title implies, anything beach. This theme can also be known as nautical or coastal. This aesthetic isn’t tied down to colleges near the beach. In fact, bring the beach to you! A beach theme can make a wet, wintry day just a little less cold.
You can go multiple ways with this whether your vibe is more surfer girl or generic beach house decor. Surfer girl would include things like surfboards, string lights and maybe a tapestry of some stunning blue waves. Generic would be more like items you’d find in a beach house your family is renting for vacation. Just a few examples are paintings of crabs, white rattan furniture, a giant shell to throw your keys in, etc.
If you are at a college near the beach, this room inspiration could actually be useful for beachy habits. In the winter, your surfboard could be a cool decoration and in the summer, you will have it readily available to use. You could also utilize fun baskets for items like sunscreen and beach towels.
This aesthetic single handedly puts Urban Outfitters in business. It’s gained quite a bit of popularity in the recent years as most companies carry something that caters to it. That’s the good news, it’s cute and easily accessible.
Boho consists of all things plants and vines. If you are too busy being a student and/or social butterfly to care for live plants, there are some really convincing fake ones. A lot of people prefer to combine plant vines with string lights which adds a sparkling touch. Plants are essential.
Other boho items include suns, moons, and stars. Whether it’s a crescent shaped mirror or a tapestry painting of a sun, it has bohemian written all over it. Another boho item is anything macrame. This aesthetic is very pleasing to the eye and can give off a super comforting vibe at the end of a long university day.
This one is pretty self explanatory. Pick your favorite color or one that you won’t get too tired of and go crazy. Obviously, don’t do every single thing blue or pink. Definitely keep neutrals as your base and treat your color of choosing as an accessory.
You could even do a sort of duo-chromatic style if you and your roomie don’t have the same favorite color. It’s a fun compromise that’s still aesthetically promising. Opposite colors on the color wheel would be really neat such as blue and orange or just a nice green and pink is great too. You could also use your college’s colors as a theme for this if you’re that patriotic to a football team and what-not.
This aesthetic seems simple but it’s a subtle way to add some of your personality into your space. You love the color blue because it reminds you of the beach your family goes to? Perfect, put blue in your room! You love orange because it reminds you of the sunset you and your mom used to watch? Even better, orange everywhere! Color can be super sentimental so use it to your advantage.
For this aesthetic round up anything cowboys and wild west. This theme gives a very Chip and Joanna from HGTV vibe. It’s a sort of modern farm house, country chic with a college twist. Lots of wood, animal furs, metals, etc. The staple aesthetic of Texas, if you will.
An animal print rug would be perfect for this room. A faux cow hide rug or a faux alpaca fur foot rest could really set this vision in motion. Cactuses are also a dandy addition whether they are real or a cute neon sign.
Another witty decoration could be fun graphics of cowboy hats and cow boy boots. In fact, it might be a fun dorm-“partner” bonding activity to customize your own cowboy hats to wear and hang up around the place. This aesthetic is also not confined to certain locations, implement it anywhere if it’s something that represents you!
Last but certainly not least, the minimalist aesthetic. This is a very plain and simple theme which is not a bad thing at all. It’s easy on the eyes and can look more organized without a ton of trinkets around. A lot of celebrities and home-owners have adopted this style as it gives off a very clean and pure look. Minimalism entails a lot of neutrals, no pops of extreme color.
Minimalist aesthetic is mostly just the essentials like bedding, lamps, towel hooks, etc. While it may not seem like much, it can still make a space seem personalized. At the end of the day you need to do what makes you happy and if that’s minimal decorations, you do your thing.
That’s the beauty of this aesthetic and all the other ones mentioned. You aren’t tied down to just one, you can do a combination of whatever makes you feel like you.
Feature image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/16747829853958264/
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