8 Pieces Of Dorm Room Furniture You Need But Hadn’t Thought Of
When you think of a dorm room, you probably think of the basic dorm room furniture in a white, brick room. At first glance, it can seem as if the dorms come with all the furniture you need, but trust me, they don’t. There are so many things I found that I needed in my dorms to make life easier but also so many things that helped me utilize the space so much better, so learn from my struggles and successes, and do yourself a favor and seriously consider these 8 pieces of furniture for your dorm room.
1. Bedside table
This was one of the things that I didn’t have in either of my dorm rooms that I desperately wished I had. The extra storage would have been great for things that I used every day like cords, chapstick, and my glasses or contacts, and it would have made nights so much easier to just drop my phone off, keep a water bottle close by, and to even set my laptop on if I wanted to lay down and watch Netflix without being nervous about it falling onto the floor. You don’t need a large, bulky side table, there are so many that are lightweight and sleek so they won’t take up a ton of space.
2. Accent chairs
One of the things I did differently in my second dorm room is that I brought a chair with me – and I loved it! Working on homework at my desk wasn’t always comfortable because the chair that came with the room wasn’t the best, and sitting on my bed always led to a nap. So the chair was amazing and I highly recommend you bring a comfy chair or a small couch or futon.
3. Functional storage for your closet
Dorm closets suck. All they are is a single bar and one shelf, so it’s imperative that you utilize verticle space in order to maximize your closet. You can get a hanging shelf or a stand-alone unit, either way, when you’re sharing a five drawer dresser and a standard length closet you really have to work with the space. Honestly, of all the dorm room furniture on this list, functional storage for your closet is a must and you seriously need to bring something with you.
4. Desk Lamp
Dorms don’t have amazing lighting so bring a lamp with you – it doesn’t have to be a desk lamp, but I’d recommend it be a desk lamp since the floor space is limited.
5. Ottoman with inside storage
If you are worried about space and don’t want to bring a chair or small couch with you, bring an ottoman with room for storage inside. This way, you can slide it under your bed when you’re not using it and you can store extras inside it, like sheets or blankets. I brought a poof with me but really think a storage ottoman would have been a better option.
6. Drawers for your food and kitchen supplies
Bowls, cups, cutlery, cans of food, boxes of food, all items that need a home in your dorm, so having a piece of furniture to store these items is huge. You can get a basic plastic set of drawers like I did, or go all out and get something a bit more extravagant to keep these items in.
7. Organizers for your dresser drawers
Marie Kondo lovers will be all about this, but if you aren’t sure about what I’m talking about, drawer organizers are little bins you put in your drawers to section off organize your drawers. I did this with my socks and underwear, but you could use them to organize every drawer.
8. Drawers or storage bins for your bathroom storage
Similar to the food and kitchen supply storage suggestion, you’ll need something for your bathroom stuff. You know, towels, toiletries, hair products, and whatever else you choose. I’d recommend plastic storage drawers because they are super easy to clean and bathrooms can get gross, especially when you’re sharing them with roommates.
