Whether it’s your first year of college, or your third, like me, figuring out how to decorate your dorm can be difficult.
If you have a roommate, it’s always fun to try to coordinate so both sides of the room match, but you should do whatever the two of you decide is best for your lives and the space you have. If you’re like me and have a single room, you have more freedom to do pretty much whatever you want, within reason. Every school has certain restrictions such as no painting the walls and no putting nails in the walls (but that’s easy to fix if you “have” to).
This year I decided on a millennial pink and gold theme for my room. I’m super girly so this is perfect for me! All of the photos in this post are things that I’ve bought for my room and will actually be using throughout the year. There’s three different price points here. I’ll go lowest to highest for convenience.
Lowest
These items may be inexpensive, but they’re super cute and practical. All of these items are from a store called Five Below. It’s basically a dollar store where everything is $5 and under.
I got this because it folds up and won’t take up too much space while I’m packing and moving in; you want to use all of your cars available space to make sure you fit in everything you can. Plus, when it’s not being used, it can fold up inside of the closet.
This mini table is 15 in x 15 in and will fit perfectly next to any dorm bed. I decided not to loft my bed this year, so this will be sitting next to it so I can put my phone on it at night while it’s charging. I got mine in a gray color to match my pink-and-gold theme, but they’re also available in white and blue.
This was, admittedly, a bit of an impulse buy, but it’s super cute and I have no regrets. I was looking at getting a lava lamp, but couldn’t find one in the colors I wanted until I found this one! This will also be on the mini table sitting right next to my bed. Mine is pink and gold, but there are also other colors available in store and online.
This 42-piece set of plastic storage containers is a must-have if you’re planning on doing any amount of cooking while in school. I’m going to be doing some minimal meal prepping this year because I’m on a limited meal plan in our dining hall. You’ll need someplace to put those leftovers so they don’t go bad.
Hooded Blanket
Unfortunately, I can’t find the one I bought on their website, but it’s still super cute and should be available in stores. The one I have is black and has cat ears on the hood! It’s going to be perfect for movie nights with my friends, or nights when I’m studying or watching Netflix in my room.
Mid-Price
These items are from Marshall’s and I’m in love with them all! My mom found the pink curtains that we’re going to put on my windows to make the room feel more “homey”, and the white blanket is super soft. My favorite thing from this store is the canvas print of nail polishes that I’m going to hang above the spare desk in my room that I’m making into a vanity!
Highest Priced
These items are from Target and Bed Bath and Beyond. While they aren’t overly-expensive, they are the highest-priced things on my list.
Back Rest
This is something that isn’t a necessity, but certainly is nice to have for relaxing. If you’re anything like me, you either like sitting on the floor and/or will have friends over who will be sitting on the floor, so why not make it comfy?
Body Pillow Cover
I have a body pillow on my bed against the wall, and found this super cute cover that matches my room! This gives the bed the look of a couch or daybed without much effort. It’s nice for when you and your friends are sitting on the bed and provides more support than the wall would.
Photo Clip Lights
I found these at Target and fell in love with them! The last couple of years I’ve had a memory board up in my room for my photos and other random things. This year I’m going to put these up on the wall so there’s not as much blank space, plus it makes the room more personal and I can switch out photos whenever I want!
Comforter
I found this comforter set on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond and can’t wait to have it in my room. It’s super cute and matches perfectly with everything.
Hello Gorgeous Mirror
This is the mirror I’m using for my vanity and it’s perfect! It’s perfect for doing hair and makeup in the morning and it has a light in it, which is great because the lighting in the dorms is horrible for doing makeup.
Wall Tapestry
I’m going to put this up on the wall across from my bed so it’s not just a blank wall. This also says “Hello Gorgeous” so it ties in perfectly with the mirror on the vanity.
If you’re in college, finding budget-friendly decorations for your room that are cute can be challenging. My advice is to shop sales, and maybe splurge a little on a couple of things that you really want or need. None of the items on this list were over $50 (on sale).
Next week I’ll be posting back-to-school outfit ideas!
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~Alexis
Beautiful Chaos 