Home Decoration

Shopping online for dorm decor is the smart way to shop. You’ll have the flexibility of browsing a variety of sources without using even a gallon of gas. And you can click your way through hundreds of selections at midnight or noon. It’s your choice.

Whether you want to find the perfect set of sheets, a cozy down comforter, a purple transparent lamp, or accessories for your jungle-themed room, you’re sure to find it somewhere online. And whether you find a dream dorm room at PBTeen or on the organized shelves of The Container Store, the many styles and colors available today mean you’ll probably be able to find exactly the right items for your taste and budget.

Here are eight steps with tips on how to start your search for great room decor:

1. Ask for information from your school about room sizes, existing storage, and recommended items. This may be on the college website or in their orientation materials. If not, call the administration office to ask if they have a list of requirements or suggested items. For example, will you need linens, kitchen equipment or lamps?
2. Next, determine which items are prohibited. For example, some dorms don’t allow candles, halogen lamps, or flammable wallhangings. Find out now so you don’t waste time and money.

3. Contact your future roommate. Discuss financial arrangements and room decor, being honest about your budget. Try to be flexible and share ideas and opinions. You may land a roommate who really doesn’t care, and maybe won’t work with you. But maybe you’ll at least be able to decide on a color scheme or room theme to help you plan for decorating purchases.

4. Browse dorm decor websites to get inspiration, see color schemes, and find theme ideas. The Bed Bath & Beyond® site is a terrific place to start with dorm checklists, tips, and a convenient “pack and hold” shipping service to send your order directly to your school on the date you specify.

5. Bookmark favorite items on websites or print out photos to compare colors, styles, and prices.

6. Fill in your “need” and “want” lists and prioritize each, so your budget is spent on the basics first. Decide what items you already have (sheets, rugs, lamps, TV) that you can take with you, and what items your roommate will bring.

7. Research choices. Make a detailed packing list with everything you might need, including furniture, desk accesssories, and clothing items. If possible, ask other students what’s worked for them. Compare sizes and brands. Browse for various storage options. Don’t buy in a rush, only to find out later something else would be better or cheaper. Use your measurement list or floorplan to help determine what will fit.

8. Buy only when you have a clear plan, know what you need, and know what will fit both in your room and in your budget.

Have you holes all over your wall from the effort of hits and trials on how to hang pictures or wall decorations on the walls correctly? Then, this article is for you. Many times we use wrong hangers or make mistakes in hanging wall decorations or pictures that lead to permanent scars on the beloved walls of our dorm, apartment or home. Here are a few suggestions to avoid this:
It is good to start by making a rough map of the wall and positioning of pictures on the paper to decide beforehand where to hang which picture.
Once decided, you can begin hanging your pictures according to your drawing.
Use small sturdy nails and use studs for placing nails on walls to avoid any damage to the wall, especially when you are renting the apartment or living in a dormitory, which may result in deductions from your deposit.
Studs and stud indicators can be found at local hardware stores and help in centering pictures and hanging them properly.
Ensure that the wire from which are going to hang your picture or decoration on the wall is strong enough to bear its weight and won’t come loose while you are hanging it.
There are other ways to hang your pictures than hammering nails into the walls. You can use removal adhesive tape hangers instead or the 3M Hooks with command adhesive.
These adhesives just need to be peeled off and the picture, family photos towel hangers, valances or other wall decorations can be easily centered and secured on the wall.
You can also use easel type frames that can be placed on tables or dressers or collage type frames that can fit several pictures and quite inexpensive to display your photos or cut-outs of your favorite stars and actors.
You may also use creative background ideas to decorate these frames to highlight your favorite photos.

Each school and college has certain set of rules and regulations for the students in their dormitories that are meant to prevent and resolve any misunderstandings and fights between them and enable each of them to live and study together, peacefully and have a privacy of their own too while sharing the room with each other. While you may have your own ideas for dorm décor, it is always the best to check with college administration, what is permissible and what changes you can make to the room. Be sure to take your roommates into confidence too, before changing anything in their space. The rules that are common and related to dorm décor are :

• Dorm rooms need to be kept clean and orderly and any damage to University property, room or furnishings may result in fines, community service or expulsion from dormitory.
• You may not be allowed to use or shift University furniture from other dormitory rooms or social areas in your room or keep your possessions outside your allotted room or area.
• You may have to use furniture provided by college only and may not be allowed to bring in your own furniture, specially loft beds or other furniture pieces that may not be so safe.
• It is better use removable plastic adhesive to attach something to the wall in a dorm rather than nails or tape that may leave a scar or hole and disfigure the look of the room.
• Be sure that you do not damage walls, ceilings, doors, windows, carpets and other university room furnishings in any way.
• Remember, that this room or apartment has to be used by other tenants after you and that you have roommates living with you. Make sure that your dorm décor projects do not become a nuisance for them.
• Decorated and well-maintained dormitories do not mean that you can do anything with university and college possessions. Limit your décor ideas to using your own furnishings and accessories that are easily removable and replaceable rather than making drastic changes.
• Before opting for flower arrangements or room freshener that may trigger allergic reactions, check with your roommate first.
• Since, it is only a temporary stay, it is sensible not to spend a fortune on your dorm room décor and stick to minimalist and functional life style.

Inexpensive, functional but stylish dorm room décor is not as hard to accomplish as it may seem at first. Here are a few ideas that you can use :

• Measure out our space carefully.
• Make a budget that you can spend on the room décor.
• Bohemian chic furniture, furnishings and home accessories are meant for college students and are quite affordable, functional and come in all sorts of funky trendy designs and colors.
• Keep your area well organized, clean and tidy and minimalist. Avoid clutter.
• Store items in a particular place so that they are easy to find and buy some cheap baskets, milk crates and drawer systems to keep your books, wallet, car keys and other things.
• Put up some portraits of your family and old friends on walls and on your desk to make your dormitory feel like home.
• Leather ottomans with storage space underneath are good options as they can be used for sitting, serve as coffee tables and can be also used to dump your magazines and old CDs in them. They look good too.
• Invite your friends sometime for watching movies or a night out and play host to have that lived-in feel in your room.
• If you love your culture or have a soft corner for a particular culture, you can use some features of their decorating style too for that special touch.

Some dorm rooms stand out among others as a popular hangout for all students and where everyone loves to spend time in. Here area few tips, tricks and ideas to transform your dorm room into an ideal retreat :

• Plan well beforehand.
• Remember, your dorm décor showcases your personality and thus, it should be functional, stylish and yet have some character of its own.
• Most dorm rooms have extra-long twin beds that need special sheets and bedding.
• Choose and invest in a comfortable mattress so that you can sleep well.
• Fluffy and soft throw pillows can add instant style to your bed to be used as sofa for a get together with friends.
• Choose a study area according to your preference, such as a desk, bed or even a beanbag chair on the floor.
• Make sure for bright halogen lighting in your study area with the help of desk or floor lamp.
• You may use stacked milk crates, instead of shelves to store textbooks and table to keep your dinner plates, as a much cheaper option that occupies little space.
• Funky high-tech music and light gadgets can lend an instant party touch to your dorm room. Choose something you can afford and is a source of constant fun.
• High-tech furniture is also available such as ottomans that can double up as massagers that look quite stylish and have a soft.
• If you are investing in furniture and furnishings, invest in pieces that are versatile and can serve for multi-purpose duties. They must not occupy much space, which is often a problem in a dorm room.

Dorm rooms serve as home away from home for college students who need a place to study and relax, watch movies on weekends or just read a good novel. However, it has to be inexpensive as it is a temporary abode and college students usually cannot afford huge expenses. Roommates may or may not like your room décor ideas. If you cannot coordinate well, it is wonderful, otherwise respect their territorial rights and stick to your space for decoration, creating comfort zone and special personal touch. Here are some cheap dorm décor ideas that you can use:

• In a dorm, the bed serves many purposes such as study area, couch and even a coffee table. It is also the largest piece of furniture that you may own in a dorm room, so choose a comforter that does not get dirty easily and can be cleaned easily too. Reversible comforters in solid colors that match the color scheme of your dorm room are good options.
• You may dress up your bed using fluffy throw pillows in funky patterns.
• Since mostly dorm rooms have long beds to accommodate tall students, you may need to buy extra long twin sheets.
• Maximize your storage space by opting for high beds or raise the bed using bricks or cement blocks and you may push your boxes and luggage under the bed.
• Plastic crates or wire storage systems that can be rearranged, decorative hat boxes and closet organizers can be a great help to keep your things well organized.
• Cheap plastic hooks and metal towel hangers attached to your closet door and back of the room door will provide you space to hang your clothes.
• Buy a table that can accommodate your computer or TV too. Place it where there is adequate lighting.
• You can use walls to put up posters or other wall decoration to customize your area and use special poster adhesive to avoid chipping paint.
• If you are artistic types, use colored chalk or butcher paper and colored pencils to draw new murals for your wall, every time you feel inspired as they can easily be washed off or removed.
• Buy frames or make some from cardboard matte and decorate them using decorative items such as glitter, buttons, feathers and beads, some funky memo holders and French memo boards to display photos of your new friends and love interests or may be some good quotes.
• Another way to display your photos is to string them up and hang them from your laundry line across the room.
• To decorate metallic surfaces such as refrigerators, use magnets.
• Use dry erase boards on your door and room to leave notes for your friends and roommates to coordinate with then.
• To lend a romantic touch to your dorm room, you can drape sheer fabric across the window or over a bed.
• A colorful beautiful shower curtain can be used to mask the messy open closet.
• Fashionable and functional lights can change the look of your room too. A lamp of the study table and mini-lights for the moody atmosphere across the room is quite relaxing. While white lights are bright and good for eyes you can use funky colored lights in shape of stars or hearts for special occasions.

Many students wonder what to take and what not to take while living in a dormitory during school and college education. It is always easier to take as few things as possible and yet have everything that you might need during the years you have to spend here. Here is a checklist for your help:

• For cleaning and laundry purposes, you will need Bleach, Dish soap, Fabric softener, Glass cleaner, Iron, Ironing board, Laundry bag/basket, Laundry soap, Paper towels, Safety pins, Sewing kit, Sponge, Stain remover and Trash bags.
• It is always better to check beforehand, if you are allowed to take Cooking appliances with heating elements, Fireworks, Hunting equipment, Incense candles, Outside antennas or satellite dishes, Pets (though some of them allow you to keep fishes), Space heaters or Toaster ovens with you to the dormitory. It is better not to take anything that may be risky or pose danger or discomfort to your fellow roommates.
• Other miscellaneous items may include 3-prong converter, Alarm clock, Area rug or carpet, Athletic equipment such as roller blades and basketball, Backpack, Batteries, Board games, Camera and its film, Comforter, Drawer-liner paper, First-Aid Box, Fishing tackle, Flashlight, Full length mirror, Jewelry box for trinkets, Overnight bag, Peg board hooks, Photo albums, Plants, Plastic Airtight Containers, Playing cards, Posters, Sleeping bag, Small fan, Small tool set or box, Stereo, headphones, Study lamp, Sunglasses, Tapes, CDs, Trashcan, Trunk, TV, Umbrella, Vanity mirror and Wall decorations.
• You may check if there is space for Futons and Futon Mattresses and Desk and Workstation in your dorm room too.
• You will need some utensils and some basic cooking ware so that you can make some of your favorite dishes at your dorm, on special occasions at least. So, it is advisable to pack some Bowls, Can opener, Coffee maker/pots- Espresso Machine, Cups, Eating utensils, Hot air corn popper, Hot pot, Microwave (check if you can hire it), Microwave able cookware, Mugs, Plates, Popcorn Pop-up toasters and may be a small Refrigerator.
• You will need to keep Address book, Bookends, Bookmarks, Calculator, Calendar, Computer, Computer diskettes or other removable storage media, Desk organizer, Dictionary, Envelopes, File box, Folders, Glue stick, Highlighter, Hole punch, Index cards, Markers, Note pads, Paper clips, Pencil sharpener, Pencils, Pens, Rubber bands, Ruler, Stamps, Stapler, Stationery, Storage Containers, Tape and Thesaurus in your study area along with books and bags to carry them.