Practical ways to spruce up a dorm room

[Anonymous]

My daughter’s birthday is next week and I’m going to visit this weekend. She spends a lot of time in her room studying and it’s pretty drab.

I’m thinking a headboard, a canopy, and/or some mood lighting might be nice touches. But I worry about the practicality when you can make any holes in the walls/ ceiling.

If you’ve seen/ done any particularly nice upgrades, please share!

[Anonymous]

It’s a sweet gesture, but my boy and girl would get more excited about food gift cards to break up the dining hall for another idea.

[Anonymous]

I think cozy things would be nice - big fluffy blanket, soft rug, pillow/pad for her desk chair. Something to use while studying in bed, like a computer lap pillow. Along those lines.

[Anonymous]

Headboard, nice rug (with cheap small vacuum), lighting, pictures or tapestry.

[Anonymous]

Different types of lighting are easy enough. A canopy is ridiculous. They have all kinds of pillow shapes and sizes that are better than a headboard.

art on her walls that she loves makes a big difference..

[Anonymous]

Join dorm room mamas on FB

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Join dorm room mamas on FB

This. Or Dorms on a Dime. The first group is going to give you some more extravagant ideas but both groups will give you a range.

[Anonymous]

Less is more. What goes in must come back out in a few short months. Stuff tends to accummulate in the room as it is.

I vote no on headboard.

At best, a small throw blanket if she doesn't have one. Or pillow.

Food gift card noted by PPs is a better idea.

[Anonymous]

A headboard is stupid.

[Anonymous]

I think this is a very kind and generous gesture. I also think it’s misguided. Maybe you could offer her the choice of decorating the room with you, or having the money as cash and letting her decide what to do with it.

Decorating a space is personal, and college is probably the first time she can decorate without having to consider your preferences. Instead of you getting random upgrade ideas from DCUM, let her use the ideas she gets from inspecting similar dorm at her college. Moreover, her roommate may have her own preferences that need to be considered. Let them work it out between the two of them.

Moreover, college dorm rooms are temporary and there are lots of opportunities for college kids to invest extra funds. Your daughter’s top priority might be a deluxe room complete with canopy, headboard, and mood lighting, or she might prefer to put up some posters and then go to a concert, take a weekend road trip, buy specialty coffees when she has early classes, take a bunch of friends out to dinner, etc.

FWIW, my dorm room with cement block walls and utilitarian tile floor, a few years prior to renovation, appalled my mother. While it was a little bleak in its bare condition when I first moved in, I plastered my side of the walls with family snapshots, vacation postcards, and posters (both museum art and quirky personal ones). I wouldn’t consider it “decorated” by any means, but everywhere I looked there was something happy to see. I made it mine, and when my mother came to visit and complained about how awful my home away from home was, even though I knew she meant well, it still hurt my feelings a little.

[Anonymous]

We did:
Headboard
PB rug
Nightstand
Framed photos
Occasional chair
Side table
Large floor lamp
Table lamp
Coordinated Bedding (RH duvet, PB quilt, pB patterned sheets; throw blanket; 1 sham pillow; 1 oversized pillow; 1 reg pillow; throw pillow and monogram pillow)

[Anonymous]

A canopy??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this is a very kind and generous gesture. I also think it’s misguided. Maybe you could offer her the choice of decorating the room with you, or having the money as cash and letting her decide what to do with it.

Decorating a space is personal, and college is probably the first time she can decorate without having to consider your preferences. Instead of you getting random upgrade ideas from DCUM, let her use the ideas she gets from inspecting similar dorm at her college. Moreover, her roommate may have her own preferences that need to be considered. Let them work it out between the two of them.

Moreover, college dorm rooms are temporary and there are lots of opportunities for college kids to invest extra funds. Your daughter’s top priority might be a deluxe room complete with canopy, headboard, and mood lighting, or she might prefer to put up some posters and then go to a concert, take a weekend road trip, buy specialty coffees when she has early classes, take a bunch of friends out to dinner, etc.

FWIW, my dorm room with cement block walls and utilitarian tile floor, a few years prior to renovation, appalled my mother. While it was a little bleak in its bare condition when I first moved in, I plastered my side of the walls with family snapshots, vacation postcards, and posters (both museum art and quirky personal ones). I wouldn’t consider it “decorated” by any means, but everywhere I looked there was something happy to see. I made it mine, and when my mother came to visit and complained about how awful my home away from home was, even though I knew she meant well, it still hurt my feelings a little.

Op here— that’s kindly put and I appreciate it. She’s homesick and I feel like if I can’t be there to give her a hug I need to do *something*!

Maybe one of those pillows with arms… What about family photos to use or not use as she likes? So not put them up for her, just leave her a stack and some sticky tack.

[Anonymous]

Command hooks don't put holes in the wall.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=command+hooks&hvadid=695422958567&hvdev=c&hvexpln=67&hvlocphy=9007781&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=9049111162913471854--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=9049111162913471854&hvtargid=kwd-298741644423&hydadcr=24662_13611802&mcid=7b12fb587b4731acb6cd1ec7dcf73fda&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_1gfgp1badb_e_p67

I like a rug, fluffy blanket and the small white xmas lights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A canopy??

Yes, to shut out, at least psychologically, the rest of the room. Her roommate is a slob with mismatched hours, and my daughter likes a well kept space and goes to bed earlier. She’s finding shared living somewhat overwhelming.

Not a frilly princess thing, more like a mosquito net. Plenty of kids have those structured bed tents but that seems like overkill.