Anonymous wrote:I don’t know why we normalize living in a depressing cinder block cube. Your kid is moving away from everything they know. They should be able to decorate and design a space they like and feel like home in.

Pride in where you live is important.

No one is saying otherwise, of course your child should be able to personalize and decorate their own space, but hiring an interior decorator or buying an interior decorated-curated collection of goods is a bit much. The dorm industrial complex is really out of control these days.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a stupid thing to be upset about. Dorm rooms are homes—why would there be controversy about making them as nice as possible?

As nice as possible within reasonable $? Some consideration of the fact that it will be used for 8.5 months total.

Reasonable depends on what people are willing to spend/have to spend. If the parents are millionaires, spending thousands on a dorm room doesn’t matter. Just like they can buy a $20k painting for their living room.

I don't care if someone else does it, but if my kids roommate contacts us about hiring a designer....no. They're in that room for what, 9 months? And then out to another one, possibly with a different roommate? They can buy posters or cheap wall art themselves. No one is saying don't decorate, but an 18 year old doesn't need a professional designer.

We’re not.

You’re the one with issues if you believe what you are fed online is representative of what people are doing.

Anonymous wrote:What a stupid thing to be upset about. Dorm rooms are homes—why would there be controversy about making them as nice as possible?

As nice as possible within reasonable $? Some consideration of the fact that it will be used for 8.5 months total.

What a stupid thing to be upset about. Dorm rooms are homes—why would there be controversy about making them as nice as possible?

I don’t know why we normalize living in a depressing cinder block cube. Your kid is moving away from everything they know. They should be able to decorate and design a space they like and feel like home in.

Pride in where you live is important.

I’ve seen the over the top rooms curated by designers. BUT, you can definitely do something similar on a low budget. Many people make nice headboards w/ plywood, stuffing and fabric. Five below sells decent ones for $20. Wall art is easily downloaded from Etsy for under $10. Dorm rooms that look like prison cells are a thing of the past.

(yes I know Austin isn't north of Alabama)

I don't think this is as common as you think it is, especially north of like Alabama. I have two nieces in college - one at University of Texas and one at UVA and they've both sent pics - they look like more modern and slightly fancier versions of the dorm rooms I lived in 25 years ago.

Why is it entitlement. It’s all east and not expensive.

Have you noticed these "professionally designed" dorm rooms look very cookie cutter? I'm not even impressed. These parents could have saved money and encouraged their kids to be creative and personal with their rooms.

Decorating a dorm room is entitlement? Why are you normalizing it?

Just because some people have more dollars than sense does t mean everybody does. We have 2 kids on college in 2 different states (one private in New England, one public in the midwest), amd my kids have never seen a designed does room, not have I.

Maybe a southern thing?

I see these insane rooms on Instagram Reels with wallpaper, headboards, actual furniture, etc. Why are we normalizing this? Such entitlement.