Stark beige walls with painted over thumbtack holes, beige curtains from the ’80s, dirty tile floor, florescent overhead lighting and walls thinner than a sheet of paper. What could be cozier than that? Honestly, it sounds like the description that every couple looking for a house on HGTV’s “House Hunters” could ever dream of. Screw open floor plans and natural hardwood flooring, how ’bout that claustrophobia-esque space and grimy tile? Delightful.
Anyway, you don’t have to suffer in a not so cozy space! Here’s the 101 on how to make your dorm cozy and a bit more home-y. After all, college is your home away from home.
1. Hang string lights.
These are EVERYTHING. Nothing makes your dorm less cozy than the overhead fluorescent lighting. Having string lights turned on instead of the overhead light is exactly how to make your dorm cozy. I had teal string lights and some pretty teal globe string lights from Target that matched my decor hung in my dorm last year. They added a pretty aquarium-y glow to the room. Also, pro tip, avoid pink/red string lights at all costs. They make your room light up like an emergency bunker and it’s the opposite of cozy. Trust me on this one.
2. Get a fuzzy rug.
Fuzzy rugs are much comfier between your toes than cold, stark floor tile. If you don’t have a rug large enough for your space, be sure to at least put it next to the side of your bed. This means when you wake up your feet touch some soft, fluffy rug instead of cold tile. Rugs can get expensive, so be sure to research a lot before spending a ton. Also, avoid getting a white rug. It will get so dirty so quickly. You won’t vacuum as much as you think and you won’t believe how much dirt and paper scraps and dust will gather.
P.S. To avoid a gross rug, be sure to check out my dorm cleaning guide with free printables.
3. Make it smell nice.
There’s a 99% chance you won’t be allowed to burn candles, so try a Bath & Body Works wall plug-in (more about this on my 10 under $10 college essentials). The wall plug-ins are super effective and can leave your room smelling really nice. If that doesn’t suit you, try a nice Febreeze to freshen up your space and add a little coziness.
4. Add some throw pillows and blankets.
I bought a huge king size gray and white chevron blanket that’s the softest thing in the world and it’s basically the definition of coziness. Invest in a really soft blanket or two and add on some throw pillows. Throw pillows can be expensive, so be sure to keep an eye out for clearance sales. Also be sure to check in unconventional places. My throw pillows were either a gift, won from a carnival (it was a donut pillow!) or found at CVS (it was a fox!).
Warning: Throw pillows need to be moved and picked up off of the floor and re-adjusted almost all of the time. For me, having a bunch of throw pillows were more trouble than they were worth so I ended up narrowing it down to just two extra pillows.
5. Decorate with some photos.
What better way to make your dorm cozy than to have some visual reminders of home and the people,places and pets you like the most? This can be done really simply by just using painter’s tape to hang them. If you want a more decorative and adult solution, you can put them in frames. Frames definitely add some class and coziness.
6. Add some tiny plants.
Personally I’m a huge fan of little potted succulents. I bought a few tiny ones from CVS and ended up repotting them into cute little pots that my mom and I DIY’d. We also added some craft store white pebbles on top of the dirt to match my ~aesthetic~. This is so inexpensive and adding some greenery and cute little plants definitely makes a room more cozy. They’re cute for a windowsill or little desk decoration.
7. Invest in mattress toppers and padding.
The weird mattresses in dorms aren’t exactly the comfiest. Topping your bed with egg crate toppers and maybe even multiple ones will make your bed incredibly comfy and feel like sleeping on a cloud. Mattress toppers are a major key when it comes to coziness.
8. Avoid clutter.
Nothing is more stressful than piles of clutter. If you can’t quite contain the clutter and get rid of junk, at least put it out of sight by shoving it in a drawer or under your bed. That’s definitely horrible advice but, hey, this post is about how to make your dorm cozy, not how to make it clean and minimal, right?
What are some things you do to make your dorm cozy?
