Even though dorm rooms are traditionally small, they can be decorated in a way that will allow you to fully express yourself. Hidden storage, maximized floor space, and multi-functional furniture pieces can all be used to make the most of a dorm room\’s small living area. Because dorms are actually used as a \”home away from home,\” and not just a place to sleep, it\’s important to design them so that they are useful during both the daytime and evening hours. Here are a few design tips that will help you maximize your dorm room\’s space while still being able to fully express yourself.

Assessing Your Dorm Room Space

Just as with any living space, it\’s important to consider what you have to work with, as well as your actual needs for the space. In most cases, a dorm room must function as a combined bedroom, living room, recreation room, and office. Because it must meet all these varied needs, choosing multi-functional furniture pieces and accessories is absolutely vita. If you share the space with a roommate, it\’s also important to take their needs, likes and dislikes into consideration. While in some cases you\’ll be able to reach some decorating \”middle ground\” with a roommate, in other cases the best you can hope for is equally dividing the space. Even if you take the divided space approach, you should try to be considerate of your roommate\’s tastes and interests. Once you\’ve given some thought as to how you want to utilize your space and have taken any limitations into consideration, you\’ll be ready to begin decorating.

Express Yourself

Because you\’ll be spending so much time in your dorm room, it\’s important to choose a decorating style that is a good match for your personality, interests and needs. Although in most cases you won\’t be able to paint the walls, you can still decorate them with posters, artwork, and other decorating items that you find appealing. In order to avoid the need for nails, you should focus on lightweight art pieces. As long as your wall decorations aren\’t heavy, you\’ll be able to use adhesive products designed for hanging items on walls without marring them. Heavier items can always be displayed on a bookshelf. In order to maximize your storage and display space, always choose a full height bookcase instead of a shorter one. You can also express yourself through the use of furniture pieces. Even older pieces can be transformed into something unique through the use of paint, furniture throws, or slipcovers. Choosing a colorful and interesting bedspread is also important, since the bed is almost always a focal point in a small dorm room.

Maximizing the Study Area

Designing a study area that is functional and yet expresses your unique personality is also quite important. After all, you\’ll be spending a lot of time studying, so why not create an environment that you will enjoy? Placing a corkboard or magnetic whiteboard behind the desk can be a great way to provide display space for artwork, homework reminders, or your social calendar. Adding a small filing cabinet to your study area will help keep you organized. Finally, always try to keep your desktop area clean and neat, so that is will be ready and inviting whenever you need to study.

Author Bio: Online contributing editor for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com, Jessica Ackerman has extensive design experience, using restaurant wall art and kitchen wall art.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: dorm room,dorm room design,furniture pieces,multi-functional furniture pieces,dorm room space