Discover what the hottest new trends are for dorm decorating for the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 school seasons.
Decorating a dorm room is a fun and exciting new challenge for college students. If you’re one of those students who want to have a cutting edge room that is the talk of the dorm and the cool place to hang out with, you’ll want to know what all the latest trends are in dorm decorating.
Top Dorm Decorating Tips
- Patterns - According to Robin McDonald, a leading dorm decorator and designer, from Décor 2 Ur Door there are definitely some new trends in college living. “Houndstooth is very hot,” according to McDonald. She also sees a lot of damask cropping up in rooms across the country.
- Colors – Color trends for dorm decorating are still bright and wild. This is something that will probably always be a college trend because staying awake and alert to study is important. Black as a dorm color will also always be trendy whether you’re trying to express individuality and be alternative or whether you’re just trying to look for a nice accent color. This season greens, turquoises, oranges and pinks are the hottest trends.
- Organization – Storage and organization is huge in college dorms as kids have more stuff and still a very limited amount of space. According to Robin McDonald, “Beds on risers and under the bed storage bins with wheels are huge. Another big trend is storage cubes with flair for organization.” Look for unique storage options wherever possible and then find inventive ways to decorate them.
- Camouflage – Not actual camouflage print, but hiding and disguising traditional college furnishings is a huge trend and it separates each room from the others, proving some room for individuality. Headboard covers are a great way to create a new look for a dorm bed. Wall decals are perfect for decorating walls and sticking within dorm decorating rules.
- Bedding – Bed-in-a-bag type bedding is still pretty popular for college students because it’s inexpensive enough that it can be traded out yearly. But quality materials are becoming more popular as people are looking for comfort and luxury. A word of advice, if you do opt for the expensive bedding, buy an inexpensive throw that you can put over the bed when guests come to visit and when you’re eating to prevent excessive wear and tear.
- Electronics – This is the computer age and electronics are everywhere. Storage, sometimes secure storage, is essential in today’s dorm and charging stations are also necessary. Plan accordingly when gathering electronics and try to use multipurpose items whenever possible.
The real key to decorating a dorm no matter what the year is incorporating personalized elements. College is a time for learning more about you and redefining yourself to new friends so self expression in dorm decorating is very important.
Copyright Kristin Abraham. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
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