How to Organize the Dorm

While I am out of the dorms, I am very much still in the super small bedroom club. The silver lining there? The biggest closet in the house--high fives all around! I still feel qualified to share ideas for optimum design and storage in a teeny-tiny space (especially if you only get half the room!) Check out some of the inspiration below.

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A cart like this can be used so many ways in a dorm: bedside table for a lamp, alarm clock and some books; a beauty station for a mirror, cosmetics and hair supplies; or even a place to store food and beverage. Versatile pieces like this are basically essential in a dorm/small living space.

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Small spaces are prone to looking super cluttered super quick. For me, the worst area is always my desk. After hours of studying, rifling through notes and organizing papers the last thing I wanted to do at 2 AM was clean the space before finally going to sleep. Keep your desk organization game strong by utilizing shelving systems (frequently part of the desks provided by the school) and practice stacking books and organize with baskets, dishes, etc.

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Get creative with your storage. When in doubt, decorate up and not out. It will make the room look a little bit bigger. I love this idea of using an empty frame and string to hang you sunnies across. I have a cork board that I covered in fabric which I like to hang my necklaces on. I also use Command hooks to hang bags!

<3 Ashley

What are your tips for decorating a small space?

Dorm Essentials

Shower Caddy | Vintage Pillow | Pineapple Pillow | Bed Set | Storage | Keurig

If there is one thing  that I stressed out about just as much as the first day of classes freshman year, it was how I was going to decorate my half of the dorm room. Much of what I opted for has worked its way from year to year, residence hall to residences hall and finally to off-campus house. There are a few important things that I definitely suggest that freshman have in their dorms. 

A Keurig is absolutely essential in my opinion. If you are a coffee drinker, having one of these in your dorm will save you so much money--buying a cup from the coffee shop on your way to class can real amount to a huge number in the budget! 

A shower caddy is a must since bathrooms in the freshman dorms are almost always communal. Make that trip to the shower less cumbersome with a caddy for all of your necessities. (A separate one for toothpaste, toothbrush, face wash, etc is always hand as well!)

An appropriate amount of storage is key in a small dorm room. The school will typically provide students with a height adjustable bed, a desk with drawers and maybe a shelf, and a closet/wardrobe. For your belongings that you don't keep in your desk or drawers, store in stackable bins or a rolling cart, which can be placed under your bed if you set it high enough.

The bedding is of course an essential. The decorative pillows are not necessarily essential, but they will add a nice personal touch to your half of the room!

<3 Ashley

What are your dorm essentials?