Dorm Decor: Decorate your dorm room on a budget

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Dear Sharon: My daughter is about to go off to school and I haven't a clue as to how to help her decorate her dorm room. I don't want anything too high-end and she doesn't want her room to look like a smelly flophouse either. Can you point us in some direction? - Top Dorm (Chicago, IL)


Dear Top Dorm: Mom, it's not your kind of dorm any more! It's no longer about sticky taping a heavy metal poster to the wall and having a milk crate do double-duty as a dresser. Kids today are exposed to style and they want it.


Maybe it's from seeing their peers "live" in drop-dead huge, decorated apartments on reality TV or maybe it's from being exposed to a world that is getting easier on the eyes, but today's young people know about style.

Since students have a tendency to switch dorms throughout school, think of this as the ultimate in cheap chic disposable decorating. There are some schools, of course, where students have lavishly decorated rooms, however, for the most part, kids want something cool that their friends feel comfortable hanging out in and a silk damask couch is not it.

Dorm decor tips: A small dorm space should be visually stimulating while offering all the necessities to make studying conducive. Female students without desks in their rooms were 70% more likely to say they drink alcohol often as compared with females with a desk in their room, reports the Back To School Survey from Ikea, an excellent source for style on the cheap furnishings.

Color
The biggest bang for the buck is color. Accents of clear, crisp color go a very long way when you choose a palette that inspires you. Some of the moment decorator colors are bright persimmon, granny smith green, pop art pink, and clear red. Paint a single wall, get a beanbag chair, duvet cover, area rug, wall shelves, or computer desk chair in a color that packs a pow.
Art
A simple, inexpensive black or bleached wood gallery frame with a white mat adds instant credibility to almost any image. The key is to group images by theme, keep the frames consistent, and be sure all prints are matted. Cheap chic ideas are a collection of black and white 8x10 photographs(eBay! is a great source), illustrative postcards, or even handwritten letters… the mat and frame are what's key.

Interesting Accessories
Some one-of-a kind vintage doodads from either a flea market or grandma's attic lends individuality. Anything that acts as an organizer and is cool to look at strikes a space-saving plus. A funky bedside lamp with a sculptural shade made of nylon or paper brightens the style quota. Don't forget a high-design wall clock so there's no excuse to miss class. (Ikea canvas-zippered wall-mounted cd holder pictured right)

Mom, please allow for individuality here… this may be just the beginning of your child's expression of personal style. And, like all good things, it evolves over time.

Dorm Decor- Decorating Dorm Room On a Budget: Copyright (c)2001 Sharon Haver, distributed by FocusOnStyle.com. All rights reserved.
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