One of the biggest surprises I came across when moving into a dorm room at UCA my Freshman year, was how empty, bland, and uninviting the dorm rooms were. I had all these big expectations of how cute and homey my dorm room would be after scrolling for hours on Pinterest. Let me just tell you... those Pinterest girls had to work their booties off to make their rooms look like that!
The biggest issue I faced with my dorm room my Freshman year was that it just wasn't cozy! No matter how hard I tried, the concrete floors and cinder block walls just could not feel any more like a prison cell.
For the last two years I have lived in the Alpha Sigma Tau sorority house, which is still basically like a dorm room, just in a fancy house. So, after three years of living in the dorms, I think I've finally mastered the art of making a college dorm room feel like home!
Here are my tips on making your college dorm room feel more cozy!
1. Warm Lighting
Here was something that I was not prepared for my Freshman year... Fluorescent lights! That bright white light really complimented the bland concrete floors and white walls to make it look just like a prison cell!
When moving into your dorm room be sure to bring lots of warm yellow lights to give the room more of a cozy vibe! I suggest hanging string lights on your wall or getting a cute lamp.
2. All The Scents
I hate to break it to you but you're in college... sometimes your dorm hall is going to smell like sweaty boys and weed. I can not stress how much you need something to mask the mysterious smells of college! Plus you can pick out scents that feel homey to you! My go-to candles are Flannel, Mahogany Teakwood, and Leaves from Bath and Body Works, because nothing makes me feel more cozy than those musky Fall scents! For you it may be something sweet or even fruity!
A lot of dorm rooms, however, don't allow burning candles (mine didn't my Freshman year.) If that's the case, I recommend purchasing an oil diffuser! It's a lot of fun mixing the different oils and finding some of your favorite scents! Essential Oils also have a ton of health benefits!
3. Plants
I don't know what it is, but nothing makes a place feel homier than having plants around! I love keeping cacti and succulents in my room because they are super low maintenance and really easy to care for. I also love to get fresh flowers from the local Farmers Market to keep in a big mason jar next to my bed! There is just something about having live plants around that just makes me feel happy!
If you don't have a green thumb you can always buy fake plants, which can make your room look just as cozy! I love stringing fake eucalyptus leaves and ivy around my headboard to give my bed more of a cozy feel!
4. The Cozy Corner
This is a must have for me.
I loooove having a little place that I dedicate all to the coze. My freshman year I had a massive bean bag that I decked out with lots of cozy throw blankets and pillows. This year I have what I like to call my "Cozy Corner" under my bed! It features my mustard daybed cushion from Urban Outfitters, surrounded by tons of cute pillows and blankets! I also took a curtain from Target and strung it under my bed to act like a little shade separating the Cozy Corner from the rest of the world! Top it off with some string lights, a record player, and my favorite books, and I never want to leave!
This is my go-to place to have my quiet times with Jesus in the mornings because if I try to have them in my bed I just ended up falling back asleep again! Anyone else relate? But, if that's not your thing you can also just use it as a place to chill out, read, watch netflix, draw, the possibilities are endless!
5. Coffee Maker
The Keurig is my lifeline.
Nothing makes a place more cozy than having a warm drink to sip on while doing homework or reading your favorite novel! Especially when you have super cute coffee mugs to drink from! My cute floral H mug is from Anthropologie and my Love You A Latte mug is from Ayesha Curry's Kitchen Collection!
Now go out there and create the Pinterest worthy dorm room of your dreams! These are some of the best ways that I've found to make a dorm room feel more cozy, but let me know in the comments some of your tips and tricks! I'll link my UCA Pinterest board below so you guys can see where I got some of my inspiration from in decorating my room this year!
Click Here For My Dorm Room Inspo!
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