KIM COOK
Associated Press<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many college students, dorm life is an introduction to independent living \u2014 their very first \u201chome away from home.\u201d And as exciting as this chapter is, it\u2019s also a challenge: How do you turn one room into a work, sleep and hangout space?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We got some advice from decor pros:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. First, make sure you and your roommate\/s are on the same page. \u201cTalk to your roommate and make a plan for who\u2019s bringing what,\u201d advises Lauren Phillips, associate editorial director at Better Homes & Gardens. \u201cLetting everyone feel like they have a say in the room can go a long way towards building a strong relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Find out more about the building and room you\u2019re moving into. \u201cDoes it have a semi-private bathroom or a hall bath? Are the walls bare cement blocks or plaster? … Shop to the space you\u2019re actually moving into,\u201d says Phillips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Think twice about a loft or bunk bed. \u201cIt\u2019s fun for a few days or weeks, but by fall break, you\u2019ll regret having to climb up a ladder to go to bed every night,\u201d Phillips says. She does recommend raising the bed enough to allow for under-bed storage. In any case, bring a mattress pad for some added softness and cleanliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Bring plenty of chargers and power strips with long cords. \u201cThere almost definitely won\u2019t be enough outlets, and the ones you do have will inevitably be in inconvenient spots,\u201d says Emily White of Dormify, a website that specializes in dorm stuff. And consider furniture with built-in plugs or ports. There are headboards, bedframes and tables that fit the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Stick to simple and affordable. College isn\u2019t the time for investing in high-quality pieces. \u201cBetween moving pretty much every single year… and the general wear and tear of college life, your items are going to wear out quick,\u201d Phillips notes. \u201cAnd unless you plan to have a bean bag chair in your first apartment or sleep on a twin bed forever, you probably won\u2019t take a lot of your college furnishings with you into post-college life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. Make a comfortable hangout. Since you can stream on other devices, a TV might not be worth the space. Phillips suggests something better: a projector. \u201cThere are great mini or portable ones now that connect easily to your device, and you can set up a movie night in just a few minutes,\u201d she says. For extra seating, get some foldable chairs, bean bags and small ottomans (ideally with built-in storage) that can be tucked away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. For those who want a dorm-decorating theme, White says some popular ones are \u201ccoastal beachy,\u201d \u201cmusic fan,\u201d \u201coutdoors life\/nature,\u201d \u201c’70s era,\u201d \u201ccoquette\u201d and \u201cquiet luxury.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
9. There\u2019s no rush. Take a beat before decorating too much or making any major changes to your dorm room. \u201cYou\u2019ll learn how you function best in this new environment throughout your first semester, so make sure your space can grow with you,\u201d says Phillips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New York-based writer Kim Cook covers design and decor topics regularly for The Associated Press. Follow her on Instagram at @kimcookhome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
KIM COOKAssociated Press For many college students, dorm life is an introduction to independent living \u2014 their very first \u201chome away from home.\u201d And as exciting as this chapter is, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,11],"tags":[69,2162,2161,2160],"class_list":["post-3912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-decor","category-lifestyles","tag-better-homes-gardens","tag-dormify","tag-emily-white","tag-lauren-phillips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3912"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3912\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3921,"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3912\/revisions\/3921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}