Dorm Decoration Tips for College Students

School is back in session and for many soon-to-be students this is their first time living outside of the family home. We know from personal experience this can be a bit of a shock. Not only will students need to adjust to having roommates for the first time (siblings don’t count), but a dorm room often means less space than they’re used to back home.

But if you’re a student, this is also an opportunity to stretch your creative chops and see what inventive ways you come up with in your dorm decoration ideas to showcase who you are and what matters to you.

Absolute Storage Management is in your corner with experience and ideas of our own. From the seasonal trappings of Halloween dorm decorations to the everyday dorm wall décor, we want to help you put your best foot forward with our best decoration and dorm room storage hacks. We’ll also examine how college student storage can make your cramped dorm space feel a lot more manageable.

Dorm Room Storage Hacks for New Students 

Time to embrace the ever-growing list of “life hacks,” to streamline your organization and maximize the usefulness of every square inch your dorm has to offer.

Go Vertical with Dorm Wall Décor

The average dorm size doesn’t give you much foot space to work with. Once you account for the beds (usually stacked) and the study desks, you’re lucky if two people can walk through the remaining space side-by-side.

When things get this tight, rather than risk jamming your toe on a wayward box or book, take advantage of all the vertical storage space possible. Dorm wall decor can be tasteful and practical at the same time, like with mounted wall hooks, shelving, and over-the-door dorm shoe storage racks. All of these can be used for anything you need: books, spare toiletries, scarves, hats, etc. If you need space and you’re low on floor space, turn to the walls for assistance.

Make Space with Dorm Under Bed Storage

With your walls full-up, it’s time to see what can be done with dorm underbed storage.

You want to know the beautiful trick about beds in college? Most universities will allow you to create additional space by placing your furniture on stacks of cinderblocks. With this, you can add tons of extra space beneath your bed, or couch, if you have one of those.

Equipped with this valuable new real estate, invest in storage bins or drawers that can slide underneath. These are perfect for storing clothes, extra dorm shoe storage, extra bedding, and other irregular items that you don’t use every day, like dorm Christmas decorations. More on that later.

Use Multi-Functional Furniture for Dorm Drawer Storage

A good, high-utility piece of furniture can be useful anywhere, but it’s absolutely game-changing in a low-space area like a dorm room.

A great example of multi-purpose furniture is a futon, assuming you have enough space for one, which has additional space under the cushions for storing blankets, and spare supplies. Alternatively you could find dorm desks with decor that elevate your dorm drawer storage options by including built-in shelves and drawers for school supplies and organizational savviness.

Make the Most of Dorm Decoration Ideas for the Holidays

Everything we’ve listed so far can be implemented in one way or another for your dorm Christmas decorations or dorm Halloween decorations.

That said, closets and underbed storage tend to see the most utility for storing these sorts of seasonal products. In that case, we encourage that you separate your decor by seasons and put them into labeled plastic bins for safe keeping. A reliable option that doesn’t look sloppy is to get a long plastic bin for each of the special decor situations (you may also want one for New Years, or birthdays), and make sure they match. Then stack them on top of each other for optimal space conservation.

Or embrace a year-round Christmas aesthetic. You wouldn’t be the first.

Turn Your Dorm Room Storage Into Self Storage Success

Even when you pull out all the tricks and leverage every dorm room storage hack, there are times it’s still not enough. Those dorms are tiny, we know, and no amount of sneaky furniture or wall-mounted shoe racks are going to make it feel any less cramped.

In this case, we encourage you to rent a self-storage unit near your university. Self-storage units are invaluable to many people, and students are no exception. These affordable, temporary student storage spaces are especially useful for items you don’t need or use on a regular basis, like seasonal clothing, holiday decorations, sports equipment, or certain sentimental items. They’re also the perfect solution for keeping your belongings organized when you head home for break. Instead of renting a moving truck, packing up your belongings, and moving home just to do it again a few months later, opt for a self storage unit that allows you to store your belongings near campus and stop back right before classes start again. 

A self-storage unit is a convenient, secure place to store any sensitive belongings without cluttering up your limited dorm space. At Absolute Storage managed facilities, we offer a multitude of sizing options, including especially affordable 5×5 spaces. You’ll also find security features like 24/7 video surveillance, perimeter fencing, and electronic locks, so you can rest comfortably knowing that all measures to protect your belongings are being taken.

Reach out to the facility nearest to you and start your dorm room storage journey today!