Hiring a decorator to trick-out your campus living quarters might come across as a tad eccentric. Not to mention a little out of our meager price ranges.

All hail the Internet, our default solutions provider. Dormify.com, an online boutique providing modern dorm room decor and accessories, just launched an e-shopping site for the Nate Berkus in every college student.

This DC-based company puts style within reach. The site serves as both a design inspiration tool and a shopping destination, featuring products specifically geared toward us: stylish bedding, organized storage options, plus unique wall prints and decals. It stocks a variety of lines from over 15 acclaimed companies, including Dwell Studios, Jonathan Adler, Alexandra Ferguson and Blissliving Home.

In addition, the portal offers an easy-to-use gift registry for soon-to-be grads, a wish list tool for design enthusiasts, and an aspirational blog chock-full of interior design tips and tricks from style savvy students themselves.

Yeah, we might have just moved out of the dorms but it’s never too early to start pimping out our rooms for next year. And really, what else do you have to do all day at that summer internship?

Photo credit: styleathome.com

It’s almost time to move to campus – away from parents, rules, younger siblings – and into the most drab room ever?

Yeah, dorm rooms aren’t really known for their architecture or beauty. More likely, they’re small cells with white walls and hideous flooring. So how can you take that space and make it all your own…without sacrificing your security deposit? It’s way easier than you think.

Adding a little pizazz to an otherwise boring space doesn’t take much. And thanks to all the advancements in “temporary” decorating, you can give that cell a total makeover and have the coolest room on campus. (And this goes for all you upperclassmen out there, too!)

Goodbye juvenile poster collages and hello chic sophistication! Read More »

[Meet Margaret. She's a recent high school grad gearing up for her first year at Yale. We'll check in with her every week to see what she's doing, who she's Facebook stalkin', what she's packing, and what new college surprises she's tackling (or freaking out about) next. Oh, to be an incoming freshman again....]

Dorm shopping is kinda like going on a safari. Not just because there are waaaay too many sheet sets out there with zebra print on them (you guys, zebra print can be totally cute, but no doubt it also is reminiscent of Austin Powers’ sex pad which is kinda less than groovy…unless that’s what you’re into), but also because it is so overwhelming and exhilarating you kinda don’t know what to do with yourself.

I mean, with “I Heart College!” Bed, Bath & Beyond ads hitting your mailbox every week, it’s hard not to buy that cushioned toilet seat or $26 stainless steel trashcan. I just wanna look super fly come college time and every little thing counts, even a steel trash receptacle.

But from the mouth of a wise woman (my mom): “Darling, if you really want it we can get it. But don’t be stupid.” Real talk: We all want to walk into college with swagger, but a steel trash can probably will not accomplish that. Nor will a cushioned toilet seat, much as your ass (or face, after a long night at the frats) would beg to differ.

So fellow freshmen, unless you’re Emma Watson and have Harry Potter cash to blow, let’s consider what we really need before we get sucked into Target’s cute dorm deco displays: Read More »

We all place a large emphasis on our dorm room decor. And we should; how we live says a lot about us to everyone who passes through. And what’s sending the biggest message? The poster. People can learn a lot about you from what you hang on the wall and college students know it, which explains the abundance of poster sales that invade the student center every season.

Are you a refined pearl-wearing girl like Audrey, or super stoner like the Bob Marley?
Maybe the ever-classic Animal House poster is more your style (if your style includes a beer bong and five year plan).

Pay attention and you’ll notice the same rotation of prints appearing on dorm doors and scuffed white walls all over campus.  What?  You thought that motivational poster was unique?  Yeah, good luck defining your undergrad identity one Abbey Road poster at a time…

You wanna stand out this Fall? Avoid hanging one of these 10 cliche posters over your bunk bed. Read More »

It’s not always easy to make a college dorm room all your own with the standard res hall-issued furniture you’ve got in there. Sure, you can stack it up all nice and hang some fun pictures on the wall, but sometimes you want something a little different and cool to complete your pad.

Like a fun table, perhaps?

This awesome Bottle Cap Table is easy to make and will score you some major cool points from your friends, neighbors and maybe even your R.A. (as long as you don’t let him see you “collecting” bottle caps in your dry dorm). Plus, actually making the table is a party on its own: “Hey, let’s get a 12-pack of Miller Light. I have a craft project to do!”

What You’ll Need:
- Bottle caps
- Table
- Super glue (if the glue isn’t sticking well with the table, try contact cement)
- Resin (ex. Envirotex Lite)
- Masking Tape
- Aluminum foil
- Duct tape Read More »

Kanye West isn’t dead, people.

Joe Jackson milks MJ’s death for all it’s worth.

Bethenny Frankel’s got a (low carb) bun in the oven.

Cheap, amazing dorm room DIY.

Wanna have a threesome with Gerard Butler?

What jewelry is worth the splure?

We all know that painting the walls in your dorm room is a giant no-no. Hell, you can’t even hammer a nail into those things! But that doesn’t mean you have to settle for some BS Animal House poster for your wall decor; there is another way to show off your creativity and create a space that is both cool and easy to remove at the end of the year so you can get your security deposit back. Because that is a lot of money.

Enter: Paint Chip Art.

Paint chips – or paint samples, rather – are those little cards you can pick up from your neighborhood hardware/paint store. They’re out there for the taking so people can test out colors at home. But they’re good for more than just sampling colors; these free color palettes are perfect for decorating on a college budget.

I stumbled upon this eco-friendly decorating idea during class on Greenwala.com and was immediately inspired. I have big plans for the weekend (starting with a very important trip to Home Depot) and thought I’d share some of this inspiration with you. Decorating has never been easier! Read More »

So your dorm room currently sucks. As in, the paint is peeling off the walls, the bed springs squeak every time you turn (and that’s when you’re alone…), and the whole space smells like the house of that notorious old lady with a gazillion cats.

Ok, so we can’t fix those problems (try calling the R.A.), but we can make your room a little bit prettier and a lot bit more comfy! And all for next to nothing.

Your dorm room should be a much cooler home away from home; a safe sanctuary where you can study, play, and relax. A place where people can walk in, tell you how awesome it looks, then lounge on the floor eating cookie dough and talking about the other girls down the hall. And now you can have all that and more with our awesome find in Gonzalez and Smith’s book, Dorm Décor: The Zebra Felt Rug!

Materials:
Zebra rug template (download here)
2 yards (72″ wide) black felt
2 yards (72″ wide) orange felt
4 yards (72″ wide) cream felt
6′ x 2′ piece of 2″ grid pattern paper
Carbon paper and tracing wheel
Pencil
Scissors
Fabric Glue Read More »