Dorm shopping was one of my favorite parts of preparing for college. Having a dorm room that feels like home is so important and it alleviates a lot of the stress of moving into college when you have everything figured out in advance.
Enter Dormify, an online decorating and shopping destination where teens can design their dream dorm room, stress-free, while carefully monitoring the cost along the way.
Dormify has excellent selections for practical and decor items. Image: Dormify
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NEW! TAKE 20% OFF bedding, textiles, pillows with code DREAM20 (6/12-6/16)
Favorite dorm ideas from Dormify
Start with the Bed
Picking out bedding is your first step. Then, once you’re ready to move onto the wall, storage, or decor items, Dormify has some unique standout pieces that caught my eye. Many of these things can also be good for apartment furnishings in future years when you start searching for “apartment decor” instead of “dorm decor.”
Headboards
1. Grey Velvet Twin/Twin XL Powered Tufted Headboard
Dormify headboards can be mounted effortlessly onto the wall with sturdy velcro strips. And added to the functionality are a built-in outlet and USB port to plug in a phone, laptop, or clip-on light at their bedside. The headboard has a 6’ long power cord so your teen can plug it into an outlet and have all the power they need right at their bedside.
Having a charger near your bed is so important during college, especially on days where you just want to relax and do homework!
Dorm Walls
2. White Brick Removable Wallpaper
The peel and stick wallpaper in a brick pattern is an inventive and attractive way to obscure the typically awful cinder block walls that make dorms look so bleak. It is removable and does not damage walls — check the Student Housing prohibited list first. This wallpaper is so trendy and perfect for a college dorm. Removable wallpaper is simple to put up and remove.
3. Tapestry + Long Light Set
Hanging a wall tapestry is a relatively easy and quick way to upgrade the walls dramatically. One new trend is to add a string light to the tapestry — so cute but make sure both are allowed in the dorms. This trend is prevalent among current college students.
4. White Hangit Photo Display
A cute way to display photos is with this “hang it” — a clothesline and pins strung between two poles to display and switch out favorite hang it. This simple way to hang pictures of friends and family from back home to alleviate homesickness. This easy-to-hang photo display can hold a changing collection of postcards and photographs.
This easy-to-hang photo display can hold a changing collection of postcards and photos.
5. Wall Prints
Wall prints are essential for adding personality to a dorm room. Dormify has so many fantastic images to choose from. I love looking through all the different print options and deciding which would go with the theme of my room.
Lighting in Dorms
6. Charging Task Lamp
If the desk doesn’t have a lamp or lighting, here is a desk lamp with a built-in charging outlet plug. As mentioned before, having chargers accessible is crucial for college.
Many dorm room desks need extra lighting.
Accent Pillows
7. Pillows
Dormify is known for its fantastic pillows, and you will find many shapes, colors, and textures. Fuzzy pillows are trendy among college students right now!
8. Customizable pillows
Dormify will create a unique pillow with your teen’s name, initials, school name, etc., making a great grad gift. The pillows with one large initial might be a simple way for roommates to unify two disparate styles with a pair, one for each bed.
Consider getting an initial pillow for your teen and their roomie.
Dorm Storage
9. Collapsible Storage Ottoman Chair
I love this storage cube that doubles as a chair with the back folded up. It also comes with inserts for a perfect place to store shoes. It folds completely flat when not in use.
10. Tall Charging 3-Drawer Cart on Wheels
This was one of Dormify’s biggest hits last year and sold out quickly. These have USB and charging ports, making them even more helpful than your typical bed shelf that is sometimes used with elevated dorm beds.
11. 24 Pocket Over the Door Shoe Organizer
Having a shoe organizer is definitely a dorm essential and, because this one is over the door, you could even use it to store snacks or other small items. I used my shoe organizer to have a variety of snacks and candy that I can grab as a midnight snack or share with friends!
Other Essentials
12. Rugs
Rugs make a dorm room feel much more like home and are a nice addition to add more color to the room. Dormify has so many rugs to choose from — patterned or fuzzy rugs are definitely in style for college students at the moment.
13. Pop Up Hamper With Carrying Strap
A pop-up hamper makes packing and unpacking simple because it barely takes up any space. I have a pop-up hamper, and it makes doing laundry very easy.
14. Throw Blankets
Throw blankets are perfect for the dorms when having a movie night with friends. Dormify has some of the cutest throw blankets that are very soft.
What makes Dormify shopping unique
Although dorm shopping can sometimes feel overwhelming, the good news is that you can do much of the legwork online, making the decor shopping experience easy to do before making any purchases. Dormify offers so many styles to choose from and has innovative ways to shop. There is something for everybody which makes the dorm shopping easy and fun.
1. Bed Visualizer
Using their phone or laptop, teens can design a bed with sheets, a comforter, a blanket, pillows, and a headboard, mixing and matching endless combinations before deciding on a final selection. They can see how their choices will look and exactly what they cost before adding a single item to their shopping cart.
2. Shopping Dates with a Stylist
This feature is so awesome! If a student wants to chat via FaceTime, Zoom, Google Hangout, etc, they can book a FREE appointment with Dormify’s style advisors who can show them products and answer questions.
The experts are college students or recent grads and can give “big sister” advice on small space decorating. They understand the college lifestyle and can help freshmen with their shopping. Whether style-obsessed or want the basics, they can help you create a distinctive decor.
Your teen can book a free appointment with a Dormify stylist.
Your teen can book a free appointment with a Dormify stylist.
About the Founders
Dormify’s growth in the dorm furnishings industry has ben led by the mother-daughter team of Amanda Zuckerman and Karen Zuckerman. Beginning in 2011, after they went shopping for Amanda’s freshman year dorm room at Washington University, this duo created a company that has become a trusted resource for college students with exclusive products and original ideas. Amanda was named as one of Forbes “30 Under 30” in 2018.
All photos curtesy of Dormify
Looking for More Dorm Ideas:
How to Decorate a Dorm Room – Adorable and Easy! These are some of our favorite ideas for dorm decor.
30 Bestselling Dorm Essentials for 2021 College If you are still looking for additional items for a dorm, here are some of the most popular one.
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