Sion Goff
Have you just shifted to a college dorm room and are shattered to observe its small size?
Or you have just got a great overseas opportunity (work, study) but you came to know the dorm room is not that big?
It’s just okay.
Because we have got you covered!
Here are 21 budget-friendly minimalist dorm room ideas that will let you live like a boss in your little room.
Storage, organization, privacy, décor, time-cutting solutions – they have got everything.
So, why wait.
We just can’t arrange them according to the importance level because there is so much variation in what people regard the most important for their dorm life.
New place, new life, and new you call for some happening new products that will undoubtedly amp your living at the unknown place and make it worthwhile and peaceful.
Go through all these dorm room ideas and make sure to implement them for a relaxing lifestyle.
For a relaxing lifestyle go through these dorm room ideas and also find cute things to put in your room.
1. Utilize the space under the bed
That’s one of the top tips for a minimalist dorm room. You just can’t miss utilizing the under-bed space.
But what are the options?
You can pack your stuff in organizer bags and slide it under there. It could include your quilts, photo frames, unused clothes, gifts to take back home, etc.
Or you could put your sports accessories like a golf stick, football, tennis racket, and helmets there.
You can also smuggle wooden boxes or crates from your College or places nearby and store stuff in them.
Whatever it is, don’t forget to use the maximum of this space.
2. Get a rolling cart as a bedside table
You don’t normally use all drawers of your bedside table. So, how about a rolling cart with each shelf assigned for a specific purpose.
You can dedicate the lowest shelf to your medicines, moisturizer (if you are a woman), and sleep masks while the other shelves to books, bottles, cups, or magazines.
The idea is to use it as a side table, coffee table, and storage cabinet – all in one.
Pretty cool idea, right?
3. No bed in front of the cupboards
Either you are living with roommates or not, this way of arrangement is a big, fat NO.
It’s against the laws of architecture, looks extremely wrong to the eye, and consumes a lot of space.
Your dorm bed should always be 90 degrees to the cupboards.
4. Fold the clothes to save space
Rolling and folding clothes “space-savingly” is not just for traveling. You can also use it for your tight dormitory closets and cupboards.
If you are living with roommates and have a specific area of cupboard assigned to you instead of separate cupboards, this hack becomes really useful.
They can save almost 40% of your closet space. There are several ways of folding. This video teaches you some.
5. Use mood lighting for a homey effect
Mood lighting goes a long way in creating a home-like ambiance and is integral for a minimalist dorm room decor.
What do we mean?
Getting fixtures that can compensate for each type of situation!
For example, getting a low-light and romantic moonlight lamp for romantic nights.
Or adorable string lights for decorating a specific part of your room, or as party lights.
You can also add a holographic gorilla lamp in your room, to make strenuous study nights less boring and dull.
6. Don’t miss the “Mighty” Ottoman
It can serve as an additional sitting space for you, your friends, and guests.
Buy the one that has a storage unit in it so you can buff it up with some of your essentials. This way, you will have a sitting unit coupled with a storage compartment.
And it also increases the beauty of the room without taking too much room.
7. Place organizers in the drawers
We don’t realize it but we under-utilize the drawer space most of the time.
Say hello to the helpful drawer organizers in this regard.
They are a clean and organized way of handling your essentials: undergarments, stationery, perfumes or towels.
If you want more versatility and personalization in them, you can choose the modern adjustable divider packs as well.
They provide you with the luxury to make units of your own choice.
Related: Essential Things You Need For Your Room
8. Utilize the window sill
Using every available space of the room is the key while making your dorm room a cozy place to live.
A window sill is one of those places that you can use to put your vases, stationary containers, bottles, watches, or hairbands.
This would brighten up this part of the room for sure.
9. Hooks and magic tape everywhere
There won’t be a single dorm room ideas video that won’t discuss this tip.
People usually focus on employing the ground space and totally forget how much potential they have on the wall area.
You can attach your frames on the walls with magic tape instead of putting them on the shelves; there can be a curtain installed behind the bed with adhesive hooks; jewelry can be hung at one wall for creating a focal area, etc.
10. Don’t miss the vertical space
There are other ways of using vertical space as well.
- Attach wall-mounted baskets on the wall to keep flowers, cleaning essentials, or your groceries.
- Hanging bookshelves look mesmerizing and can clear up a large space of your working desk.
- Over-the door laundry baskets and shoe-racks are a real space-saver too.
- Pegboards are ingenious. They come in various sizes, designs, and attachments; some are wooden while others are made of steel. They can hold your tools, decorations, notice boards, and hanging items.
11. Remember using the legroom of the study table
You only need space for two legs while working on your study tables. The rest usually remains unused.
Be creative and try utilizing that space as well.
You can put your shoe rack, assignment sheets in a box, books, or ottoman there, depending on the room you have.
12. Hanging mirrors make your space look bigger
It’s a traditional technique of creating an illusion of openness in small spaces.
There are several options: round, over-sized, rectangular, Scandinavian.
Choose the ones that align perfectly with the rest of the interior. They reflect the light better as well so you get a bright room too, this way.
13. Nature never hurts
You sure can’t have a well-balanced dorm room unless you integrate some natural features with artificial ones.
And what better as a natural earthy ornament than indoor plants.
They clean the air, improve the aesthetics of the room by leaps and bounds, and give a fresh look to the room.
If you don’t have a room for large houseplants with big leaves, plant small succulent ones in tiny, cute containers and place them on shelves, table, or the window sill.
14. Use pop-tabs to hang extra clothes in your closet
We bet you drink a lot of soda drinks during your college days. How about we tell you a way of using the pop-tab of these cans to hang extra clothes?
Slip the pop-tab in one of the hangers and insert the second hanger in the hole of the pop-tab.
It’s as simple as that.
Or, if you are ready to invest in foldable hangers, you can buy those with 8-in-1 configuration here.
15. Stackable bins can make your under-the-sink space useful
The space under the sink is not just meant for pipes and musty smell.
You can store your toiletries in stacking bins there as well. It could be plastic ones or if you have a few bucks to spend, slideable metal ones.
16. Spread Rugs & Covers to enhance the coziness
Rugs, carpets, blankets and table covers are simple and cheap ways of making your small room more cozy, vibrant and colorful.
If you have a coffee table, spread a nice, neutral-colored table cover over it and jazz it up with a rug under your bed or couch.
Many people would opt for a fully carpeted room but mind it. It requires regular cleaning as dust particles love to hide in the carpet fibers.
17. Say Hello to bed raisers
For people who don’t know what they are; these polyurethane (or wooden and metallic) attachments raise the base of the bed.
If you have a low-lying bed which doesn’t allow you to fully take advantage of the space under it, you should definitely buy these.
Some even come with power outlets which are extremely helpful.
18. Invest in a charging station
There will never be enough sockets in your dorm room, especially if you have other people living with you.
So invest in a good stylish charging station that can get the chore done for your smartphones, laptops and iPads.
19. Shield the extension board inside a shoebox
Extension cords lying all around the room is unsightly. And in a small room, this effect becomes even more magnified.
So, what to do with it?
Take a shoebox and shield the extension board in it. Then drill holes for all the connections you want to make.
You can also decorate it with chic designs and adornments like laces, pearls and beads if you like.
After all, anything giving wings to the beauty of your room is acceptable!
20. Make steps of the bunk bed comfortable
Are you staying on the top floor of the bunk bed in your dorm room?
Spoiler alert!
You will have numb feet from going up and down the steps soon.
Here’s how to prevent it.
Take a length of pool noodle and snap it over the steps before taping the ends. Match the color of the pool noodle either with the walls or the bunk bed.
Creative, right?
21. Level up
Our last tip makes sure that everything hung on your wall is exactly straight.
Install a level app on your phone and use it while you are working.
Bubble Level app is quite popular because it’s easy-to-use and accurate.
We are done
We are done here. Hope our list of ideas was useful for you. Now it’s your turn, share your dorm room hacks with us so all of us can benefit from them.