
It's late August, which means thousands of college kids have been scouring Ikea, Target and the usual suspects for their dorm rooms. We like the affordable options that these stores offer, but we also think it doesn't hurt to invest in one or two pieces that can make the transition from dorm life to your first apartment...
Sure, $150 is a lot of money when you're living on Ramen noodles, but your dorm room is also the place where you begin living on your own (sort of). Here are our picks for high-style dorm accessories that will last.
Left to Right and Top to Bottom:
- Offi Molded Plywood Magazine Stand - $89 at Unica Home
- 2-Unit Componibili - $105 at Haus Modern Living
- Stelton Vaccum Jug - $79.50 at Arbitare
- Magnetic Strip Bulletin Board - $12 per strip at Velocity Art & Design
- Skateboard Table/Bench - $130 at Skurniture
- Russell and Hazel Pattern Binders - $24 each at Velocity Art & Design
- Bento Box - $34 at Plastica
- Blu Dot 3-D Letter Holder - $25 at Design Public
- Offi Overlap Tray - $149 at Unica Home
(Re-edited from 2007.8.20 - CB)
Comments (16)
If you're going to drop 150 bucks on something for your dorm room, make it something unique that expresses you as an individual, not something that no one will be able to differentiate from its Target/Ikea rip-off.
Go get a vintage baseball jersey or some letterpress band posters or something from the antique or junk shops -- something memorable and expressive that no one else will have.
i really want to know how to make the legs, or where to find metal legs (that are cheaper than the ones on the manufacturer's site) for that skateboard table.
Heather: you can buy hairpin legs here: http://www.ianmaclean.com/
Not sure about the top though :-)
Heather: I'm actually planning on making a skateboard table and you don't have to pay the full $150--just $70 for the legs and find a nice used board for the tabletop.
I believe those legs are made especially for skateboards (they fit the regular wheel screw layout). I haven't found a cheaper version of the legs with the matching screw holes...yet.
or ask ian (hairpinlegs.com guy) to make a set for a skateboard. he has been a skater from the 80's and still rides to this day!
-ian ....
Are you serious? 89 bucks for a magazine stand on a college student's budget? I wouldn't call that affordable...
do you think that a set of short hair pin legs would look good as a replacement for the Lack TV Bench legs? Also, would it even work to screw them in because the piece isn't solid wood, or is there enough of an edge to drill into?
Try checking out Lowe's or Ikea for legs. Ikea sells unique table legs individually.
this post is hilarious.
Amen, Mrs. P. I'm with you all the way - if you've got $150 to blow, you'll get a lot more personality out of your purchase if you go unique, and especially if you go vintage. The rest of it is difficult to differentiate from the Ikea knockoffs.
Most of this stuff isn't needed in a dorm. Don't you know that a dorm bed serve almost all of these functions?
I don't have anything from college because when I was in school I just purchased what I needed to get by. It wasn't till after I graduated that I bought some nice pieces to feather my nest.
Kids, your better off spending that $150 wisely on the bare minimum and using the left over money doing something with your friends. You have the rest of adulthood to become a design afficianado if thats what you choose.
Most college kids will spend any extra $89 on beer, not a magazine rack....even the ones who want their dorm to look nice. I did my whole dorm room on less than $150 and it looked damn good...yay Ikea for college kids!
have you been to college? have you seen what passes for desks and furniture? my friends are using tupperware as desks, cinderblocks as bed risers and shelves... if they had 150 bucks, it would go on food, beer, gas, books, but not an extravagant accessory. seriously, out of touch with the younger, poorer set.
The Leaning Shelf is perfect for small spaces. They used to sell them at Storehouse and Crate and Barrel. I found them here are High Fashion Home for $119.
http://www.highfashionhome.com/leaning-shelf.html
I apologize in advance because there are clearly some intelligent tasteful people here who like it, but I really don't like skateboard furniture.
To me, it looks suitable for a room decorated with promotional beer mirrors or skateboarding posters and nowhere else.