You crave an eclectic look… but you're on a serious budget. Never fear — with the right mix of stylish picks and vintage finds, your dorm room will be the envy of everyone on the hall.
Shown above, clockwise from top left:
- Vintage chalkboard, about $25, from Etsy.
- Mason jar lamp: it's a DIY! Or if you're not much of a crafter, you can buy one from Worley's Lighting on Etsy for $48.
- Dark forest art print by Tina Crespo for Society6, $18.50.
- Romantic floral scarf duvet cover, $89.00 from Urban Outfitters. The twin size is sold out online, but you can try in your local store, or find a similar style here.
- Vintage metal milk crate, $26 from Always Maybe Vintage on Etsy. Find lots of similar products here.
- 'I like you' rug, $39 from Urban Outfitters.
- Forest found wall hook, $30 from Anthropologie.
MORE DORM STYLE ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• A Room for the Child at Heart for Under $250
• A Warm & Woodsy Room for under $250
• Scandinavian Simplicity for under $350
• La Vie Boheme for Under $300
(Images: as linked above)
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The Anthropologie hook isn't that expensive, but you could make that for cheaper with a black wall hook and a piece of distressed wood. To mount in to the wall, I think a hole into the back of the wood and a screw in the wall would do the trick.
Honestly I didn't have $250 to spend on this kind of dorm stuff. It's a cute look but hit up some thrift stores or your grandma's house (grandmas always seem to have extra quilts and doilies that could be used in cute DIYs, stuff like that) and it'll be a lot cheaper.
I used to want that duvet cover so bad! But then I read some reviews, which said that the fabric was scratchy, and that the flowers were painted on. I guess that's what you get for $89...
(It looks like Urban Outfitters has since taken down those negative reviews)
I agree with Anna Lisa. Considering students moving into dorms have so many other expenses and necessities, $250 is way too much to spend on decorations for the average dorm-dweller. A lot of this look can be thrifted (for goodness sake not on etsy for those prices) and when it comes down to it, a few posters and a throw pillow from Target might be the only extravagant new items you can afford. It would be cool to see some real dorm room makeovers for under $100 incorporating things the student already owns.
Plus most dorms I know won't let you drill in the wall for the hook. Command hooks and tape are pretty much the only things you can use.
I don't mean to pee pee on this post, but college should be a time of where necessity breeds creativity--diy!, not just "cheaper" store bought goods. I was a poor college student, and now I have more disposable income, but I have still maintained the essence a diy aesthetic; frugual, creative, and material economy. How bout an essential diy for college. Thats a post I would applaud.
Of all of these, I would just buy the welcome mat. I might or might not be getting it. I've been searching for the right one for ages, and PLOP! Here it is in my lap!
But, at that price, I myself am a little put off by it. Yikes!
I will be shopping for the Urban Outfitters full/queen size scarf duvet cover! It is so beautiful!