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Hey Everyone! This will be my senior year as I prepare to graduate with a degree in Social Work. I've been planning my dorm room decor for a few months now, but would really like some ideas. Although I've never had a theme, I'm going with a beach one this year! I get to paint, but I can not decide on a color (only 1 allowed). Also, I'd love to use wall space, but I'm not sure how to in such a small space without it seeming so crowded. I have a tall dark wood bookcase that I'd like to paint, but still... any ideas of other wall storage?? What about under-the-bed storage that isn't an eye sore?? Gosh I need help!

Is your wall cinder block, or wall-board/plaster?

Not cinder block! Thankfully!

Never heard of a paintable-dorm but if so, you may be able to add a few nails/screws also? In that case, something like several of Ikea's lack shelves could be good, especially spaced apart but stacked horizontally on the wall (long as your stuff isn't too heavy).

If not, then it's back to bookcases for you. In any event, store small items (especially if not visually interesting themselves) in some nice boxes. Maybe get some nice (such as canvas) under-bed boxes that coordinate. Then keep just the best items out for display, so it doesn't get too cluttered to the eye. Rotate displayable items, if you have a lot.

What are the colors you're trying to choose between, for the wall color? When you pick one, consider a poster/print (in frame for extra class) that complements that somehow. Alternatively, arrange a bunch of smaller photos/prints in frames in a group on a wall. Sometimes matching the frame colors makes a nice effect.

Are you stuck with any dodgy, worn, must-keep-in-room furniture, or can you substitute any of your own?

People go all out for dorm stuff these days.

Does anyone know where that tall white unit in the first picture is from? Or something similar?

Bex, some schools allow you to paint (usually as long as you make sure it's a neutral color when you move out)

I am actually considering on actually moving out and live in my own apartment. I still want to save so I'm opting for a studio type apartment and surely space will be an issue I'm most creatively willing to handle. Thanks for the tips here. ;)

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One piece of advice I'm so glad that I followed last year: go a lot bolder with your decor than you normally would, in order to balance out the ugly cinder block walls, tile floor, boring furniture, and fluorescent lighting. I'm not really a hot pink type of girl, but I loved my hot pink sheets paired with an awesome brown comforter that had lots of red and bits of aqua, yellow, and pink. Having bold eye-catching pieces really made the room seem less drab.

I know this is an age-old question, but any ideas on how to get posters to stick to cinder block? When even masses of duct tape fails, you know you're in trouble.

Blueberrygirl, Scotch 3M Command makes these great hooks that stick and hold to almost any surface. They come in different designs and sizes and adhere really well. The best thing about them is you don't even have to use the hooks; the sticky pads that attach to the back of them can be used on their own to put up posters, mirrors, whatever you like. I have them all over my house! Two of the walls in my apartment are reinforced, and as a result, I can't put nails through them. So I use the sticky pads instead. They're great!

Love the verticals on these rooms, which manage to keep lots of stuff in fairly inexpensive storage looking tidy and fresh. I do wonder how easy it is to get to those high bookshelves... Sure, I was a nerd and all, but I actually used the books when I was in school.

My roommate and I lifted up our beds to get good storage underneath. My bed was longways against the wall and underneath we were able to get our mini-fridege, microwave, and laundry basket. I did always worry about all those microwaves penetrating through my bed, but 10 years later I still seem to be ok! We had the cinderblock problem, so vertical storage wasn't an option... under the bed worked great for us and really freed up some floor space to make things look less cluttered.

I vote for black-out curtains. They add color, without the hassle of painting, and make a room look more finished than the standard shades. And you can reuse them in your next place. Plus, most campuses are well lit at night for safety reasons (street lamps, emergency boxes, etc), so the black-out aspect helps sleeping.

I bought the black-out curtains in my apartment from overstock.com, and then hung "prettier" curtains on top.

Lamps! It's all about getting lamps, so you don't have to use the terrible florescent lighting.

Also, a rug & window treatments go a long way to softening a place up. In my last year of college, I found this great bookstore that sold art deco style posters, and they were great to change-up the space. Most posters have a distinctly collegiate feel, that you want to minimize in a dorm room. If you can frame your pictures/posters, that's a great touch.

Also, I was stuck with the assigned furniture, but each year made a point of bringing at least one piece of furniture from home, usually an armchair. This does A LOT to soften things up, and gives you a place to sit that isn't your desk chair or your bed.

Aw, now I feel all nostalgic for college.

Emily - I really like the Martha Stewart for Lowe's paint color surf - it is a pale blue. A light color will make the room feel bigger. I knew a girl who attached straw hula skirts from the party store to hide the stuff under her bed and around her desk - it may not be the look you are going for, but it was a lot of fun. Also look at the summer sales for some Japanese lanterns strung on a lights - a bit better than the standard Christmas light.

Other dorm ideas:
I agree with rainyday that a real lamp and a real bedside table will make it feel less like a dorm room.

I had walls we weren't allowed to put nail holes in and so took several canvases and painted them different colors (I had a bunch of round polkadots) and then hung then on the 3M Command hooks.

I used a full-size comforter on the twin-size bed so that it would hang to the ground and hide all the stuff I had stashed underneath.

I went to a carpet store and bought a remnant piece for next to nothing and then cut it to fit the whole room. Be sure to have them bind the edge that is going next to the door!

Free-standing bookshelves definitely help use vertical space without attaching anything to the walls.

I got a kitchen microwave cart that I used to put of my food and dishes in. My TV and DVD player went on top of the cart(the microwave was on top of the mini-fridge). Similar to this one:
http://www.target.com/Beechwood-Drop-Leaf-Cart-with-Storage/dp/B0000V08WE/sr=1-2/qid=1218130379/ref=sr_1_2/601-4788514-5397740?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Abeechwood%20cart&page=1

Blackout curtains are a really good idea.

Remember that a dorm room is a great place to experiment with decorating ideas and themes. You may never want a Hawaiian-themed room in your house, but could be a lot of fun to decorate your dorm room with leis and lanterns for a couple of months.

Have fun!

I recommend getting a list from your housing department on what you can and cannot do and what actions are taken if you do something you are not supposed to do to your room. I went to a university where we were "technically" not allowed to paint our dorm room walls. But the only action taken against it was a fee charged when the room and any damages to it were reviewed when you moved out and handed back your keys. I asked the housing department early in the year what the charge was, and it was something around $50 a wall.
I ended up drawing on one of my walls and it made the place feel much more like "my own" then living in some institution. If you just paint an accent wall, it isn't too terrible a fee if it makes your room look all that much better and liveable for the eight or so months.
Also 3M/command makes great sticky plastic squares that hold up well to tricky walls and posters and do not leave the awful oily spots that sticky tac can. As mentioned above, their hooks are fabulous too.
I also recommend buying fresh flowers as often as possible.\It immediately spruces up the joint, and it will be a detail not many people have in their rooms but will instantly notice.

the white standing shelf was custom made i believe, could have even been made by the homeowner herself.

OMG. Are college students such spoiled brats now that they spend so much time and money on their rooms?

These kids should be branded so that they can never complain about student loans.

Wow, that's a little harsh kushkush... who shit in your cornflakes this morning?

Thank you everyone for all the comments and help with this. I have always valued a comfortable living space and adore Apartment Therapy for all the ideas I get. Dorm living is unique and sometimes awkward, but yah... I'm paying a lot for my education, but I might as well enjoy it while it's here... and for me, that means spending a few extra dollars and taking the time necessary to make it comfortable and amazing. I painted 2 of the 4 walls yesterday a light sandy beach color. It just seemed best for the small space, plus I have a lot of colorful things to put in the room... so I didn't want the paint to compete so much. I'm going to look into rugs, black out curtains, and storage for my closet (I look the doors off!).

I'll keep checking in for more helpful comments. I wish you all the best in decorating and again, thank you for all your great ideas and support! =)