The Latest: Jun 13, 2025

A well-designed dorm room is a gold medalist in small-space living: a tiny, often shared, space that has to support studying, relaxing, and socializing — plus score style points! It’s a decor challenge that’s actually pretty fun to solve. All it takes is a little planning and smart shopping.That’s to say, all it takes is a little IKEA.

Planning your college dorm room is a puzzle, but it’s a fun one! On one hand, you have a lot of practicalities to figure out. You have limited space to work with, and it has to multitask. You have to find homes for way more stuff than you think you do to keep clutter at bay. And you might have to do all this in coordination with roommates. But on the other hand, all of this is for the purpose of setting up the home you want to live in, likely for the first time.