Many of these guy dorm room ideas can be modified differently (with colors and throw pillows) to create options that suit any space or taste. As you think about living in a dorm room in the fall, begin to make a packing list with some of the things we’ve listed below.
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Guy’s dorm room decor
Wall Decor
Many of the guys I know love to hang flags on their walls. You can find flags from any state or country on Amazon, but I love when the flags are more personal. If they have a favorite team, Fanatics is the best site to look for flags and banners for pro teams and more than 500 colleges.
2. T-Shirt Quilt (Project Repat)
Another popular idea is to gather your son’s t-shirts from camp, school, sports, or family trips and send them to Project Repat. They will create a personal keepsake quilt that can be used on the bed as a cozy throw blanket or hung on a wall. A Project Repat quilt is one of the most popular dorm items in the Grown and Flown community, and they get rave reviews.
3. DIY Wall Art
One of my favorite wall designs uses a simple beach towel that I saw in a dorm room. The student had attached a towel from Cape Cod onto a canvas board with a staple gun. It was super inexpensive, and they created a piece of wall art that was personal and visually appealing to him.
20×200 offers fantastic art prints for reasonable prices. I once gave a friend a painting of a World Cup soccer match in Brazil, and when he hung it up, it was a little pop of color that brightened up a mostly neutral room.
We’ve heard of one college student who had old vinyl that was too scratched to use for music, so he made a design on his wall with them. This is an easy and cheap way to add color and a focal point to the walls, but you could also pick only black and white records for a different look.
Dorm bedding
Most of the guy’s rooms tend to have solids, plaids, or stripe bedding, and navy is one of the most popular colors. The benefit of a pattern is that dirt and stains are less obvious, and you can imagine how useful that would be in any dorm room.
Your bedding choices are the same for a lofted bed or one at a conventional height, except it is easier to opt for a queen-sized comforter on a lofted bed. This benefit is more valuable in future years than a Twin XL comforter.
Some guys prefer to make a bed with a fitted sheet and use a comforter without a top sheet. Just look for sheets sold separately, not in a set.
Popular Dorm Shopping Sites
Our favorite dorm shopping sites for bedding are Amazon, Pottery Barn Teens/Dorm, and Target.
5. Nautica Twin XL Comforter (Amazon)
Nautica has some great looking comforters in colors and styles that could work for guys’ dorm rooms.
6. Pottery Barn Teen/Dorm
The selection at Pottery Barn Teen/Dorm is vast, and the quality is excellent; there’s a wide range of price points, and the company emphasizes sustainability.
7. Target
Target also has a wide selection of well-priced dorm bedding in their Room Essentials line. While browsing their stores, you can pick up some inexpensive dorm decoration touches, toiletries, snacks, and laundry detergent.
Dorm lighting
8. LED Strip Lights (Amazon)
Some guys have these LED lights available in a stick-on strip so they tape onto the walls and line the room. These are Bluetooth enabled to sync with music and come with a remote control device for ease of managing.
9. Sailstar Desk Lamp (Amazon)
Dorm furniture
There is rarely extra space in a dorm room, so get the dimensions and find out if the bed is lofted before buying any furniture. But if your son does have some extra space, here are a few ideas:
Pottery Barn Teen/Dorm is our favorite place for college furniture as there are options at many price points; the pieces are durable and highly comfortable. Visit their site for dorm inspiration, and you can choose your style depending on what suits your room layout best.
10. Sling Chair (Pottery Barn Teen)
This sling chair is an excellent option for a dorm as it folds when unused. This would also be a perfect look for a college apartment in the future.
11. Coleman Camp Chair (Amazon)
This Coleman Camp Chair is another good option for extra seating and can be folded up and stored behind or under a dorm bed when not needed. This is a less expensive option than the sling chair and very durable.
Other ideas for decorating guys’ dorm rooms
12. Bedside Caddy (Amazon)
This bedside caddy is a nightstand for an elevated dorm bed and is roomy and sturdy enough to stash books, glasses, a phone, and more.
13. YETI Tumbler (Amazon)
Your son would love a YETI mug to keep his coffee hot or cold water chilly for hours! Consider having it personalized with a college logo or initials. Now, many new colors.
14. Call Your Mom Pillowcase (Amazon)
One way to remind your son to call home? This cute Call Your Mom pillowcase is a clever idea.
15. Command Hooks (Amazon)
Command Utility Hooks are incredibly useful in dorm rooms, and many guys use them to display a hat collection.
176 Self-Adhere Key Rack (Amazon)
A self-adhesive key rack holds keys or lanyards with room cards that show how many students access their dorm buildings and rooms.
17. Paper Towel Holder (Amazon)
A magnetic paper towel holder is easy to keep paper towels ready.
18. Area Rug (Pottery Barn Teen)
An area rug will make the cold dorm floor feel more like home, and washable ones are a good choice. A carpet is an instant way to help transform a dorm room into a cozy space.
19. Whiteboard (Amazon)
Some guys like to hang a corkboard or whiteboard to help them keep up with assignments and activities. This one is magnetic and could stick on a mini-fridge.
20. Trunk (Pottery Barn Teen)
Closet space in most dorms is minimal, making it easy for disorganized rooms to be sprinkled with clutter. Putting extra linens or out-of-season clothes in a remarkable trunk or other under-bed storage space can also be good.
This one looks nice at the end of a bed. Other trunks can be outfitted like lockers and used vertically, which takes up less space in a dorm. Bonus if the trunk locks, making it an excellent place to store valuables or meds.
21. Bed Rest Pillow (Amazon)
Most dorm beds do not have headboards so getting one of these comfortable bedrest pillows for your son can make sitting in bed MUCH more comfortable.
22. Glocusent Bookmark Style Reading Light (Amazon)
This ingenious compact light uses a USB recharger, has three color and five brightness settings.
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