Whether your college student is new to dorm life or a returning student, stylish dorm decor is important for them to feel more at home. Seriously, nothing saddens a living situation quite like bland beige walls and harsh overhead lighting. Luckily, you can find an impressively stylish collection of bedding, furniture, and other accessories in Walmart’s dorm decor section. There are plenty of stylish dorm decor options—so you can spruce up their space without spending a fortune.
I dug through the vast selection and picked some of the most fun and stylish items that can help add some personality to a dorm room, based on trends and reading reviews. Below, find the most stylish dorm decor from Walmart so college students can express their style while staying on budget.
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Our Top Picks:
- Best Lamp: 8-inch Glass Mushroom Lamp – $19.98 at Walmart
- Best Rug: Unique Loom Solid Shag Collection Area Rug – $30.60 at Walmart
- Best String Lights: Mainstays Battery-Operated LED Mini Photo Clip Lights – $6.88 at Walmart
- Best Throw Blanket: Urban Shop Smooshie Throw – $14.88 at Walmart
- Best Headboard: Baxton Studio Mars Twin Size Headboard – $143 at Walmart
The Most Stylish Dorm Decor at Walmart
1. Best Lamp: 8-inch Glass Mushroom Lamp
Not only is this mushroom-shaped lamp cute as a button, but it also provides a soft glow for late-night study sessions or when staying up late. It’s the perfect way to capture the mushroom trend on social media! The lamp is made entirely of glass and comes in two attractive designs: white stripes and a brown tortoise finish.
2. Best Rug: Unique Loom Solid Shag Collection Area Rug
Dorm rooms are typically small, and oftentimes, the old wood or linoleum flooring isn’t doing anyone any design favors. This lush shag rug is a great option because it comes in three sizes, as well as several shapes including oval, rectangle, round, and square designs. It comes in a wide range of colors, too, so you are sure to find one that best matches their dorm decor. We love that the rug’s pile is short yet thick, so it’s easy to clean and can offer warmth on cold floors.
3. Best String Lights: Mainstays Battery-Operated LED Mini Photo Clip Lights
These string lights are the perfect accessory to spruce up drab dorm walls. The string has 20 mini-lights that span a little over 6 feet and comes with little clips to hang up their favorite photos of friends old and new. The lights are battery-operated and are easy to install, so they can set it up by themselves if necessary. There is also a built-in timer, so they can set a schedule for the lights to turn on and off by themselves. Keep in mind that batteries are not included, so you’ll need to purchase some separately.
4. Best Throw Blanket: Urban Shop Smooshie Throw
Ideal for naps or snuggling with a good book under the covers, this plush throw blanket doubles as bedding and dorm decor. The 50- by 60-inch size fits one person comfortably and looks great draped over a couch or bed. There are several patterns to choose from including smiley squares, a black and white print, and a multi-colored design.
5. Best Headboard: Baxton Studio Mars Twin Size Headboard
Although a headboard is not always at the top of a dorm shopping list, it is a nice way to give new life to a plain Jane bed. This twin-size headboard is upholstered in a chic tufted design, making it both stylish and comfortable for sitting, reading, or watching TV in bed. Plus, it’s suited for dorm life as it comes in twin and full sizes. The Baxton Studio headboard is available in either dark gray or soft beige.
6. Best Mirror: VLUSH Wavy Full-Length Mirror
Every college student needs a full-length mirror to check their outfits before they head out the door! This curvy mirror has a whimsical look, and can be wall-mounted or simply leaned against the wall as a stand-alone mirror. It also comes in a variety of colors to suit every dorm decor and personality.
7. Best Throw Pillow: Mainstays Lips Decorative Pillow
For under $10, this siren red lip throw pillow adds a pop of color to any bed, couch, or chair. Besides being eye-catching, it is also soft and comfortable and offers support while they kick back and relax. If lips are not your college student’s style, there are other funky shapes available, such as a lightning bolt, smiley face, mushroom, and yin-yang symbol, that we think are equally as fun.
8. Best Greenery: Mainstays 9-inch Artificial Fiddle Fig Plant
Since this faux Fiddle Fig houseplant doesn’t need any maintenance, it’s perfect for college students who don’t have a green thumb, are constantly on the go, or just aren’t destined to be plant parents. Its leaves are vibrant green and it comes in a pretty striped pot that can be placed in any spot—even if there is no natural light. Unlike real Fiddle Fig plants which tend to grow tall, this version is only 9 inches and looks best sitting on a desk or table.
9. Best Folding Chair: Mainstays Folding Butterfly Chair
This dorm chair from Walmart is a great pick for some extra seating for friends because it’s compact and collapsible. Your student can easily fold it up and store it under a bed or in a closet when it’s not being used. The chair has a durable steel frame that holds up to 250 pounds, and it’s padded and surprisingly comfortable. It comes in an array of colors such as black, blue, gray, pink, and spearmint.
10. Best Sneaky Storage: Mainstays Boucle Mushroom Storage Ottoman
Most dorm rooms are already rather small, which is why it’s convenient that this mushroom-shaped ottoman doubles as seating and extra storage. It can be used to stash away bedding, books, and other items that don’t have a designated storage place. Since it’s collapsible, it folds down flat when it’s empty, so it won’t take up precious space in your vehicle when you are transporting it to and from the dorms. It comes in two colors: cream and terracotta.
11. Best Light Strips: Daybetter LED Strip Lights
Your college student can easily stick these colorful LED strip lights under beds, on desks, or on their walls to personalize their space and add some extra illumination to a dim dorm room. The lights are on 100-foot-long cuttable strips that allow them to style the lights in different designs and shapes. They can also sync the lights to music using an app, and the lights feature a built-in timer so they can schedule them to turn on and off at specific times.
12. Best Wall Art: The Stupell Home Decor Collection, ‘I Love Sleep’ Typography Wall Art
You can’t paint a dorm room, but you can get fun wall art to cover their dorm room walls. They’ll love the cheeky “I Love Sleep” saying, and the pink and blue color combo is fun. Crafted from stretched canvas over wood, there’s no need to have it framed, and it comes in a selection of sizes up to 30 by 40 inches. The best part? Hanging accessories are included.
13. Best Neon Light: Urban Shop 12-Inch Cowboy Boot LED Neon Table Light
Having a lamp in a dorm room comes in handy, especially if your teen has a roommate or needs a softer light for late nights. Plus, they’re fun! This cool cowboy boot neon light looks great on a table or a nightstand and has a warm, inviting glow. If they’re interested in taking the Wild West theme to the next level, the brand offers matching cowboy pillows, throw blankets, and wall decor to fit the Disco Cowgirl aesthetic (yes, it’s a thing).
14. Best Tapestry: Oussum Mandala Tapestry
Made from 100% cotton, this gorgeous mandala tapestry injects bohemian vibes into any dorm decor and is large enough to cover the wall next to a twin bed. While this tapestry can certainly be used as a wall hanging, its extra-large 84- by 94-inch size means it can even be used to cover an unsightly couch when they move into their post-college apartment.
Why You Can Trust Us
Hi, I’m Nor’Adila Hepburn! I’m a freelance commerce and lifestyle writer who enjoys testing products to find out which ones are best for consumers to buy. I am a frequent contributor to a number of publications including Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Living, Real Simple, and many more. I’m also a former college instructor who has taught internationally for over a decade in Turkey, Oman, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia, and I have an education channel on YouTube where I teach English as a Second Language to students around the world.
For this article, I researched top dorm decor picks from Walmart, evaluating them based on style, quality, and customer reviews to find which ones were the best for college students living in dorms.
Prices were accurate at time of publication.
