oming back from a long day of classes to a room that won’t transform your mindset is a waste of a good room. Pull out the interior decorator inside of you and pick an aesthetic that will best capture your personal vibes. We may sound like hippies but truly it is so worth putting an effort into.
Funny enough my own dorm had no real coordination to it, but my overall aesthetic was pinks, blues, whites, and golds.
So let’s dive in then shall we?
The Pastel Dorm Aesthetic
Perfect For Anyone Who Wants a Soft, Cozy Space to Come Home To
If you aren’t too into bright and bold colors or patterns then pastel might be the perfect aesthetic for you. These soothing softer colors can be used to incorporate some personality into your room.
Lucky for you there are tons of colors to choose from when picking your favorites. If you choose a color like pink, maybe combine that with beige or a darker pink to contrast. If you’re more suited for greens you can pair that with browns or white. It is all up to you!
You cannot go wrong with these colors.
Consider finishing your room with soft details and decor items that match your understated color palettes. Here are a few ideas:
- Fresh (or fake!) wildflowers for an extra pop of color that isn't *too* intense
- Ceramic vases, pots, and trays in muted colors are a great way to elevate your space while sticking to your aesthetic
- Metal accents add some visual interest without adding an overwhelming amount of color
- Hop across the pond and take some inspiration from Danish Hygge dorm decor -- it's all about softness, comfort, and coziness, so it's a natural fit with the soft tones of a pastel dorm room aesthetic
White with Some Spice Aesthetic
Black and White Monochrome Decor Gives Your Dorm an Elegant Look
White decorations are the perfect color to work with because there truly is not one color that won’t go with it.
If you can’t tell so far we are going to start out with some simple ideas/colors before we jump into the busier/crazier aesthetics.
But back to white, if you enjoy this achromatic color then consider making your whole room white with your choice of design to complement it. Keep in mind if you are a messy person, or clumsy and spill things like me white may not be your go-to. Regardless if you love this you will most definitely have a very classy-looking room.
What should your black and white dorm room include? Aside from the obvious essentials in black and white -- bedding, pillows, storage, etc. -- consider upgrading your dorm's look with:
- Neutral accent colors won't take away from your dorm's simple, classy look, but a woven wicker basket or some succulents can really take a black and white dorm room to the next level
- Cozy comfort items like pillows and blankets are a must -- layering different patterns and textures is a great way to keep your room interesting without adding extra colors
- Polished metal accents fit right in with a clean black and white dorm aesthetic
The Sunny Yellow Dorm Aesthetic
Keep Your Spirits Up All Semester Long with This Cheerful Look
Considering this color is typically associated with the sun and smiley faces you can see why it could be a popular aesthetic.
It is hard to walk into a room filled with yellow and continue to be sad. Light reflects off of yellow and it has been proven that it can be used as therapy, helping to cope with depression and sleeping problems.
So maybe add some sunny vibes to your room! Compliment it with pastel colors or white if you would like.
Boho Chic Aesthetic
Boho-themed rooms are probably one of our favorite kinds of aesthetics to implement into a room. Nature is calming so adding that to your room will bring you that same peace.
It will also give you a little responsibility depending on whether or not you want real plants. Make sure you have windows in front of the sun if you do choose to get real plants.
Be sure to purchase tasseled or duvet comforters to achieve that boho feel along with placing a rug under or over your bed. Add some art or a woven wall hanging to your wall. And as far as other decorations make sure you see what you are/are not allowed to bring with you to school!
Floral Aesthetic
Is there anything better than smelling a fresh flower? Well maybe but once again to bring up comfort flowers can do just that. So why not incorporate a vibe like that into your room? With floral patterns, you can choose just about any kind of flower and then match that with a straight color.
My favorite flower is poppies. For example, I could try to find a white sheet with red poppy flowers and compliment that with a yellow pillow (gotta incorporate those primary colors when using red) and go from there!
Get some floral artwork as well! You can honestly find that anywhere so it won’t break the bank with the rest of the things you’ll need for your room.
Ocean theme Aesthetic
This is for all of the blue lovers out there. Come back from class and feel like you’re on a beach or tropical vacation with this ocean aesthetic.
Now the steps to achieving this are pretty simple. Blues, whites, beige, maybe some green; pick the colors that remind you of the ocean! Pick up a blue comforter and white sheets and maybe use a beige throw blanket to compliment the colors.
Get some ocean-themed art or figurines!
Water beds are unfortunately most likely out of the question at a college but man if they were you’d be set. Regardless you will still be able to achieve this vibe with a few different tools. Maybe decorate around your desk with some shells too!
Western Aesthetic
Do you have an inner cowboy/cowgirl? This is the theme for you. Western aesthetics for a room will for sure have anyone entering it think they’ve entered Longhorn Steakhouse or Texas Roadhouse. Regardless this is the bold, but very intriguing vibe some might be drawn to.
Let’s start with the basics; brown or cow-print. You have to incorporate either of these to have a western theme.
Maybe start out with a southwestern theme comforter like the image above. If you do not want a print that busy then get a straight color and accent it with pillows/decorations of your choice. If you want a very western decoration to put on your wall purchase a fake cow skull.
While this is quite the elaborate aesthetic if it rings home for you then go for it!
Sporty Sporty Aesthetic
This is your perfect opportunity to rep your favorite team or sport in your room. This is especially fun if you yourself are on your college team! Compliment your room with your sporting equipment. For example, if you played a winning game with your softball team, consider keeping that ball in a clear case for display! This can also be used for a football or baseball; basketballs may be too big for a case.
Display a jersey of yours or someone you love on your wall! Maybe a basketball bean cushion to sit on when doing work.
There are lamps where the stand is a glove holding up the shade, or compare the best portable basketball hoops here.
Let your imagination run wild.
Botanical Aesthetic
Very similar to the Boho, but this time MORE plants; like tons more. Plants and flowers to be exact. Greens, yellows, browns, get all your earthy colors together to achieve this look. It is best to stray away from the bright pinks, reds, or purples just this one time.
Your imagination can take the wheel for this, wall-hanging decorations of plants, or nature. Artwork can frame the aesthetic of this kind of room as well. Get some vases and simple plant holders. Shelving is a huge part of this look as you can tell from the above image as well.
Once again DO NOT get real plants if you will not have the time to water each and every one of them and put them where the sun hits. Fake plants are just fine for this aesthetic!
Space Theme Aesthetic
This kind of aesthetic we will warn you now might make anyone coming into your room want to stay awhile. Not only is this theme out of this world but it isn’t too difficult to achieve with the right tools!
Grab some LED lights and maybe a dark comforter. If you really want some space theme lighting in your room purchase a galaxy light! They will project different lights and “stars” you can gaze at for hours.
Get some space-themed posters to put up around your bed! Salt lamps might also be a cool addition, you can call it a moon rock.
If you want to go wild with it, get an astronaut pillow. Anything that will transport you out of your current state.
Music theme Aesthetic
Are you a huge music lover like us? Why not center your whole room around that interest? Don’t just put your guitar in the corner of your room, make it a spot to relax and play.
Cover your room with posters of bands and singers you love. Put your record player and the case of vinyl's set up proudly.
Tapestries are a great decoration that you can customize for anything you love so add one of those as well!
Let your creative mind take over
We hope that some of these ideas will resonate with you and allow your mindset to transform when looking at your newly decorated room.
As we stated before, it is crucial to love the place you reside the most!
