Blog

May 31, 2023

College Dorm

Send your student to school in style. You've probably spent hours upon hours poring over your child's room—with or without their participation—to ensure it's as stylish as the rest of your house and

Send your student to school in style.

You've probably spent hours upon hours poring over your child's room—with or without their participation—to ensure it's as stylish as the rest of your house and fits their aesthetic (with a little bit of yours in there, too). So why would you stop curating a well-appointed space just because they're moving to a college campus? Stereotypes aside, there are so many ways to keep your son or daughter's dorm room looking like something you'll actually be proud of, and so many of them are totally within the college-friendly budget you'll be comfortable with.

We've scoured Amazon for hidden gems (but still with rave reviews, always) that you and your kids will totally love and that will bring a little bit of that well-designed-home feeling to school with them. And don't stop with these; keep poking around through the thousands of design buys on Amazon that will surprise and, hopefully, delight you both as they settle in to their new digs. With student savings like Amazon Prime discounts, the site is an ideal choice for dorm-room shopping that you two can truly bond over.

Here, 10 picks for pops of color, upscale additions, and totally functional storage that—surprise!—actually looks pretty great, too. Proof that you can fit a lot more sophistication into those small rooms than you'd think.

Talk about feng shui—the light from a lantern is perfect for that meditative-study-mode your student will hopefully be into. It looks like a piece of art more than a piece of lighting, which will instantly up the style vibe.

With space at a premium, unless she's really lucky, a full-size armchair will likely not be a great fit in a first-year dorm room. Instead, go for this flexible floor chair that will add some color and quickly become her favorite place to cozy up with a movie.

Coffee will inevitably be a thing this year, but you can help ward off those sad cafeteria-style coffee mugs with an artful cup-and-saucer combination. Go for a pastel color for a feminine appeal or a neutral earth tone for something more understated.

If the design you're going for is youthful-contemporary, this acrylic end table will go the distance. Its slim silhouette makes it ideal next to that extra-long twin bed.

No matter how much Chinese food takeout they plan on eating, teach them that what you eat off is as important as what you actually eat. Sturdy but designer-worthy dinnerware is easy to store and will take their study meals up a level. The mixed color palette feels particularly of-the-moment.

A gold-rimmed standing floor mirror makes any space feel just a bit more elegant. The rounded top adds an aesthetic softness for an extra touch of warmth.

Calling all '50s deco fans! This mini fridge feels like an expensive throwback brand—at a fraction of the price. The soft pink is decidedly feminine, while the bold blue is unapologetically loud.

Depending on the particular dorm room, floor space may be hard to come by. The floating shelf, then, is your best bet. With a soft hue and a wooden appeal, these are particularly dreamy for any small space.

Like a bar cart for the younger set, this adorable pushcart is giving poppy vibes without feeling kitschy. Plus, it'll get a ton of use, with easy-to-roll wheels and three levels of storage for books, keepsakes, and gear.

Even without a formal vanity, storing makeup and makeup brushes can still be a chic moment. Even better, this set carries easily to and from the shared bathroom.

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