Dorm Rooms on a Budget

Dorm rooms are not, typically, very luxurious places to live. Colleges and universities are in the business of education, and on-campus living quarters tend to be not-too-large and not-too-fancy places, but for the most part, practical and perfectly inhabitable.

Many of you may remember walking into your own college dorm room for the first time, I certainly do. I was giddy with excitement, and just barely 18 years old. I ran up an endless flight of stairs to reach the corner room on the fourth floor of Weaver Hall. I unlocked the door and stood in amazement for a moment. The room was actually smaller than my childhood bedroom at home, and the furniture inside were old, nicked up and in pretty bad shape. On the door and I saw three names written on a piece of construction paper -- mine was one of them. My dorm room was tiny, cold, downright ugly. And it was going to house three teenage girls for the next nine months.

Just a Few Changes

Eventually, my roommates and I found a piece of dark brown carpeting and some cheap curtains, and they warmed the place up a bit. We each tacked some photographs on bulletin boards, covered our beds with new comforters and pillows, and hung a couple of posters. Thinking back, I realize there was a lot more I could have done with my tiny personal space, to make it more comfortable and maybe even a little special. After all, this was the first space that was "mine" away from my family home.

Dorm Decorating Tips

For those college students currently packing up and getting ready to move into a dorm room, here are a few low-cost decorating tips to spruce up your space:

• Discuss the decor or your dorm room with your roommate before you arrive, if possible. Decide on a few colors or items you can pitch in together for, like curtains and carpeting.
• If you college permits it, painting your dorm room is an inexpensive and faily easy way to perk it up.
• Have you seen the latest craze? It's inflatable plastic furniture and accessories and it's awesome! My daughter purchased a chair and pillow set for her room and so far they've been sturdy, funky and fashionable. Total cost: less than $20 for the pair.
• Check out discount stores like Target, K-mart and Wal-mart. The home fashions they carry now look great and seem to be of great quality. Towels, linens, accessories, you name it -- you can find it at these stores, and chances are they're at a great price.
The copyright of the article Dorm Rooms on a Budget in Budget Decorating is owned by L.C. Dumke. Permission to republish Dorm Rooms on a Budget in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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