Make it feel like home.

Dorm rooms aren’t always the coziest places, but they can be. There are so many great ways to decorate your dorms to represent your personal style. With fall weather at its peak, it’s probably time for a total room makeover. Live out your interior decorating dream with these tips and tricks to get your room looking fall-ready in no time.

Whether you’re missing your bed at home or just want to spice up your usual dorm this fall, check out these must-know student tips for the best dorm on the block:

Mackenzie Murphy | @mackmurrphy_

light pink dorm room collage with girl sitting on bed laughing

Mackenzie is a first-year student in the Public Relations Advanced Diploma program at Lakeshore Campus. Coming from Alberta, she knew once she got accepted into Humber’s program that she would have to move on campus.

Moving away from home to a whole different province can be a scary experience, but it’s doable when you have a way to cope with it. For Mackenzie, daydreaming about decorating her dorm helped distract her from the harsh reality of moving away from home.

desk and pillows with mountain poster on wall

Mackenzie’s advice for making her dorm feel more home-y?

  • Scour Pinterest for cute inspiration to build the vibe you want for your room.
  • Understand how YOU want to feel in your room.
  • Search for things that will make you feel “inspired” and “comfortable.” After all, this will be your living space, so make it feel like home.

For Mackenzie, she took inspiration from colours that make her feel her best. She made sure to add warm lighting, fluffy blankets, cozy pillows, (fake) plants, and the infamous fairy lights to tie everything together. All this helped her feel more at home, and it could help you too.

During the school year, our dorms are where we spend most of our time.

So as per Mackenzie’s advice, “It’s where we make memories, study, eat, and binge watch Netflix. So make it your portable home, whatever that means to you.”

Autumn Renee | @autumnt.renee

Autumn is a first-year Media Studies student at the University of Guelph-Humber. Originally from Waterloo, she made the decision of living on campus for both convenience and to meet other students and get involved.

Autumn decided to decorate her room because of her love for interior design, organization and decorating. Growing up in a big family, this was her chance to express herself through her own space. Residence gave her a chance to be independent and decorate her room the way she likes it.

Autumn’s advice on creating the perfect dorm?

  • Find your style—search through Pinterest, watch YouTube videos, and go window shopping to figure out what you like.
  • Make an inspiration board—Pin images to a board on Pinterest or make an album on your phone where you can sort and view your ideas.
  • Hold off on some items—Purchase items you need and that will work for your room, try not to go overboard and buy too much!

Though residence isn’t the most glamorous place, you can definitely make it your own. Make the most of your dorm and decorate it to spark joy! As for making the most of the space you have, take advantage of the storage available, roll up your clothing to increase space, and buy command strips to hang up picture frames, posters, hooks, and more.

It’s never too late to spice up your dorm!

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