Dorm Sweet Home

Written by Izzie Claudio

Photographed by Mari Silva

“Dorm room essentials,” “Top 10 things you need in your dorm room,” “Dorm room decor ideas.” These are phrases that are typical to see when another school year rolls around. Online ads push clothing organizers and desktop shelves. Target restocks its “dorm-friendly” plates and bowls. But, amidst all of the three-tier carts and command strips, there is a more pressing question at hand: How do I make my dorm room feel like my own?

Dorm living is unique. We live in an environment, often with other people, with only so much wall and floor space to work with. At the beginning of each year, we face blank walls and a not-so-comfortable mattress and take on the challenge of making our allotted rectangle a personal, homey space. Some may tackle this project with a simple Pinterest board. Others take it to an extreme and hire an interior designer (I’m not lying). Some businesses even specialize in dorm rooms, like Essentials with Eden. How much does Eden Bowen Montgomery, the founder and owner, charge? Ten thousand dollars per room.

That’s one route to take with decorating, but whatever route you take, there are always key questions. What goes on the walls? What color should I choose for my comforter? What should I hang on my corkboard that best represents me? For a space that is only lived in for six months, I find it fascinating how something so ephemeral receives incredible attention to detail.

I’m no exception. Every year, I unpack my boxes and meticulously place each decoration in the spot I think it’ll shine best. I reorganize my posters so they follow a flow that feels right for the year ahead. I smile as I hang up photos with friends, and focus intently as I find the best angles for my endless stream of knick-knacks. My corner of the room doesn’t feel like mine until I barely see the walls, and my ambient lighting is ready to go. I need color; I need a perfectly curated maximalism that can easily be put back together after a fun weekend; I need to feel a slice of home with me.
Riley Miles (VMA ‘26), a student and my roommate of four years, says that she decorates her space “to give a sense of familiarity and individuality to an otherwise barren space.” Vines elevate her ceiling and serve as an excellent finishing touch to her bedspace. Her Peach Riot dolls live happily on her desk, a fairy gathering greeting her every morning when she does her makeup. “My favorite one is Gigi ‘cause she has red hair like me,” she explains with an excited smile.

Emma Bowen (WLP ‘26), another student and suitemate of mine for the past two years, explains, “My room at home is a time capsule of my 5th grade self, so I make my dorm room indicative of who I am now.”

College itself is a time of great change, and decoration can clearly illustrate that growth. The outer visual choices we make are a reflection of the self. We decorate our rooms because it is the space where we are often our most authentic. Bowen’s room has gone through many changes as she’s gathered experiences. Souvenirs from her time abroad are displayed in perfect symmetry on the walls next to her desk, and her new lamp shines over her delicate pillows.

At the end of each year, it’s bittersweet to take down each piece that made our room uniquely ours. That rectangle of space is once again a blank canvas awaiting the next creative mind. This month, I’ll pack my boxes for the last time. The next room that my posters will decorate won’t be the rectangle I’ve grown to love—and honestly yearn for. I’ll never return to those twin beds that became the perfect nests over the years, cradling me to sleep every night. Even though I always struggled to find a place for my bass guitar and dealt with posters falling on me in the middle of the night due to cheap, wall-friendly putty, I’ll miss it all. I’ll miss sitting on my floor every August in the sweltering heat, screwing together the wooden shelf that sat on my desk. I’ll miss carefully unwrapping my jewelry dishes and somehow finding yet another mug as I dig through boxes. I’ll miss waking up in the rectangle, that feeling of calm in a familiar space. I’m sure I’ll find it again, but for now, I put the dorm room to rest and close the door on another chapter in my life.