Luxe up your bed
A sad twin XL mattress probably dominates the space. The upside: That means plenty of surface area to add a personal touch.
A crisp, cool cover: Brooklinen Classic Duvet Cover
Top pick
Whether you’ve opted for the budget pick or a pricier option in our guide to the best comforters, a quality duvet cover can help elevate the look of your bed and therefore the room. We like the Brooklinen Classic Duvet Cover, which senior staff writer Jackie Reeve, our longtime bedding expert, describes as comparable to those you’d find in a nice hotel. Although it can get wrinkled in the wash, it’s crisp and cool, and it comes in a variety of lively modern prints and rich solids.
A blanket to snuggle under: Casaluna Knit Weighted Blanket
Top pick
Few things exude warmth and comfort more than a knit weighted blanket. Our budget-friendly favorite, the Casaluna Knit Weighted Blanket, manages to look chic and homey at the same time. At 12 pounds, it’s heavier than a traditional blanket, which some people find soothing. And it looks a lot like the Bearaby Cotton Napper, which costs nearly twice as much—and which we still recommend if you prefer a heavier weight and more size options.
Add cozy accents
Dorm rooms are so often all hard edges and surfaces. But soft lines, even softer fabrics, and greenery can make the space feel a lot more inviting.
A plush, pretty carpet: Ruggable Kamran Rose Rug
Top pick
An easy-to-clean area rug adds style and warmth underfoot. Cover the whole room or save money by simply adding a soft landing by your bed. We tested the popular machine-washable Ruggable rugs, which offer hundreds of designs (including themed collabs, such as with Bridgerton and Justina Blakeney), and we found the smaller, suitable-for-dorm-room sizes easy to clean, as advertised. (Very useful if you plan on eating in your room.) Keep in mind that Ruggable rugs require their own Ruggable-specific rug pad, which you can choose on each product page; we suggest the “cushioned” version for extra comfort unless your floor is already carpeted.
A wispy curtain: Urban Outfitters Freya Window Panel
Top pick
Like a good rug, a lively set of curtains can add personality and softness to the harsh lines of a boxy dorm room. The Urban Outfitters Freya Window Panels, an affordable upgrade from the typical dingy blinds of college housing, are sheer enough to not let you sleep through an 8 a.m. class but also just thick enough to provide a bit of necessary privacy.
Nature in a pot: Rooted
Top pick
Rooted, Wirecutter’s pick for the best place to buy plants online, is affordable and user-friendly, with categories such as “easy-care,” “low-light,” and “pet friendly” to choose from, as well as filters that let you shop by size, price, or expected growth. A handful of the low-maintenance plants are also labeled as “air purifying.” (We haven’t tested that claim, but it can’t hurt to try one of those plants, considering that dorm living inevitably gets messy.) What’s more, Rooted also delivers tips on plant care and space configuration (use the “great to place on” filter) and provides a generous selection of planters, making it a breeze to cultivate life and color in your room, with or without a green thumb.
An instant refresh: Vitruvi Stone Diffuser
Top pick
If your dorm’s safety restrictions are making you homesick for the days of cozying up by a scented candle with a book, consider an essential oil diffuser. The curvy and compact Vitruvi Stone Diffuser is definitely a splurge (and perhaps something to consider only as a birthday gift to yourself or a reward to mark a milestone). But it glows with an adjustable warm, ambient light, emits a pleasantly soft scent, and looks like a piece of sculpture that’s stylish enough to display long after you’ve moved out of your dorm. (For a less spendy, more utilitarian option, we also recommend the Urpower 300 mL Aroma diffuser, which is less refined in form and function, but is about a quarter of the price and won’t break if accidentally knocked over.)
Liven up your walls and corners
A surefire way to personalize a dull dorm room? Adorn blank walls with images meaningful to you, and add warmth to dead corners with objects you love.
Fresh prints: Framebridge
Top pick
A simple frame upgrades the look of your photos and posters—and your wall. So don’t forget to pack one or a set to create a gallery wall. If you have an image you love that’s particularly worth preserving, and you have a flexible budget (or a birthday coming up, perhaps), you might even consider an online framing service, such as our top pick Framebridge, which we found to be the easiest site to navigate and has a wide variety of frame designs, including standing frames. Depending on campus policy, you may have to hang your art up with adhesive heavyweight picture-hanging strips, so be mindful of the frame’s weight.
A staycation palm: Nearly Natural 4′ Single Stalk Golden Cane Artificial Palm Tree
Top pick
While live plants have been scientifically found to objectively reduce stress, the artificial variety can at least visually brighten up a sad corner better than a withering real plant—helpful if you lack a green thumb. If you prefer a beachy vibe, consider the 4-foot Nearly Natural Golden Cane Palm Tree. The leaves on our artificial palm arrived a bit crinkled, with the texture of a grosgrain ribbon (and you might have questions about fake trees’ sustainability), but they felt generous and festive nonetheless; plus, the trunk was the most realistic one we saw. Whichever artificial tree you decide on, dust the leaves every so often, and place them in the path of sunlight so that they gleam and look more real.
Replace harsh lighting
As an alternative to the cold, unfriendly big light, illuminate your room with desk lamps and bedside lamps—and up the design quotient of your space while you’re at it.
Affordable ambience: Yarra-Decor Bedside Table Lamp
Top pick
Priced around $25, the Yarra-Decor Bedside Table Lamp with USB Port surprised our tester with convenient features that worked quite well, such as touch control and USB ports, the latter of which frees up electrical outlets — always too few and far between in a dorm — for other devices). The high light setting was satisfyingly robust, while the low light was soothingly soft, as writer Joshua Lyon found while testing bedside lamps. The wood-base option looked a bit cheap to us, but you can also choose from several metal-based alternatives, plus a slew of shade colors.
Study buddy: IKEA Forså Work Lamp
Top pick
The Anglepoise-style IKEA Forså Work Lamp from our guide to the best desk lamps, bends and rotates to your wishes, whether you’re working at your desk or reading a book. This inexpensive pick comes in metal (nickel-plated), beige, and turquoise. It has a simple on/off switch, and its heavy base keeps it from falling over.
Store your stuff stylishly
Avoiding clutter is a simple way to elevate the look of your space, but you can accomplish that only when everything has its own place. Even better? When that place is beautiful to you and is as practical as it is a joy to use.
A schoolhouse-style bedside table: IKEA Olderdalen
Top pick
Not only does the IKEA Olderdalen nightstand add a spark of personality to any space, but it also has ample surface area for bedside essentials, such as a lamp, alarm clock, and phone. And with privacy in a dorm hard to come by, we also appreciate the Olderdalen’s closed storage cabinet. The nightstand, at 31.5 inches tall, pairs well with most dorm beds, especially those propped up by storage drawers underneath. It also feels quite sturdy, especially for the wallet-friendly price.
Cutesy containers: Dusen Dusen Striped Canisters
Top pick
Corral your smaller goods, such as chargers, tea bags, cotton pads, tampons, or condoms, in a canister that adds a pop of color and whimsy to your space. The Dusen Dusen Striped Canisters, a pick in our small-entryway guide, come in three sizes and are designed to mix and match. They’re ideal for perching on a desk or shelf while keeping belongings safely hidden.
A beachy basket: Muji Rattan Rectangular Storage
Top pick
The Muji Rattan Rectangular Storage basket, another pick in our small-entryway guide, comes in six sizes at a price lower than many school supplies. There’s enough stackable storage space to accommodate textbooks, binders, or even winter accessories, and the lid keeps items from mysteriously disappearing. It’s surprisingly sturdy, too.
A touch of luxe: CB2 Buchannon Clear Jewelry Holder
Top pick
With limited closet and bathroom space being a hallmark of the dorm experience, accessory lovers could use an elegant way to store and preserve their everyday staples, whether they be rings, bobby pins, or hair ties. The CB2 Buchannon Clear Jewelry Holder, a pick in our jewelry box guide, has the retro flair of textured glass and is petite enough to fit on a nightstand or dresser.
This article was edited by Daniela Gorny and Leta Shy.
