The Design Minded Dorm Desk

As a continuation of yesterday’s post, I’ve put together a collection of great items for decorating a college dorm- this time focusing on the desk. In college you spend hours upon days upon weeks studying, and in my opinion, having some beautiful desk accessories makes the work a little brighter.

While the theme here is for a dorm- I’m quite taken with many of the items, so I think they would also make great decor for a cubicle or home office!

The design minded dorm desk by erika-g on Polyvore

1. Thank you notes- yes to say thank you for a lovely gift- but also great to send to your favorite professors after the semester- trust me that they will appreciate the thought come grade time! (and for recommendations later down the road!)

2. A cute planner to keep track of dinner dates and sorority socials.

3. I love this Art Deco calendar – the colors bring the whole theme together  (And did you notice- it matches yesterday’s poster!)

4. Most dorms come with lamps- but they are ugly, industrial and have a horrible fluorescent glow. Buy a quality lamp that you will have forever.

5. As much as I LOVE plants- I have to admit that I killed every single one I had in college- wish I had found this pretty preserved boxwood- mist once a month? I can do that!

6. Oh you don’t like bunny tape dispensers? I guess we can’t be friends anymore.

7. These gorgeous brass bookends are sold out, but if you do an Ebay search, there are many more to choose from!

8. Quick! The cute boy you’ve been admiring all semester, who barely knows you exist, just asked you for a pencil- make sure to lend him one with your name on it!

9. I used to have a tradition that whenever I was working past midnight, I would make myself some tea and light a fabulous candle- it made late night studying all the better.

10. A paperweight that makes a loving statement. Double love!

11. Its hard to anticipate in advance the kind of filing system you will like to keep at school, but I can say that the easiest way to do things is have one big tray or bin to put all of your papers in.

So. Are there any college dorm essentials you think I’m missing?

The Design Minded Dorm Room

Boston is definitely a “college town”- it feels like we double in size every September. For me its been 8 years since the freshman experience, and the arrival of Fall is starting to make me a little nostalgic, seeing the fresh batch of kids running around the city in the same way I remember. This is the week most schools are heading back so I decided to do a few posts about my recommendations for college dorm style. Obviously these pointers are not for the average student, but for anyone who wants to make their space feel more like a home. (They might also be good tips for a first apartment)

When I was a freshman, I had very few ideas of how to design my room. I ended up bringing WAY too much stuff and the only thing I knew was that I wanted it to be pink. Pink hangers, pink bedding, pink laundry basket, pink lamp (I can go on…). While some of it was gorgeous, a lot of it didn’t make it past the first year. So this time, the imaginary time, I’m stepping back and going for a more thought out color scheme featuring gold, grey, navy and green and incorporating pieces that are built to last. While its a little more expensive, in four years you will be happy to have decor to bring into your first place off campus. In addition to mixing up the colors, I incorporated a lot of different textures and styles- its one way to make the otherwise horrible institutional space feel a little softer.

the design minded dorm room by erika-g on Polyvore

1. A beautiful box to store your treasures, jewelry, cash and secrets..

2. Solo Cups? Please. Get yourself a nice set of glasses- and a few extra to store keys/ use as tea lights/ hold your toothbrush in etc.

3. Most dorms don’t allow candles- be a rebel.

4. Curtains. Yes, most dorms provide blinds. But if we are putting this much effort into our decor- do we really want to come up short here?

5. Add a little life to your room with a plant. Fiddle leaf figs are trending in the design world right now- I for one am OBSESSED.

6. A cute tissue box. Because crying after that horrible math exam will be that much better.

7. In college most everyone tapes up 900 pictures of their high-school friends on the wall. Its FINE to do, but super cliche and I really recommend narrowing it down to a few favorites and finding beautiful frames for them.

8. Posters in a college dorm are almost a requirement. However everyone usually ends up with the same 5 (Guinness drinking monkeys anyone?). This one featuring the art deco work of Erte is especially striking and pulls together a lot of the colors in the room.

9. Glam throw pillows- for tossing at your snoring roommate, propping you up, and of course for making your bed look fabulous.

10. Your alarm clock will soon become your best friend and your worst enemy, might as well make it a pretty one.

11. Guaranteed you will have at least one time where someone sleeps over- whether its a high-school friend or a little sister- make sure you have something for them to sleep under!

12. Laundry basket required- if you are worried about toting this one to the closest laundry room, also get a cheap bag to carry your clothing down the hall in.

13. A great storage bench is not only the perfect way to store linens, but also a seat for the frequent visitor. It can also triple as a side table depending on how you arrange your room. This one is pricey, but it is a piece you will keep through college and into your first apartment.

14. Bedding. Also a little pricey, but trust me that you will be happy to have a quality set. My tip? Skip on the Twin XL quilt (only getting the sheets) and invest in a queen size comforter freshman year. You’ll have it forever.

15. Some dorms are downright old and disgusting. Do you really want your fabulous footsies touching that 40 year old rug every day? Invest in a great bold rug for yourself.

This is just the first half of my dorm room recommendations- more to come tomorrow!!!