Shroom Your Room

Clever Shopping Can Personalize New Orleans Dorm Room at Minimum Cost

Yes, it's small. Yes, it's a shared space. Yes, it's probably a square of painted bricks and ugly tile, lit by a harsh fluorescent fixture. But that doesn't mean your dorm room can't feel like home during the next semester ... or two or three. Cozying up a dorm room is a major back-to-school priority for college students, and with so many public spaces and gatherings shuttered due to the pandemic, having a cozy home base is extra important -- because let's face it, you're going to be spending a lot of time there. Fortunately, you don't have to spend a ton of money to elevate the aesthetics of your space. Keep reading for tips on how to "shroom your room" and make it an inviting place that expresses your personality.

Hang a tapestry

The first thing you'll want to do? Cover up those boring white walls. Offering color, pattern, and texture, tapestries are an easy way to create a calm, relaxed vibe or make a serious design statement. Plus, they're a lot easier to hang than removable wallpaper. Tapestries look extra dramatic pinned on the wall behind a bed, where they can stand in for headboards or create a sense of visual separation for the sleeping area. Plus, they're versatile home accessories that are suitable for a music festival (let's hope those resume soon) or a socially isolated picnic in the park. 

Create a gallery wall with posters

Posters are a dorm-room staple, but if you get creative with frames and prints, you'll find they are also a cost-effective way to add flair to your space. Gallery walls of uniformly sized, uniformly hung art are an established trend in interior design, and with posters, it's easy to bring the stylish arrangement to your dorm room. Of course, there's nothing wrong with thumb-tacking a few band photos and blacklight-responsive posters to your wall and calling it a day. That look is classic, too. Best of all, posters are buy three, get 1 free!

Switch up the lighting

Single overhead lights flatter no one. Add indirect light with LED lights, desk lamps, battery-powered candles, and other party lighting. Looped around a bed, small string lights provide visual interest, warm illumination, and a sense of hygge even when the air conditioner is still running. In fact, you could literally pile them in a large mason jar and have a DIY light fixture that looks better than the overhead lamp.

Secure the essentials (essential oils and sage, that is)

You might not be allowed to burn incense or smudge your space with sage if you live in a residence hall, but if your room is off-campus, consider stocking up on these and other metaphysical must-haves, including Buddha figures and essential oils. Do these items really improve a home's chi and dispel negative energy? That's up for debate, but they definitely look and smell wonderful.

While we have you, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention more highlights of our 2020 back-to-school sale: music t-shirts are buy one, get one 50% off, rolling papers are all buy three, get one free, all glass pipes are 25 percent off, and sunglasses are $7.99 or two for $10! Stop by and pick up some fresh decor for your room, or a welcome-back gift for your roommate. We're thrilled to announce we have returned to normal hours, from 10 a.m. to midnight daily. See you soon!