Decorating The Dorm With Rubies Home Furnishings

It’s officially summer and before you know it, you’ll be rushing to grab the back-to-school essentials. At Rubies, we are stocked up on bedding, accessories and storage options to make sure you are college ready.

We know the college experience can be shocking, exciting and above all, life changing. The dorm room is a haven and sanctuary - a home away from home for the majority of a student’s college years, so we believe it should be a comfortable, cozy place where studying and socializing can take place. At Rubies, we think a few well-placed feature and accessories can turn your dorm room from dull to divine.

Bedding 

The dorm bed will be, depending on the time of day, a coffee table, couch or study table. It is also often the largest piece of furniture in the room, so how it is decorated is key. We recommend making an investment in quality for the bed and make sure you have a good comforter or quilt as well as pillows and throws to accessorize. Since this area will be used the most, it’s important to make sure quality is on point.

Storage 

The dorm doesn’t give many options when it comes to storage, so you have to be creative here. Storage shelving or crates under a high dorm bed is always a great idea. We also love stackable decorative storage or cute decorative baskets for those extra items with no clear home. Making sure every item in the dorm room has a place to land is a really important part to making sure the dorm stays tidy.

Wall Space

Step one for wall space is getting clearance on what can go where. Before you start decorating the walls, check your dorm rules for painting, punching holes or putting tape up. Adhesive putty from your local hardware store works well as an adhesive that won't leave any marks. Anything goes on your wall - it's your space to express your creativity. Some of our favorites include frames, tobacco baskets or even cute storage shelves or boxes here to make room for extra books or odds and ends. We also love a large memo board or calendar for a center point of the room to help you stay focused and on schedule.  

Art

An empty wall is the perfect canvas for art! Whether you make your own, or you stop by Rubies for some Baxter and Me, J. Julep or Alex Ladner art, we recommend a nice piece of art above your bed or above the futon 

Windows

Curtains make a room seem homey, so if you’re on a budget, a simple drop cloth will do the trick for a warm but neutral look. If your window doesn't have any curtain rods, improvise using staples or thumbtacks. You can tie the curtains back with some pretty ribbon to let light into the room, and let them fall when you want to close them.

Furniture

Furniture can be a bit tricky in the dorm, but it really seals the deal to make the look complete. Since the bedding and the furniture are likely the two most prominent focal points in the room, it’s important to make sure these two coordinate. At Rubies, we have a lot of furniture options that would fit perfectly in a dorm. From chairs to small sofas and futons, we’d love to help you select the best piece to take with you to college. 

Tie it all Together

The key to making a small space look good is coordinating colors and the look. Keep your pieces consistent in theme and pull all accessories and items to tie together with the theme. We’d love to help you do this all in one place at Rubies Home Furnishings.