How to Furnish a Dorm Room

You don't have to spend a fortune to outfit a college dorm room comfortably. Here are some strategies to make your dorm room home.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Aimable Lamps
• Bedsheets
• Bedspreads
• Computer Desks
• Desk Chairs
• Furniture
• Pillows
• Towels
• Plastic Storage Containers

1. Find out what furniture is provided. Then measure the dorm room if possible, so you'll know how much space you have to add whatever else you need, such as a computer desk, bookshelves or a printer stand.

2. Cover the floor with a large throw rug, or a remnant off a roll of wall-to-wall carpeting, which often can be bought at a discount. If possible, steer toward a neutral color for versatility, perhaps with a fleck in it to disguise stains and soil.

3. Look for ready-to-assemble furnishings, which are great for dorm rooms because they're inexpensive and easy to haul upstairs in a compact box.

4. Check the size of the bed provided so that you'll know what size bedspread and bed sheets to buy. Don't overlook pillows, towels and curtains to warm up your dorm room. Save money by checking online sources as well as stores for closeouts and overstocks.

5. Save your back by exchanging the dorm chair for a comfortable, ergonomic office chair with as many adjustable elements as possible.

6. Shop for an aimable-beam lamp if the room lacks one or provides inadequate lighting. These work better than an overhead or larger lamp when you're trying to study and your roommate is trying to sleep.

7. Maximize storage with under-bed boxes or drawers. These are especially useful for corralling out-of-season clothes, spare bedding and sporting goods.

Tips & Warnings

• Plan ahead and coordinate with your roommate if possible. This will allow for cohesive decor and eliminate expensive redundancies - for example, you don't need two room-size carpets.

• Purchase things separately rather than by halves. This leaves clear ownership of articles when the term ends and can ease next year's decorating if there's to be a different roommate. You'll still have two matching bedspreads, for instance, if you purchased both, and your roommate can keep the carpet.

• Extra pillows, or wedge-shape pillows designed for sitting up in bed, can enhance comfort if you prefer to lounge as you study.

• Consider secondhand furnishings. Garage sales and thrift shops may have bargains on desks, shelving, bedspreads or rugs.