Saying that you want a minimalist dorm is all good and well, but making it happen takes some time and effort. To help, below, we’ve put together a guide to turning your dorm room nightmare into a minimalist masterpiece. It’s relatively easy, quick, and the results are well worth the effort! So read along for the best tips for minimalist dorm storage and decorations!
Make Sure Your Roomies are All On Board
Before starting any minimalist dorm storage project, always make sure your roommates are OK with your plans. The last thing you need at college is tension between you and your roomies. Frankly, you can always turn your half of the dorm minimalist and leave theirs alone. But, if you want the best minimalist effect, changing the entire room is best. So, again, make sure that you don’t ruffle any feathers.
Follow the Minimalism 60-30-10 Decor Rule
We already wrote a blog on cozy minimalist bedroom decor, now we’re here to help you figure out how to turn your bedroom into a minimalist dorm! Minimalistic dorm living also can include painting your walls. If you do, there’s a rule to follow for the best results. It’s called the 60-30-10 Rule and will help you create a minimalist (but gorgeous!) color palette for your room. The 60-30-10 Rule goes like this; 60% of the room should be the dominant color. So, for example, if you choose white, it should take 60% of your wall. The secondary color should take up 30% of the wall(s), while the last 10% will be your accent color (That’s where the fun starts!). If you follow the 60-30-10 rule, your dorm will be minimalist but with maximum color!
Save Space with Minimalist Dorm Storage
Minimalism means saving space whenever possible. That way, your dorm isn’t completely cluttered and messy all the time. Below are a few tips and tricks to achieve maximum dorm space by storing your stuff successfully.
Minimalist Dorm Storage: Downsize
Downsizing is merely getting rid of stuff you don’t need, want, or use regularly. For example, do you really need 17 pairs of shoes in your dorm? Is a massive desk really necessary? Do the walls need to be completely covered with posters and tchotchkes? If you said ‘no’ to any of these or other mounds of unneeded stuff, then downsizing is a good idea.
Minimalist Dorm Storage: Use Racks
There are so many different storage racks available that make storage easy. Shoe racks that hang off of the back of your door. Stair-shaped storage units that take up minimal space. Portable organizer racks with drawers. You even have storage boxes that slide under the bed. (Not a rack per se, but close.) Racks take up less space but allow you to store more stuff, which makes sense in a small dorm room.
Minimalist Dorm Storage: Store Extra Stuff with iStorage
One of the easiest ways to minimalize your dorm room is to get rid of everything you don’t need or use every day. To do that but still keep your precious stuff, there’s iStorage. iStorage has storage units that are clean and have 24/7 video recording. Plus, you can rent a 5×5 storage unit for cheeeeaaapp! It’s the best way to quickly get rid of the stuff you don’t need to succeed in school.
How To Set Up the Perfect Minimalist Desk
A minimalist desk is simply an uncluttered desk and has plenty of open space on the desktop. (Yep, it’s that basic.) To achieve a minimalist desk, make sure the things in it are all 100% necessary for schoolwork, including:
- A basic, small but comfortable desk.
- A comfortable desk chair with wheels.
- A small-ish computer that takes up the least amount of room.
- A flat-screen monitor you can hang on the wall.
- Small speakers that, if possible, are not on the desk.
Plants Make a Dorm Conducive to Studying
There’s nothing like a few beautiful, green plants to bring some life into a minimalist dorm. Plants are attractive, give off oxygen and create a calm atmosphere conducive to studying. We recommend having at least 2 or 3. Just make sure to water them regularly. (And make sure they get some regular sunshine.)
How To Make Your Minimalist Dorm Bed Comfy
Just because you’re now a minimalist doesn’t mean you can’t be comfortable while in your dorm. Making your dorm bed comfy is easy and cheap. Below are a few tips to make your dorm bed inviting, pleasant and relaxing:
- A fluffy, down comforter is the best when it comes to comfort.
- One or two firm pillows you can use for back support when studying for long hours.
- A soft, covered headboard you can lean against comfortably works very well.
- Use high-quality sheets with a high thread count.
- Read our blog on Cozy Minimalist Bedroom Decor.
The most important thing to remember is that you can always rearrange things later. As you become more aware of your preferences, you will naturally know what to do. If this is the first time living away from your parent’s home, just relax. You will figure it all out as you go along. For now, do as much as you can and then go have some fun!
More advice and hacks for college students:
This post was published on 8/16/2019. It was updated on 3/11/2021.