Part of the college freshman experience is living in a dorm for the first time. It can be an adjustment to share a new small space with a stranger, but it doesn’t have to be so bad with planning.

Here are a few dorm room ideas and tips that will help you save both space and money.

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Utilize Vertical Space

Get the most out of vertical space in your room.

Most dorm rooms are livable but definitely, have space restrictions floor-wise. However, you can get more space by hanging vertical storage units and keeping what you can in there.

For example, you can use an over the door shoe rack to hold things like:

• Shoes
• Scarves
• Mittens
• Socks
• Toiletries
• Light bedding
• Towels

Buy A Desk Hutch

Desk hutches will help you maximize school material storage space.

Hutches have the following benefits for your provided desk:

• Cheap to purchase
• Easy to install
• Provides easy-to-reach storage openings
• Help keep desk organized

You can buy them from Amazon or from any business supply store. Hutches are great for keeping your study area organized and clear from clutter.

Maximize Underbed Storage

A common and helpful way to get more storage is using the space underneath your bed.

Plenty of dorm room beds can be lifted up via bed risers to make space for:

• Storage bins
• Portable drawers
• Boxes
• Mini appliances
• Extra furniture

If it feels like things are cluttered underneath the bed, you can always add a bed skirt to obscure your storage.

Use Stacking Bins For Toiletries

If your dorm room has an attached bathroom, chances are you will need to be creative with storage space there.

The bathroom itself will likely be small, and you’ll have to share what space there is with a roommate. A perfect solution is getting small stacking bins to place either underneath the sink or in an available corner.

These bins are cheap, easily portable, stackable, and can hold:

• Soap
• Shampoo
• Deodorant
• Styling products

Get A Cork Board Or Whiteboard

Cork boards or whiteboards are great for communication, reminders, and storage.

Again, you’re more than likely going to have a roommate your first year of school. With differing work and class schedules, a board is great to use for leaving messages and reminders for each other. Not only that, but other people living in your dorm can leave messages too if you hang it outside your door.

Buy Command Hooks

Get the most out of command hooks for hanging everything.

Command hooks are great to use because you can hang them up essentially anywhere in your room. They’re easy to install and get around the no nails room that most dorms have in place.

They’re great for hanging:

• Artwork
• Clothing
• Pictures
• Backpack
• Additional storage pieces

You can hang almost anything you want from them and use your walls to the fullest extent.

Create A Kitchen Area

Set aside a spot for your cooking and food needs.

Chances are either you or your roommate will bring the following:

• Mini fridge
• Coffee maker
• Microwave
• Can opener
• Dishware
• Utensils

To better organize all those kitchen items, agree on a designated spot and place those items there with storage. Helpful storage items include:

• Stackable storage cubes
• Rolling utility card
• Storage baskets

You’ll need to keep all dishware, utensils, appliances, and food organized accordingly, just like at home.

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