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Pimp your dorm room (on the cheap)

Team Mogo -

Decorating your dorm need not cost as much as your degree. Focus on decor items that you can take with you when you leave. Most schools do not permit painting or changes to the structure of the building, but there are plenty of decor ideas to make your dorm room pop. If you have any aspirations of college campus infamy, you will have to transform your dorm room from a pitifully penitentiary to a pimping palace.

  1. Bright ideas: Lighting will immediately alter the atmosphere of your dorm room decor. Florescent lights are far from romantic. Get a couple of lamps to place around the room. Using candles is also an instant mood-maker, ridiculously romantic and cheap too.

  2. Too cool for school: Every self-respecting dorm room requires a fridge. Opt for a space-saving mini bar fridge that can double as a side table. You can pick up new ones really cheaply, or opt for a vintage model with real character. You can get vintage fridges from charity shops or on the Internet.

  3. Off the wall: An effective decor idea is to decorate the walls with a couple of posters around a central theme or blown up black and white photo prints. Get vintage frames from second hand stores or new ones from art shops.

  4. Entertainment value: Make an entertainment system the central focus of your dorm room decor. Consider a WII or a Playstation for modern games or go retro with a vintage Nintendo that will have all your friends reliving their favourite childhood memories. For alternate room decor, think traditional arcade games, fuze ball, or pinball machines.

  5. Lounging around: If you have the space, a sofa is central to effective room decor. Try to get a sofa that matches your bedding set. You can pick up a second hand sofa for a more vintage appeal. If your sofa doesn’t match your room decor, buy an extra sheet to your bedding set and drape it over the sofa. For alternate seating ideas, think bean bags and blow up sofas.

  6. The welcome mat: Rugs are essential for effective room decor. They help to make the room more comfortable and can be color coded to match the bedding set and other decor. Rugs will also help to reduce the transfer of noise to the room below.

  7. Get organized: Buy bins, hampers and dressers to store your notes, clothing, records and other items. This will reduce clutter and help you to stay organized. Plastic bins and hampers are inexpensive to buy, or go vintage with old wooden tomato crates or soda pop boxes.