MY DORM DESIGN BOARD

Bedroom with wooden trunk bedside table via @thouswellblog(via Architectural Digest Espana)

This past summer I’ve been working with several brands to bring my dream dorm vision to life, and in these past few weeks I’ve been finalizing the details of the room to share here on the blog. I’m excited to have a space to completely make my own, and I will be sharing all my decor decisions as I move in during the upcoming weeks… well more like months! I’m super lucky to have a single in a ‘castle-like’ building on campus, and although I don’t know the exact size or layout of my room, I was able to estimate it using a drawing of my floor. As I started choosing product for the room, I really leaned into a warm, cozy aesthetic that would create a comfortable space as I transition into college life and keep me happy in the long winter! The combination of warm-grey and tan is the predominate color palette, and I brought in a variety of patterns to the mix as well. While I know the room will be small, I want to elevate the space by using it efficiently and adding details that will make the space more inviting. See my design board with my main product choices after the jump!

Dorm room design board via @thouswellblog

I often look to Minted for stunning art prints, and loved using them in my dad’s bedroom, but I’m excited to include their textile products as well in this project! The curtains have a hand-drawn diamonds pattern which I ordered in grey, and the lumbar pillow on the bed has a warm background color that will bring another layer of interest to the bedding. Having stunning art prints in the room is going to have one of the largest impacts on the space, especially since these three prints are 30×40 each! I will definitely be exploring dorm-friendly hanging solutions and will share what works for these pieces once they’re installed. The butterfly and bull prints will go above the bed (isn’t the contrast hilarious?), and the fun zebra print will hang above the desk for some color.

The area rug, pouf, and bedding are from Annie Selke brands, including Dash & Albert, Fresh American, and Pine Cone Hill. The sheets and shams I chose for the bed have a simple trio of light grey lines on the hems, which will be the perfect detail that won’t overwhelm the bed. The pouf is a fun piece to have in a dorm room because it’s a footrest, side table, or seat – super versatile! I chose a durable jute rug for the base in the room, in a warm-grey that will be comfortable and practical for not showing dirt.

I’ve got to give myself a little credit here for an idea that came to me as I was falling asleep the other week – covering the desk with removable wallpaper! I knew that there would be an existing desk in the room, but I didn’t know how to make it work (it’s probably going to be similar to this). I realized that removable wallpaper was just the ticket, because I could completely change the desk without creating any permanent changes. This faux-bois pattern from WallsNeedLove (see my hallway makeover with them here) is a modern take on a traditional style that will fit perfectly into my color scheme and won’t takeover the room, since it’s covering such a large piece of furniture.

The big changes in the room are going to come in the biggest boxes – like a ladder bookshelf and upholstered desk chair from At Home. A bookcase will be a great place to bring together storage and style, as I also found some great accents to style the shelves with. The chair is definitely a luxury for a dorm room, but it makes sense to bring in soft seating to the room for entertaining guests. I picked up two of these faceted tables for placing together, a trick I used in my pool house project. Mirrored anything is great in a small space, but these will be super sophisticated as a focal point to the room. One of my favorite additions is the faux-cowhide (not listed online), which will add another cozy layer to the room.

Good luck!

Kevin O'Gara signature on Thou Swell

Product for my dorm design was sponsored by the following brands: Annie Selke, At Home, Minted, and WallsNeedLove. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Thou Swell running!

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6 Comments

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    Posted 8.24.16 Reply
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    Posted 8.18.16 Reply