With a tiny amount square footage and limited renovation options, a dorm room can be difficult to work with for decor savvy college students. Your university provides the room, most of the furniture, and you’re left to merely fill in the limited number of gaps remaining. Believe it or not, your bed will likely be the biggest blank canvas for you to work with. Despite being a scrawny, standard twin XL, you can transform your entire dorm room bed with the right set of bedding, and it’s smart to base the entire vibe of the room around it.

There’s so many choices to choose from when it comes to bedding. You can go as big or as bold as you want, with funky geometric patterns or in-your-face florals elevating your space outside of the standard, boxed look of the average dorm room. If you’re looking for some bedding for back to school, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite bedding ideas to make your dorm room picture-perfect!

Soft Pinks and Neutrals for Extra Cozy Vibes

Make your dorm room a haven for studying and staying in with this gorgeous aesthetic inspired by @tatiana_home_decor.

There is nothing like cozying up in bed with an extra special book — whether that be a dreamy novel or doomscape-y nonfiction is up to your preference — and reading the day away. If this sounds like you (or the person you would like to become), then this bedding will be the perfect accompaniment to your reading. Making use of a variety of textures and soft, warm colors is what sets this look apart from the bunch. While many beds either look haphazardly put together or too meticulously made up, this look allows for a lived-in feel that is still stunning to look at.

When looking for bedding or accessories inspired by this bed, don’t be afraid to use a bunch of different textures and styles of decor. Focus on that warm, cozy feel in order to pick out items that will contribute to the ultimate bed — one where you’ll even feel enchanted to get some studying done in!

Get the look with a new throw blanket.

Geometric Patterns and Warm Fall Overtones for Ultra Comfort

We love this look inspired by @my_homely_decor that uses minimalist geometrics paired with autumn colors to create something that’s super chic yet still warm.

A look that we are just obsessed with right now is black-and-white geometric bedding for your dorm room. The shapes and patterns are super stylish and add a great pop of personality into your room without being too showy. A common trap of the pattern, however, is to rely too heavily on the grayscale color scheme, which can make a room feel overly cool and sterile. To avoid this pitfall, use a different color scheme to base your bedding around — a black-and-white comforter will go with basically any color, so the color is really yours to choose.

Our recommendation? Go with warm reds and autumn tones to make your bed look like what a Bon Iver song sounds like. The combination of the cool geometric bedding with warm tones creates a look that is nicely balanced and begs for a candle to be lit in the room at all times. (If your dorm’s building allows!)

Get the look with some fresh dorm bedding.

Cottagecore Realness for Pops of Whimsy in Your Life

With a reliance on aesthetics that look as if they were pulled straight out of a contemporary take on Little Women (talking about you, Greta Gerwig), this inspired look by @friederikefox is equally cute and chic.

Ah, cottagecore. Taking inspiration in rural life and rustically chic designs, the aesthetic can be found in anything from Animal Crossing to Taylor Swift’s newest album, folklore. The cottage life calls upon simple pleasures and desires and wraps them up in a shabby chic bow. Trying to recreate the style can be somewhat confusing — what exactly does a “cottage” recall stylistically? — but your best bet is to think of what appeals to you and imagine that through the lens of Louisa May Alcott (or Greta Gerwig’s interpretation of her seminal novel). 

The nicest part about using a cottagecore look as your inspiration for your dorm room is that once you get a few pieces that set the aesthetic, it becomes easier to add more things to create the Austen fantasy you’re trying to get lost in. Before you know it, the floral bedding foundation will morph into a realized cottagecore dorm room, with its own butter-churning station and oven with a constant rotation of sourdough.

Get the look with some cottagecore dorm decor.

Pretty in Pinks, Blushes, and Mauves

Somehow this look inspired by @home_byhesho is drenched in pinks without being overwhelming but rather being just adorable, even stunning.

Pinks can sometimes be a tricky color to work with. While there has definitely been a newfound appreciation for the color with shades such as millennial pink really taking hold in design, the color can always be overdone to the point of a Mattel Barbie fantasy. Which is great if that’s what your goal is, but for many, the look is not quite what is hoped for. The key to creating a pink room that’s not overdoing it is to focus on the more muted shades of the color — mauves and blushes will become your best friend when picking out decor for your dorm room when you’re going for a pink theme.

A pink dorm room doesn’t have to feel childish or plastic — if done correctly, your bedding will look dainty and inviting, with a soft palette of pinks cascading your night’s sleep.

Get the look with a deluxe bedding bundle.

Deep Earth Tones Call for a Warmly Irresistible Bed

This look inspired by @plantropology_ is beyond charming, with almost a moonlit, witchy enchantment (in the best way possible).

An appropriated witchcraft-y vibe kind of blew up in the past couple of years. What this aesthetic had to do with actual witchcraft was not really clear — we suppose a collection of moon decor and crystals is enough to label an aesthetic as witchy — but the result is actually pretty compelling.

For a dorm room, you can recreate this look by laying a foundation of earth tones and simply complementing the room with designs that you deem “witchy.” We know, this kind of makes no sense considering most commercially sold items categorized as witchy are appropriative and not really dangerous in any way whatsoever — a moon thrown on there and black cat imagery usually does the trick. Toss in a few plants and your dorm room will become something that serves Goody Proctor realness in a chic, millennial way.

Get the look with some bold wall decor.

Whimsical White for a Dainty and Natural Feel

You can’t go wrong with this tried-and-true color scheme inspired by @pasitoapasitodecorando, which will add a simple elegance into your dorm room.

Where do we even start with this room? The balance of delicate whites and pops of soft teals creates a neutral palette that can easily be made to your specific taste. We love the options that this look gives you — you can choose between a collection of color shades and combinations of white and neutral items to really make your dorm room suit your personal aesthetic. And the neutrality of the colors make choosing accent textures and materials endless! You can easily incorporate soft woods and fuzzy sherpas into this room design to make it all the better! (Bonus points if your dorm gets a bunch of natural light!)

For anyone who is a fan of the minimalist aesthetic but doesn’t want to give up a pop of color here and there, this look provides plenty of personality with simple and clean designs. The result is an almost spa-like feel straight out of a beachy resort, removing all of the kitschiness in favor of a simple and gorgeous bohemian-beach look.

Get the look with a cozy new pillow.