Main image courtesy of Dormify

A tiny dorm room won’t exactly feel like home right away, so you will have to make a bit of an effort to make it into one. That might feel impossible to do as you look around the small, empty dorm room with white walls and generic furniture you were assigned to, but it is certainly something that’s doable. If you focus on a few key elements, you can turn this small, bland space into a lively dorm room that you’re excited to come back to after a long day of classes. 

In a small dorm room, you should avoid taking up too much space with too many large items, and that makes small items the perfect decorations for such a space. That’s one reason you should go all in on decorative pillows! They will add personality to your dorm room and won’t take up too much space. Adding decorative pillows, along with making a few other minor changes can make the tiniest dorm room feel like home. Keep reading to find out how!

A Few Ways to Make A Small Dorm Room Feel Like Home

This is not as tough of a feat as you might think. 

Decorate The Space

One big thing you need to do to make your dorm room feel like home is to add decorations. These decorations can really include anything that you like. Add lights, throw blankets, headboards, and nightstands, anything that will add something to the room. Make sure to always buy items that you like. The more things you like that you surround yourself with, the more comfortable you will end up feeling. 

Add Color To Your Walls

You can’t paint your dorm room walls, but your walls are certainly not a lost cause. There are ways to get around that rule and give your walls a bit of color without damaging them at all. It’s hard to feel at home when you’re surrounded by stark white walls, so make sure you do something about it. Grab a tapestry or two, grab some peel and stick wallpaper, or cover your walls in posters or art. You can have your walls covered in designs that make you feel good without violating any dormitory rules. 

Put Up Pictures

Memories you took care to document can always make you feel more positive, which is why it's a good idea to have them in your dorm room. Put them up on your walls or keep a few on top of your desk. Wherever you place them, they will bring about good memories of happy times. You will end up feeling happier and more at home in your space when there are pictures inside of it that give you positive emotions. 

Add Lots And Lots Of Pillows

A key part of feeling at home involves feeling nice and cozy, and small decorative pillows can definitely help give you that feeling. Some of the most comfortable spaces in your room will include your bed, or a small chair or couch, and you can make those spaces even more comfortable with the right number of pillows. 

Decorative pillows are used to add comfort and style, so when choosing pillows to make your dorm room feel more homey, you should also keep in mind the style that will make you enjoy your dorm room the most. The themes shared below are dorm room styles that give off a cozy vibe. Find out if any of them suit your own tastes and get yourself decorative pillows that fit a cool theme!

Small Decorative Pillows That Will Elevate Your Dorm Room

A small pillow can make a really big statement in a tiny dorm room. 

Cottagecore

If you like the idea of living in a dorm room that reminds you of a cute home in the countryside and slow traditional living, get decorative pillows that match the cottagecore aesthetic. Cottagecore is an aesthetic that is modeled after a relaxed rural lifestyle. Cottagecore lifestyle enthusiasts can be found all over the internet wearing flowy dresses, breaking bread, gardening, and overall living a relaxed lifestyle. Now you don’t have to figure out how to bake bread in your dorm room, but the right set of pillows can make you feel as if you’re in a simple cottage in the country even while you’re on campus. 

Knit Square Pillow

Not much is cozier than knit fabrics. This pillow will feel like heaven to snuggle up against and its knitted fabric fits the cottagecore aesthetic exceptionally well. Cottagecore includes a lot of knit and handmade items, so the more knit pillows you can fit into your dorm room, the better. 

Daisy Round Pillow

Cottagecore is characterized by lots of floral print, and this daisy throw pillow certainly fits the bill. You can’t have daisies all over your dorm room due to the maintenance, but you can have daisy pillows that will brighten your room up about as much as a pot of real daisies. 

Blue Checkered Pillow

This blue checkered pillow represents cottagecore through and through. This pattern is reminiscent of old time styles and will give your dorm room a bit of a nostalgic feel. You might not choose to walk around campus in a dress with this pattern like cottagecore influencers do, but this pillow will certainly make your dorm room look great. 

Coastal Cowgirl 

The coastal cowgirl aesthetic is all about beachy vibes. When you think about some of your most chill moments, some are likely to involve the beach. If you can make your dorm room feel like a beach house with the use of decorative pillows, you will be on your way to enjoying many relaxing days in your dorm room. 

Pompom Square Pillow

This sand colored pillow can help turn your dorm room into a beach resort. When you pair this pillow with blues and other colors that remind you of the beach, it will set up a picture perfect image. The more your dorm room reminds you of a place that you like, the more it will feel like home!

Blue Embroidered Pillow

This deep blue throw pillow is the color of the ocean at night, which is one of the best times to watch the waves swish around. This color can bring you peace, so the more of it you have in your dorm room the better. This pillow can also be embroidered with your name, a detail that can make your dorm room feel more like your own space. 

Natural Fiber Pom Pom Pillow

This natural fiber pom pom pillow is the pillow you need to make your dorm room resemble the beach. It's sand colored and looks like the wicker baskets you can often see around the beach, so you’ll be reminded of that comfortable space each time you set eyes on it. 

Earthy Boho

The earthy boho aesthetic is a style that is whimsical and evokes the outdoors. It uses unique silhouettes that match the colors of nature. It's not hard to feel at home in a place that reminds you of nature, and a few decorative pillows can definitely give off that effect. 

Boho Butterfly Pillow

Something whimsical that represents the outdoors is butterfly images. This pillow will bring some of the outdoors into your dorm room, and some of the prettiest parts of it too. Let these multicolored butterflies make your small dorm room feel more like a home. 

Striped Pillow

This pillow will give an extra splash of color to the earthy boho aesthetic. The aesthetic consists of a lot of greens, browns, and tans, but you can break that up a bit with a few more colorful boho pillows. Adding colors you like to what might otherwise be a bland space will make it so much more comfortable. 

There are several things you can do to make your tiny dorm room feel like home, and that might include adding lots and lots of decorative pillows! Any little element can have a big impact in a small space, just make sure to really figure out what you like so that you can choose wisely.