One of the most exciting parts of going away to college—and there are a lot of them—is having the opportunity to set up your dorm room. If you’re entering school for the first time this fall, chances are this is your first time living away from home. It’s also the first chance you get to decorate your dorm room that will become a place where you study, hang out with friends, and catch up on sleep. So you want to make it as comfortable and welcoming as possible! 

What you choose to put in your dorm room and the colors you include says a lot about your own personal style. The colors and print of your comforter, rugs, desk accessories, and wall decor all allow you to express your own personality, and that of your roommate too! Because you can’t just have bare walls all semester, we’ve put together this list of our favorite dorm wall decor ideas, sure to fit perfectly with any aesthetic!

We have options for you that complement:

• Boho style
• Preppy
• Minimalist
• Cozy
• And eclectic!

How to Find Your Dorm Decor Style

Determine what your dorm aesthetic is before you arrive on campus!

Whether you’re a first year freshmen, or a seasoned senior, you can’t help but get excited each fall when school starts again. Each year you have the chance to do your best academically, and you get to decorate your dorm room too! If you’re excited to start the new school year off right, you can’t go wrong with a great new dorm decor aesthetic. But which one should you choose? Well, this is where your personal preferences (as well as those of any roommates) will come into play. Because you have such a small space, you’ll have to make each item you choose to include in your decor functional, as well as stylish! Luckily there are plenty of options for college students these days, so you’re sure to find options that fit each of your needs. 

When choosing an aesthetic, it helps to write down the kind of vibes you want your dorm room to give off. Do you want to create a cozy place where you can relax and chill out after a long day of class? Make sure you include soft pillows, blankets, and rugs to help you do just that. Or would you prefer to keep things neutral, and include a few items that pop with bright colors or metallic sheen? Chances are you’re more inclined to have a minimalist decor style. If you can’t get enough of the dark academia aesthetic, you’ll want to focus on preppy decor items, and lots of mood lighting!

Choosing your aesthetic is all about what makes you feel comfortable, and where you can see yourself studying, relaxing, and sleeping for the next year. Because everyone’s different, there are no wrong answers here! Once you determine the look and feel you’re going for, it’s time to start getting excited for decor items—and that includes adding wall decor to those blank white walls!

Top Dorm Wall Decor Ideas for Every Aesthetic

Bohemian

Boho style (or Bohemian) is considered to be pretty timeless, and each generation puts their own interesting twist on the classic elements of this relaxed aesthetic. You might first think of boho fashion, which always seems to be popular, as in hippie skirts, floppy hats, and carefully chosen jewelry. A lot of these relaxed and arty elements of boho fashion translate over into boho decor, making it easy to transform any dorm space into your own little cozy area.

When you imagine boho decor, you’re probably thinking of lots of natural light, wooden items, feathers, crocheted pieces, and greens and browns. Many students choose this aesthetic for their dorm room because not only does it give off chilled, and easy going vibes, but there’s a lot of room to showcase your own personal style in just a few thoughtfully chosen items. Boho style is what many students choose for their dorms because it gives them the chance to keep their room stylish, but also comfortable and welcoming. You can’t go wrong with a tapestry on the wall and a string of fairy lights—along with a few plants—to really give off those calm, earthy vibes. Boho style is easy on the bank account as well, just add pillows and blankets that match this aesthetic, and you’re good to go!

Dorm wall decor recommendation: Keep those light and natural feelings going with your boho wall decor.

Preppy

If you’re looking for a style that’s super easy to coordinate and customize to meet your needs, the preppy aesthetic could be the way to go! When you think of preppy, chances are you might think of the type of decor at boarding schools, such as Dead Poets Society, where students have dorm rooms and wear uniforms. And there’s a reason for that! Preppy is short for preparatory, which is what those types of schools were. Preppy style includes lots of clean lines and classic designs such as stripes and plaid. You may even see a little bit of nautical influence as well with the shades of blue and white mixed together. 

Preppy fashion style is easy to spot on campus, with striped sweaters and shirts, chino shorts, and maybe even some loafers. This classic and breezy style is a great way to keep your dorm looking spot on, and a welcoming place to come relax after a long day. But that’s not all that preppy can be! It is also about showing off your own sense of style, and maybe even including a little school spirit along the way (think pennants or pom poms in your school’s colors). 

Dorm wall decor recommendation: There’s no better way to get your day off on the right foot than with a little inspiration.

Minimalist 

If you like the idea of having less clutter in an already small dorm room, you’re probably going to want to go with the minimalist aesthetic. While some people mistakenly believe that the minimalist style is boring, that couldn’t be further from the truth! When you’re going for a minimalist look, you’re really trying to cut out all the extra things you really don’t need. And when you have a small dorm room (not to mention a roommate) you need all the space you can get. This is why a minimalist aesthetic is perfect for a dorm room. Minimalism can mean different things to different people, which is why this style is so popular. You can choose a sleek modern look, or a neutral palette that includes arts and crafts. There’s no wrong way to do it!

To achieve this look, you’ll want to focus on items that really speak to you in terms of both style and functionality. Since you’re a little short on space, you want to make sure anything that you bring into your dorm room really contributes to keeping you organized and relaxed, and ready to take on whatever college has in store for you! Choose to focus on neutrals for your bedding and rugs, but don’t forget to include a pop of color when it comes to your desk accessories or wall decor. 

Dorm wall decor recommendation: Whether or not you’ve been to California, you can sure appreciate the warm vibes and relaxing images that come to mind when you think of palm trees swaying in the breeze. 

Cozy Chic

If you want to create a space for yourself that exudes all the warm, fuzzy vibes, you should definitely look into creating a cozy dorm aesthetic. This style is super customizable and open ended, meaning you can choose what type of cozy look you’re going for and transform your dorm space into your own little spot of sanctuary! We’re pretty sure you’ve seen the Pinterest boards and Instagram feeds devoted to creating a cozy dorm room, so chances are you already have a good idea of what you might want to include in your space. Some things to keep in mind as you prepare a cozy dorm style:

• The fuzzier the better. Make your bed and any chairs or couches the coziest with soft pillows and blankets in a variety of textures.
• Soft, soft, soft. When we think cozy, we think warm, inviting, and comfortable—which is why both soft fabrics and soft lighting work so well with this aesthetic.
• Bring your own sense of style to your decor. No one says you have to make your room look like an Instagram post, because you’re actually going to live in it! Just because it’s cozy doesn’t mean you can’t include functional items or decor pieces that speak to your personality.
  

Keep in mind that you don’t have to stick to one color palette. If you’d like to go the traditional route, opt for colors that are warm and soft, such as pastels. Or if you’d like to infuse a little gothic or dark academia into your cozy aesthetic, feel free to use greys or muted blacks—both of which can be extremely warm and inviting! Remember this is your (and your roommate’s) dorm, make it distinctly your space!

Dorm wall decor recommendation: Because no matter what color you choose or how many pillows you add to your bed, nothing quite says cozy like string lights! Choose to hang them along your ceiling, or add a little bit of extra light at your desk, you can’t go wrong adding these to your room. Their soft light gives off cozy vibes, and will help you relax after a stressful day of classes. 

Pro tip: Consider putting more than one strand together to make your whole area light up!

Eclectic and Colorful

For our final aesthetic, we’re going to take a look at eclectic style, which is super easy to pull off in a dorm room. One of the best parts of this style is that you can really make it your own by using decor and items from different time periods or styles, and making them work harmoniously. This aesthetic is for you if you could get lost in a thrift shop, or just can’t seem to stay away from garage sales—both of which are friendly options on a college student’s budget! There’s all kinds of interesting and forgotten things that you can find and truly make your own with this dorm style. 

Even though the items in your eclectic dorm room might contrast, they all pull together to give off a polished look with a matching color, a pattern, or other theme.

We hope these examples have given you a taste of the variety of dorm styles out there, and the kinds of items to put on your wall. No matter what your dorm aesthetic is, there is the perfect wall decor for it!