Dorm Furniture

Give Form to the Dorm

Mention the word “dormitory” and visions of institutionalized living, drab quarters and uninspired furnishings come to mind. For students, it can either evoke a cringe-inducing shudder or apathetic shrug.

As summer winds down and gives way to the fall college semester, dorm life will again become a reality for millions of students across America. Last year, American families spent roughly $5.4 billion on dorm and apartment furnishings. That was on top of the $7 billion on clothing and accessories, and nearly $13 billion on electronics. This trend of spending on dorm furniture, accessories and clothes reflects the need for individual expression during young adulthood.

Let’s face it. The dorm is where the student will spend most of his or her campus life. It is a hangout, retreat area, library, comfort zone, party place, and gaming area all rolled into one. Aside from the financial considerations, campus living brings other pressures, especially for incoming freshmen. A new environment, new faces, and the physical separation from family and hometown friends can make the adjustment process quite disconcerting.

The need for planning
A way to ease the transition is to bring a reminder of your home into your new digs.

Parents and close family members are closely involved helping the student move in and get settled. It is advisable to invest time and effort in this phase of the process. That begins with an ocular inspection of the premises. An on-site inspection will give valuable insights and a mental configuration of the entire area. Ideas such as, “Ah, a fold out bed would do nicely here” or “A stackable folding bookcase in this corner” would come to mind.

Home improvement stores, specialty boutiques, and furniture shops all work together to provide the best dorm furnishings for students living on campus. IKEA has even dedicated a website on dorm living and furnishing. Correct planning will minimize frivolous purchases and keep the focus on the essentials.

Three rules dictate how a dorm room should be furnished: 1) Space, 2) Comfort, and 3) Multi-functionality.

Every space should serve a specific purpose whether it is for study, leisure, relaxation and socializing. This means daybeds that can double as couches or coffee tables with extra drawers to store laptop and accessories, books, clothes and shoes.

Dorms normally come with a bed, desk and dresser. These will probably be standard-issue and no different from other residents. The trick is to build from what is provided and add little touches to make it more comfortable. Furniture must be light but durable. Everything has to get through the doorway, so furniture pieces must be capable of being assembled and taken apart.

Dorm essentials
Regardless of the layout and size of the room, the following may be considered “essentials:” sofa, study table, desk chair, floor or desk lamp, refrigerator, storage containers, bookshelf and laundry hamper.

The Container Store has their own “Dorm Room Basic Six” which they categorized as: 1) Closet, 2) Walls & Doors, 3) Desk, 4) Laundry, 5) Bath, and 6) Storage. Their mantra is organization and storage—everything in its proper place. Everything from wall racks, drawer organizers, shower totes and desk organizers can be found here.

First is the bed. It is of paramount importance the bed or mattress is absolutely comfortable. Is the school-issued bed is not to your liking, it should be replaced with either memory or egg crate foam mattresses. Egg crate mattresses are versatile, require little maintenance and can act as toppers to thicker mattresses. A1Mattress offers affordable memory foam mattress toppers by Sleep Aid. Sleep Aid technology uses heat reduction channels to keep air circulating under the mattresses to ensure a cool and comfortable night’s rest.

Futon beds, inspired from Japanese mattresses are ideal dorm furniture. They convert either to a sofa or stylish lounge. This is great when family and friends visit. They are also easily available at department stores like JCPenney and Sears. JC Penney’s Convertible Futon Lounge has adjustable arms and reclines only on one side to allow your head to stay propped up; a necessity for those long hours for reading.

Room and office

Swivel chairs will give mobility and probably be a lot more comfortable than the standard issue chairs. Adjustable height will also make it more ergonomically fit to any table so that you will be comfortable writing or tapping away on your laptop. With a chair to scoot from table to door to bed, the dorm room can easily double as a makeshift office.

The dorm room can be the incubator for the next great business idea. For those with an entrepreneurial bent, success stories of millionaires who began their ventures from the confines of their dorm rooms are legendary. Michael Dell, of the computer company that bears his name, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg are two of the most famous poster faces. College life is spontaneous, creative, vibrant and energetic. Making your surroundings as comfortable contributes much to intellectual and creative fermentation.

The case for food
Dorm life and the hectic study schedule will give you frequent cases of the munchies. A mini refrigerator with a freezer compartment and a door shelf will keep your room stocked with your choice of food and beverages to sustain you through those long nights of study. Coffee maker, cutlery, plates, bowls, and glasses are must-have for those late-night snacks. And of course, the number one appliance for lazy cooks – the can opener – must always be present.

A “kitchen area” rather than a kitchen a common feature in college dorms. Actual in-house cooking may be prohibited due to fire codes. If microwave toasters, coffee brewers and indoor grills are allowed, consider that a boon. Electric skillets, hot pots or hot plates are also the next best thing to ensure food is kept warm.

Food means storage. If the mini ref is already full, you may want to buy storage boxes or milk crates to keep the non-perishables in once place. Canned goods, pasta, sauces, mixes, crackers, chips, popcorn, instant oatmeal and ramen noodles are student favorites.

Lighting and privacy
Dorm rooms are to be shared with other students. That will certainly bring up privacy issues. The solutions are panels, screens or dividers. A simple four-panel divider can partition you from your other roommates who need more privacy. Folding screens also diffuse excess light. Creatively positioned in a corner, it can instantly transform it into a changing room for a quick change of the bathroom is occupied. Clothes and towels can be draped on top of the panels. The great thing about panels and dividers is that they easily fold and can be tucked away when they are not longer needed.

Lighting is also a consideration in the dormitory. Unless you call and inquire the specific lighting set up, most dormitories will have a single fluorescent light source from the ceiling. This means bringing your own additional sources of light. There are endless styles and sizes for desk lamps and floor lamps, depending on your preferred study area. Fluorescent gooseneck desk lamps can be swiveled to focus the light on a specific reading area. That keeps your dorm mates unbothered by extra luminescence in the room. Remember to avoid halogen lamps. Colleges and universities have banned them as potential fire hazards.

Go vertical
When it comes to saving space, vertical is the way to go. If the room has high ceilings, the space from floor to ceiling is open for shelves to stacking drawers to wall-mounted cabinets. A full-length mirror will not only appeal to your vanity but also create the illusion of a much larger space.

There will be no such thing as excess baggage with the proper storage containers in your room. Emphasis should be on tall, not too wide. IKEA’s Tolga organizer is composed of a steel frame with an anti-corrosive coating. Solid pine shelves and white polyester covering make it light and easy to move around the room.

Slim, minimalist vertical bookshelves save a lot of space and look clutter-free. Although almost anything can be found online, nothing still beats the tactile experience of reaching for a book, lying back and flipping over its crisp pages.

Boxes or slim towers with drawers will use every available space for anything from clothes, shoes, toiletries, laundry, books and other miscellaneous items. Fiberboard storage boxes reinforced with metal corners and rivets are durable, spacious and damage resistant. Heavy clothing such as thick shirts, sweaters and other winter clothing can fit. Underbed storage boxes are also the best solutions to keep out of season clothes, or bulky and seldom-used accessories.

Finally, to keep smelly clothes isolated, collapsible laundry hampers with zip open tops are perfect for the mobile student. Normally composed of mesh and spiral wire, collapsible hampers can easily be carried around and transferred.

These are just broad ideas about the science and art of furnishing a dorm room. There is still an endless list of items that can be included to suit individual tastes: over door hooks and racks, rolling carts, drawer baskets and mesh trays, wall-mounted racks, stacking shelves, towel racks and personal care organizers.

Sometimes the physical limitations of the room will dictate what furnishings are needed. If the flooring is cold and uncomfortable, a thick, warm rug or carpet is the answer. Of course dark color tones will mask any accidental stains. Select one that is easy to clean and does not collect too much dust.

Creativity in mixing and matching items will make selecting dorm furniture a fun process. Just be aware of the space limitations and the personalities of your roommates and dorm life will be a fun part of the college or university experience.