Ah, that wonderful time of your child’s life – their first move away from home and into their college dormitory. In terms of furnishing, it’s not an especially cumbersome process, mostly since you’re working in such a small space (just wait until their first apartment!).
Beyond the normal pieces though—bed, desk, dresser—there are other items that can greatly enhance the feel of a dorm room. We’ll list them below.
1. Rugs
First of all, you want to do everything you can to turn a dormitory from it’s already clinical feel into a place that’s homey and comfortable. Most people immediately start with artwork and decor, but rugs are one purchase that can instantly make a room feel inviting.
Second, winters can be tough on a linoleum floor (especially here in the Pacific Northwest). A nice comfortable rug makes these wintry mornings much more pleasant.
2. Desk lamps
Going off that “clinical” comment, using your own warm lighting is a great way to give a dorm room a more comfortable atmosphere (trust us, those fluorescents get annoying, very fast). It’s also much easier on the eyes if you’re studying in bed, or need something that won’t keep your roommate up.
3. Microwave and mini-fridge
Yes, in that order. It’s a great luxury to keep your own food around, and especially nice to know you can keep and re-heat leftovers. Relying entirely on the food and schedules from dining halls is not always in your best interest.
4. Desk chair
Hopefully, that dorm room desk is going to be used a lot. If that’s happening, you want your child to be as comfortable as possible. Many rooms come with a desk chair, but those are often stiff and uncomfortable.
One of the best suppliers of desk chairs is ULINE. Their most popular products are the Colored Mesh Chair, Mesh Task Chair, and Designer Mesh Chair.
5. Storage items
Odds are, your dorm room will not be entirely large, so that means you’ll have to really fight for space to pack everything in. We’ve seen some really inventive ways of doing so. However, most people opt for storage items like storage cubes and shoe pockets.
Of course, so much goes into furnishing a dorm room (even though the space is quite small). Your child is going to be spending a lot of time in there over the next year, so you want to do everything you can to make it as comfortable as possible.
We supply many of the above essentials for dorm rooms at Broadway Furniture. Make a trip into our store or browse our online catalog to see what’s available.
