How to Decorate & Organize Your College Dorm Room

There’s nothing more important to you during your years as a college student than your dorm room. Aside from being where you sleep, this space is where you’ll spend most of your time--both school and non-school-related. 

You’ll have friends over, host study sessions, and maybe even have some sleepovers. This means that you want it to be a perfect reflection of who you are. Like an outfit, the way you decorate your dorm room is an opportunity to offer a reflection of your personality.

Whether you’re looking to have a whimsical cottagecore aesthetic or experience the idea of minimalism, The Polished Jar has storage solutions that fit your style. We also have some tips on how to keep your dorm looking fresh and stylish.

Organization Can Be Part of Your Dorm Room Decor

Many make the mistake of assuming that organization is ugly. You might think of organizing as having oodles of plastic drawers and boxes everywhere. In these instances, much of the organization revolves around hiding the storage containers so they aren't an eye-sore.

Fortunately, that’s not always true.

With The Polished Jar’s gorgeous Avery Ceramic Tags, you can keep items organized and well-stocked without sacrificing your aesthetic. While these tags are often paired with our signature bottles, they can also be easily looped onto handles and drawer pulls.

Give Everything a Place

One of the best ways to keep your dorm room organized is to make sure everything has a place. Put your books on the shelf, on the table, or on the dresser, but always keep them in the same spot!. This prevents you from having to search and scour for your things later when you really need them.

If you find that you’re having trouble doing this, that’s okay. You may just need a place to keep all the things that you collect throughout the day. Our bottle trays are a perfect way to organize and store items such as loose change, keys, and assorted items.

Thanks to our amazing team of artisans, we have a durable tray for every aesthetic. If your dorm decor ideas are on the whimsical side, you may be interested in our delightful . 

Fans of the cottagecore aesthetic will love our sustainable Spice Island Bamboo Tray and Savannah Palm Pedestal. We also have plenty of options for astute connoisseurs of the minimalist lifestyle, including our classic customizable Handmade Artisan Concrete Tray and sleek Obsidian Ceramic Tray.

For even smaller items, like rings and jewelry, we recommend using a ring dish. We offer a range of functional ring dish designs, including our cottagecore-friendly Botanical Ring Dish. For a refined and classy flair, you’ll need to check out our White + Gold Ring Dish.

Ditch Individual Use Bottles

Keeping up with your supply of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and assorted sprays can be a real hassle. If you want to truly optimize your organizational skills, it’s time to start buying in bulk. Ditch the old-fashioned single-use bottles that you find in stores, and pick up a set of The Polished Jar’s gorgeous bottle dispensers.

For optimal portability and durability, we recommend our Plastic Dispenser Collection. All of these bottles come in various sizes, finishes, and styles. To make sure you know what’s in each bottle, we also include waterproof labels.

To make refilling your containers a breeze, be sure to pick up a set of funnels! Our silicone funnel is best used to refill bottles of thick soap or lotion. For thin soaps, use our stainless steel funnel.

Pay Attention to the Details

Decorating a dorm room can be a challenge. You’ll be living with someone else, so you’ll need to confer and decide what works for both of you. 

Some people will team up to create a cohesive theme, and others will each have their own separate spaces.  Whatever you choose to do, remember that the details are what make a big difference in a dorm room.

If you’re looking for a way to really step up your college decorating, then it’s time to invest in some hand towels. Outside of their utilitarian uses, hand towels are a great way to add a touch of class to your room.

The Polished Jar stocks plenty of hand towels, and we have a style for everyone. Our rich orange Fayette Hand Towel is the perfect way to add a pop of color to a room. Alternately, you can add some light class to the room with our Morning Meadows Tea Towel Set.