It’s that time of year again so I wanted to share one of the prettiest dorm room makeovers that I’ve ever seen with you. It belonged to my dear friend Andrea’s daughter, Ahna, and of course her talented mother had a big hand in decorating it.
NOTE: If you have a college-bound student, be sure to check out this post with the most essential items you need for a dorm!
We’ve shared Andrea’s lovely decorating style on the blog before. You can see her Christmas home tour here and here. They’ve since moved to a new home upon her husband’s retirement from the military, but believe it or not those are military quarters.
Or maybe it’s not that hard to believe, since look what she and Ahna did with a basic blah dorm room:
The details make the difference, especially the cornice board and curtains. I also love the faux marble topper on the desk and the removable wallpaper.
You can see the layered rugs in the photo below–much cozier than industrial linoleum squares.
The tufted headboard is another great finishing touch; I wish they had those when Amy and I were roommates at James Madison University!
They did a great job of using every inch of space in the room to maximize storage, like the shelves at the foot of the bed and even the space under the bed (those extra-long dorm length bedskirts can hide a ton).
Ahna graduated last year and has moved on to bigger and better things, but her dorm room remains one of my all-time favorites.
For sources, visit Ahna on Instagram, LiketoKnow.it, or her blog.
Photo credits: Mildred & Mable’s IG or Website (M&M is Andrea’s amazing store in downtown Clarksville, TN)
Thanks for stopping by!
Yikes, Christy, is this how dorm rooms are these days? Fit for a decorating magazine! In my ancient day, it was a bedspread from Penny’s and a few posters on the wall.
When Amy and I were roommates at James Madison University, it was the same! I wish we had some of the options they do these days–removable wallpaper and those super-extra-long bedskirts that hide the mess under the bed are pretty awesome inventions. I have lots of friends who have moved their freshmen in over the past few years and this room is NOT typical–but it’s absolutely gorgeous and I thought you guys would enjoy seeing how creative decorating can make even those yucky dorm rooms beautiful.
Hope you’re doing well, Liz!
Christy
Wow!! Wow! What a beautiful “dorm” room. I love so many things about this!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
I know–isn’t it just amazing how a little creative decorating can transform those homely little boxes into something fabulous?!
WOW indeed! I can recall my sister’s dorm room at Illinois State University, shared with another, and granted a long time ago, and yet the contrast is night and day. Love that wallpaper as I’ve seen it appear in so many places and even on a HGTV cover last year. Gorgeous!! Hope I could focus on the studies while in this room. ha
Amy and I were roommates a hundred years ago and our room looked NOTHING like this one, either. It’s the prettiest one I’ve ever seen! I agree on the wallpaper, too. I might need some of it for our apartment in Germany.
Where is that gold mirror from? It is so cute!
I will ask her, Kyla, but my guess is that it’s vintage–Andrea has a knack for finding amazing antiques. I’ll let you know if she tells me differently.
Take care,
Christy
Absolutely stunning!! This looks like a home, not a college dorm. Such amazing talent!
xo
Pat