How to Make the Most of the Tiny Space of Your New Dorm Room
Welcome to the new dig, college students. Hope you enjoy sharing a tiny space with one (or more ) roommates. Before you move, here are a few tips to help your small lot go a long way, especially in a shared living environment.
Use bed risers to free up extra storage space (and power outlets)
This trick will come in handy in any small living space , but especially in dorm rooms. These Bed Risers from Bed Bath and Beyond not only give you an extra seven inches of under-bed space, but one of them has two USB outlets and two regular outlets built into them.
Riser caps are a convenient way to allow roommates to use an outlet that would otherwise be hidden behind the bed. Instead of having one person fiddling with two power outlets, you can plug your phone (or extension cord) into one outlet and share the other with your roommates. In dorms where outlets are inexplicably lacking, this can be a godsend. Oh, and look how much free space you have now under the bed! If the beds in your dorm allow, you can also split the beds to create even more space.
Replace the bedside table with a storage mattress
It’s nice to have a bedside table, but it also takes up a lot of precious furniture space. This mattress cart is a slim alternative. A long flap at one end slides between the mattress and the bed spring, leaving the box hanging next to the bed.
The caddy has pockets for things like books, magazines or tablets. There are mesh pockets on the sides for storing glasses or your phone. There’s even a rectangular space the size of a tissue box with a hole in the side. Some customer reviews suggest that it might take some work to get it to stay in place, but in the worst case, you can use cheap Velcro to hold it in place. Give you space for another small table in your room, or free up a school-provided nightstand for something else.
Foldable TV tray can be used as an ironing board
Folding TV trays are amazing in small living spaces. They give you a sturdy place to eat or work, and then fold up to hide in a closet or under a bed. However, the DIY Like A Saturday site invites you to give your TV a second job. Add a layer of batting and fabric on top and your tray can double as an ironing board.
Adding batting and fabric is very simple and cheap. Batting can cost as little as $ 5 per yard, and you can find many patterns on fabric for even less. Wrap them both around the tray and use a stapler to hold it in place and you’re done. It won’t be much cheaper than a small ironing board , but it is definitely cheaper than a TV tray and ironing board combined . Just make sure you don’t get tangled when you eat from it (or cover the tray) so that stains don’t get on your beautifully ironed clothes.
Place your dresser in your closet to save space
Chests of drawers take up a lot of precious space. If you need more floor space, try stuffing your dorm dresser in your closet if you’re lucky you have one. You can hang your shirts and shorter garments above or next to it, as long as you still have access to the drawers underneath.
Obviously, this depends on the size of the furniture and toilets that you have access to. If you have a really small wardrobe or a large dresser, you might also want to look at cabinet organizers . They can be used to store shoes, towels, books, accessories, or any other rubbish you may have. You might even want to get rid of the dresser entirely for more compact storage, such as a shoe holder above the door, which can be repurposed for all uses .
Store seasonal clothing in vacuum bags when not in use
If you live in a dorm all year round and your parent’s house has no place to store seasonal clothes, they can take up a ton of space sitting around waiting for the weather to change. Vacuum bags can significantly reduce this space. Simply fold your clothes, put them in your bag, and suck out excess air with a vacuum pump. The result is a bag that takes up a ton less space.
Vacuum bags are not ideal for clothes that you need to access every day, but they are perfect for replacing summer and winter clothes, storing beautiful clothes you only need on special occasions, or simply storing extra clothes. so you can change your rotation throughout the semester. The bags also help protect them from getting dirty, wet, or otherwise damaged during storage.
Use seats with built-in storage whenever possible
You may not have enough room for chairs or sofas, but the last thing you need is to choose between a seat and storage space. Get the best of both worlds whenever possible by purchasing benches , ottomans or chairs with built-in storage. Your guests will probably still be sitting on storage boxes in your room. You can also get one with a pillow on top.
If you can’t afford furniture with built-in items, storage containers that fit in the empty space under the seats are the best options. Modular drawers can fit under benches, beds and all other small spaces that are not in use.
Bring your kitchen utensils with you wherever your dorm allows
In some hostels, there are rather strict restrictions on what kind of household appliances you can take with you. When you can bring home appliances with you, anything that can do multiple tasks can be your lifesaver. For example, electric kettles can be used to heat water for soup, make coffee, and even boil eggs . If a slow cooker or rice cooker is allowed, they are a must.
The less household appliances or kitchen utensils you have to bring to your dorm, the more storage space you can use for important items. Depending on how your dorms are set up, you can also use a shared kitchen space to eliminate the need for your own appliances altogether. Check your college dorm restrictions for what you can bring with you.
Think vertically
More than anything, if you want to save dorm space, you need to change your mindset to look up. With a little creativity, you can fold the storage up to the ceiling (or at least up to the ceiling) to free up extra space for yourself.
Even if your dorm doesn’t allow you to hang things on the wall, you can purchase adhesive-backed shelves to add extra wall storage space. Stackable storage boxes come in all shapes and sizes . You can even hang your hammocks from the ceiling to store soft and light items like clothes. The more you can use the space above you, the more you can move around your bedroom without disturbing anyone.