When I was in high school, I won Second Place in a “Design your dream dorm room,” contest, sponsored by Ikea. I remember going through the catalog and physically cutting and pasting images to pages, sketching the room, and making a budget (a first, for sure…) noting all the items I selected. Looking back, it’s clear to me now that my “space” – even if it was just a dorm room – has always been important to me, and if you’re reading this, I imagine it is important to you, too.

A lot has changed in the 25 years since that competition (did I just write that?!?), and it’s for the better in the dorm-design category. So many of our favorite vendors have chic and cost effective items to help feather a first nest. Our Archive team has rounded up 5 fab looks, along with some universal staples to help make your dorm room as “suite” as possible.

Living away from home for the first time is a great opportunity to explore your personal style. Click on through our finds (many of which can be personalized,) and add to cart to ace the style section of your freshman orientation.

And for those of you looking for great grad gifts – we’ve got you covered. Monogrammed towels, chic frames, and caddies filled with all those freshman needs are all included.