One of my favorite things about college was decorating my dorm and apartment bedroom. Since college students move places often, you have the freedom to change up the style of our room each year! However, it can get tricky because most colleges and apartment complexes don’t allow you to drill things in the wall because of potential damage. In this post, I am sharing some affordable college apartment bedroom decor ideas from my own room! Since I know that you students are on a budget, I’ve linked affordable decor products that you can shop through. I would say that the overall theme of my room is a mixture of bohemian and shabby chic, which was inspired by my college apartment bedroom Pinterest board. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, may have already seen my post and video called Small Bedroom Decor Ideas and Space Saving Hacks. I have moved from that place, so my room is a bit bigger now, and I have different decor that I’m excited to share with you. If you have a really small room, I definitely recommend checking out that post after this one.
Related: Small Bedroom Decor Ideas and Space Saving Hacks | MY SMALL ROOM TOUR
Related: Top 10 College Dorm Room Must Haves for 2020
A quick look into my room:
Here are Bohemian and Shabby Chic College Apartment Bedroom Decor Ideas:
Picture Frame Collage
Most colleges and apartment complexes don’t allow drilling holes in the wall, so it can get tricky if you have large frames you want to use for decoration. One way to get around this is to just prop the frame on a table or shelf. These picture frame collages are perfect for displaying your polaroid photos, postcards, or smaller pieces of art!
More options:
Framed Art
Art pieces do a great job at tying the whole room together. If your room has a more neutral color, you can choose a vibrant or intricate piece to bring your room to life. If your room is already on the colorful side, get a more simple art piece. The ones below are already framed!
Unframed Art Options
Another thing you can do is buy unframed art pieces and purchase frames from the dollar store!
Desk Products:
Mainstay Parsons Writing Desk
I’ve had this desk for around a year now, and it’s been super reliable! It’s great quality, chic, and affordable, which is all a college student can ask for.
Buy this desk from Walmart for $60!
White Swivel Chair
Let me tell you, this chair is very comfy. I study for long periods of time at my desk, especially with online classes. This chair has great back and butt support, which is much needed for studying!
LED Lamp
I’ve been using my Ultrabrite LED lamp for the past three years, and I love having the freedom to change the light settings. All of the places I’ve lived in had different lighting, so it’s nice to be able to adjust the lamp to fit the place. Also, the Ultrabrite LED lamp had a fan, 2 USB ports, and adjustable neck!
Face Mirror
If you live in a shared apartment, I recommend that you bring your own face mirror to put on your desk. That way, you can do everything you need comfortably and in your own space. The mirrors come with LED lights and are the same price as those without!
Alarm Clock
If your phone alarm is unreliable or if you want to make sure you have a backup at all times, definitely get an alarm clock! You don’t want to risk waking up late for a class or an exam and having your grade drop. It’s the WORST feeling. Trust me. Been there, done that. Having a clock in your room is also nice and convenient! You don’t need anything fancy. Just something to get the job done.
Hydro Flask (18 oz Standard Mouth)
If you are set on spending the extra bucks on a beautiful, colorful Hydro Flask, I highly recommend them. I bought one last year, and it’s still in amazing condition. It keeps my water cool and my tea hot the entire day. Honestly, the only reason why I bought my Hydro Flask is because it’s in my absolute favorite shade of blue, and it was the only brand sold at my school. Nonetheless, I am very happy with my Hydro.
Related: Everything You Need to Pack for Your Dorm in 2020 + Free Printable Checklist!
GET YOUR FREE COLLEGE PACKING LIST TODAY
Trust me. This free college packing list will make packing so much easier for you! Click the button below to receive it directly in your inbox.
Wardrobe Products:
Clothing Rack
If your room doesn’t have a lot of closet space, buy a clothing rack! Not only is it a space saver, but it’s aesthetic as well! I bought this clothing rack from Target. I love it because it’s great quality and sturdy, as you can tell from how it supports all my clothes!
Buy this clothing rack from Target!
Single Drawers
For extra storage for my clothes, I bought single Sterlite drawers from Target to put on the clothing rack. I couldn’t find them on the Target website, but I found a pack of 4 single drawers on Amazon!
Black Velvet Hangers
I definitely recommend using the same type of hangers to keep your closet or clothing rack cohesive. They will tie the whole room together, especially if your room is small!
Related: Cheap Back To School Supplies for 2020-2021 + Free Checklist
GET YOUR FREE BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES CHECKLIST TODAY
Trust me. This free back to school supplies list will make shopping so much easier for you! Click the button below to receive it directly in your inbox.
Bed Products:
White Fitted Sheets
These are by far my favorite fitted sheets that I’ve owned. They’re really soft and comfortable to sleep on.
White Comforter
Just like the fitted sheets, the comforter I have is super soft and light. Unfortunately, Amazon ran out of the white one that I have. However, they do sell different colors of the same one. If you’re looking for a white comforter, the one I’ve linked below is another highly rated option.
Bed Bug and Waterproof Bed Encasement
Unfortunately, I’ve had experiences with bed bugs in my apartment. They are the WORST because they only die by high heat or bed bug spray. Since they’re super small, they’re really hard to exterminate. Just to be safe, I recommend buying this cover to protect your mattress from potential infestation!
Foldable Bedframe
Although they’re cute, I don’t recommend buying a wooden bed frame in college because if you ever have to move places, it’s a hassle to disassemble and assemble it again. Instead, buy a foldable bed frame. They’re sturdy, easy to fold/move, and surprisingly more affordable than most wooden bed frames. So far, I haven’t had any problems with this one below!
Pink Decorative Pillow
Spruce up your bed with some cute decorative pillows!
Buy these pink faux fur pillows from Target!
Pink Throw
If you get cold easily, especially during the winter, I recommend that you also bring a throw blanket in addition to a comforter. A throw is also great for when you and your friends have movie nights or are just chilling together.
Related: How To Get A 4.0 GPA This Year | 12 Realistic Tips From a Straight-A Student
Related: How to Take Aesthetic Notes on Your iPad
Decorative Rugs
Rugs are another great way to tie your whole room together, while still being apartment/dorm friendly.
Hanging Wall Art
If you’re going to buy wall art for your apartment or dorm, purchase ones that are light weight so that you don’t have to drill it in the walls. You can just use a command hook to hang it! Also, if a light weight wall art accidentally falls, it won’t hurt you. Here are some cute wall art that are perfect for a more boho or shabby chic vibe!
Heavy Duty Command Hook
The command hook below is a great way to hang things on the wall and easily remove it when you need to move. They’re damage free, so you don’t need to worry about peeling the paint from your wall upon removal. Just make sure to get a command hook that supports the weight of your wall art!
White Faux Fur Throw
Make your room look more chic by draping this faux fur throw over a chair or on the ground. They’re also really cute backdrops for Instagram pics!
Bean Bag Chair
If you’re living in a college apartment, I don’t recommend purchasing too much furniture just in case you end up moving a lot. However, if you need a comfy piece to add to your room, I highly suggest getting a bean bag chair! I actually brought down this LoveSac bean bag chair that I’ve had for years. Since LoveSacs are a bit pricey, I’ve linked some more affordable options on Amazon below!
Bed Side Table
I got this bed side table for $15 on Offer Up, which is a place where people sell used furniture. If you want a similar bed side table that’s new, check out these ones below!
Related: 5 Life-Changing Organization Tips for Online Classes (Free September 2020 Calendar Templates!)
Related: 10 Important Questions to Ask Potential College Roommates to Avoid Drama. (#6 is a Good One)
Bed Side Table Products
Candles
Fujifilm Instax Mini 9
Polaroid Airpods Case
The Sun and Her Flowers Book
Square Pictures
Another way that you can decorate the walls of your room with pictures is by using square prints! I ordered these prints for a really cheap price from Costco and decided to line this area of my wall with them.
Felt Letter Board
You can either prop these felt letter boards on a table or shelf or you can hang a light weight one on the wall. I used the removable command strips below to hang my letter board!
Command Strip
String Lights
String lights are another beautiful and aesthetic way to decorate your room! They’re easy to hang and look so cute for pictures! You can use the removable command hooks below to hang them.
Command Hooks
