Actually Good Dorm Decor That You’ll Want to Keep (Even After Graduation)

A sad twin XL mattress probably dominates the space. The upside: Whether you’ve opted for the budget pick or a pricier option in our guide to the best comforters, a quality duvet cover can help elevate the look of your bed and therefore the room. We like the Brooklinen Classic Duvet Cover, which senior staff writer Jackie Reeve, our longtime bedding expert, describes as comparable to those you’d find in a nice hotel. Although it can get wrinkled in the wash, it’s crisp and cool, and it comes in a variety of lively modern prints and rich solids, including classic bright white.

If the living situation doesn’t include a common room with a sofa—and even if it does—you can transform your bed into a daybed by opting for a durable quilt as your bed cover. The Company Store’s Company Cotton Voile Quilt offers a choice of calming neutrals and vibrant colors that stay that way even after machine washing, our tests confirmed. The quilt aced our abrasion tests, too. Just be aware that it comes only in twin, not twin XL, so it may not tuck in at the foot of the bed. Add a throw and throw pillows, and your bed can pass as a righteous couch.

Few things exude warmth and comfort more than a knit weighted blanket draped on a bed or chair. Our budget-friendly favorite, the Casaluna Knit Weighted Blanket, manages to look chic and homey at the same time. At 12 pounds, it’s heavier than a traditional blanket, which some people find soothing. And it looks a lot like the Bearaby Cotton Napper, which costs nearly twice as much—and which we still recommend if you prefer a heavier weight and more size options.

An easy-to-clean area rug adds style and warmth underfoot. Cover the whole room or save money by simply adding a soft landing by your bed. We tested the popular machine-washable Ruggable rugs, which offer hundreds of designs (including themed collabs, such as with Bridgerton and Justina Blakeney) plus a versatile range of sizes, and we found them easy to clean, as advertised. (Very useful if you plan on eating in your room.) Keep in mind that Ruggable rugs require their own Ruggable-specific rug pad, which you can choose on each product page; we suggest the “cushioned” version for extra comfort unless your dorm room is already carpeted.

A simple frame upgrades the look of your photos and posters—and your wall. So don’t forget to pack one or a set to create a gallery wall. If you have an image you love that’s particularly worth preserving, and you have a flexible budget (or a birthday coming up, perhaps), you might even consider an online framing service, such as our top pick Framebridge, which we found to be the easiest site to navigate and has a wide variety of frame designs, including standing frames. Depending on campus policy, you may have to hang your art up with adhesive heavyweight picture-hanging strips, so be mindful of the frame’s weight.

If you find that your overhead lighting is cold and unfriendly, illuminate your room with desk lamps and bedside lamps—and up the design quotient of your space while you’re at it.

We’re currently busy updating our bedside lamp guide with a bunch of new picks, including (preview alert!) the Yarra-Decor Bedside Table Lamp with USB Port. At around $25, this lamp surprised our tester with convenient features that work quite well, such as convenient USB ports and touch control. And the high light setting was satisfyingly robust, while the low light was soothingly soft, as senior staff writer Joshua Lyon found. The wood-base option looked a bit cheap to us, but you can instead choose from several metal-based alternatives, plus a slew of shade colors.

As for your desk, the Anglepoise-style IKEA Forså Work Lamp, from our guide to the best desk lamps, bends and rotates to your wishes, whether you’re working at your desk or reading a book. This inexpensive pick comes in metal (nickel-plated), beige, and turquoise. It has a simple on/off switch, and its heavy base keeps it from falling over.

Parking a few plants by your window can seriously freshen up the look of the space while adding a sense of calm. And that’s especially true when you plant them in a pot you love, whether it’s a classic terra-cotta container or something more whimsical. The joy is in the details, after all.

Wirecutter’s pick for the best place to buy plants online is Horti, which sends plants in a lovely signature terra-cotta pot. Our testers praised the service for its range of offerings, from plants that crave full-on sunlight to those that are almost impossible to kill. Horti’s site is generous with its plant-care tips, and its prices are lower than those of other services we tested. We found the packaging strikingly thoughtful and protective, and you get good-quality dirt. Just know that the company annoyingly leans hard into subscription sales; you can navigate to à la carte options by scrolling down a bit further.

While live plants have been scientifically found to objectively reduce stress, the artificial variety can at least visually brighten up a sad corner better than a withering real plant—helpful if you lack a green thumb. If you prefer a beachy vibe, consider the 4-foot Nearly Natural Golden Cane Palm Tree. The leaves on our artificial palm arrived a bit crinkled, with the texture of a grosgrain ribbon (and you might have questions about fake trees’ sustainability), but they felt generous and festive nonetheless; plus, the trunk was the most realistic one we saw. Whichever artificial tree you decide on, dust the leaves every so often, and place them in the path of sunlight so that they gleam and look more real.

Avoiding clutter is a simple way to elevate the look of your space, but you can accomplish that only when everything has its own place. The Seville Classics Storage Trunk, which also serves as a cushioned bench, is a much more attractive option than a plastic bin, and it costs less than many textbooks. It fits more items than other storage benches we evaluated, and it’s also surprisingly sturdy for a design that folds up when you’re not using it, offering a perfectly respectable option for extra seating.

Corral your mail, handouts, and more with something that’s durable, accessible, and of course beautiful. The Poppin Fin File Sorter, which we recommend in our small entryway guide, is so much cuter than the typical drab-gray desk gear: Its corners are subtly rounded instead of sharp, and it comes in fun color options, including bright white, dark gray, slate, blush pink, and sage.

Bookshelves can become as usefully capacious as drawers—not to mention look more put-together—when you add some bins. The IKEA Pudda Basket sports especially chic features, such as soft felt and shiny brass buttons, which make it look more expensive than it is. And, at 12 square inches, it holds loads of items, too.

This article was edited by Daniela Gorny and Leta Shy.