Small space living is doable with good organization skills. Small living spaces often have one big disadvantage — they lack adequate storage space. This can be quite challenging if you haven’t picked up any dorm room organization skills. However, you can always find ways to add more storage space with some good planning.
You could do this by making better use of the space on your walls and under your bed, and by stocking up on space-saving organization products. This strategy can help you make space for your belongings and ensure that everything has its place.
That said, figuring out how to organize a dorm room can be particularly hard because of their cinder block walls, school-issued furniture, and one or more roommates that you’ll have to share space with. However, creating extra storage space for such rooms is still achievable.
Want some excellent storage ideas for your college dorm room? Let’s go.
1. Invest in multi-purpose furniture
While most dorms are furnished with desks, chairs, and other pieces of furniture, they often end up not being the ideal options. The furniture provided takes up lots of space, making it hard for you to store more items.
We’re pretty sure you have an idea of where we’re going with this. Instead of having a stool, or chair, that serves a single purpose, i.e., sitting, why not use one that serves multiple purposes? Buying chairs, coffee tables, etc., that also serve as storage spaces is always an excellent dorm storage idea.
2. Take Advantage of Vertical Space
Vertical space is one of the most underused storage spaces in most living spaces. The major reason for this is that it can be challenging to find good storage ideas to help you utilize vertical space. However, that’s why we are here. So, how to organize a dorm room vertically?
You could purchase items such as over-the-door racks or hanging baskets that can be used to store multiple items such as cleaning supplies and even accessories. Hooked hanging shower caddies are also a great dorm storage idea for small items.
3. Designated Spots for Kitchen Items
The kitchen can be quite challenging to organize, especially if you have more than a few appliances. For instance, if you have a microwave, a mini-fridge, and a coffee maker, you may find it hard to get the right space to place these items.
You could set up your kitchen station with adjustable cube storage or a rolling utility cart that you could use to store your kitchen items and appliances together. Another storage idea for dorm kitchens is to add mini storage bins that you can use to store your coffee, utensils, and snacks in an organized manner.
4. Under-the-Bed Storage
Under-the-bed storage space can be quite useful, especially if you are staying in small living spaces. It’s not that most people don’t use this space often; the challenge is in figuring out how to organize the space under a dorm room bed effectively.
Often, most people push their items under the bed, which leads to poor space utilization. However, organizing the space could allow you to store more items under the bed. Consider having your bed raised. This idea could increase dorm storage space for you, letting you use large and extra-large storage bins, boxes, or drawers to store more items.
If your dorm room bed isn’t adjustable, consider bed risers. You can also use a bed skirt to hide items under your bed if you are afraid that they may look cluttered.
5. Over-the-Bed Storage Space
While most people are aware of under-the-bed storage space, few ever think about over-the-bed storage ideas for their dorm. However, if you are a DIYer, this could be a great chance to improve your creative skills. So, how to organize over-the-bed storage in a dorm room?
Easy — add some over-the-bed shelves! Doing this could help you store more items and keep your room free of clutter. You could store your shoes, electronics you don’t often use, etc. This could help create even more floor space.
If you can’t drive screws into your wall because of its structure or the type of material used, a great dorm storage idea is to install the shelves suspended from your room’s ceiling. You could even go an extra step and decorate the shelves with some LED lights to make them more appealing.
6. Closet Space
Whether your dorm has a simple wardrobe or a full closet, there are a few changes that you could make to create more room for your clothing and other items. You could do away with a bulky wooden hanger, opt for thin felt hangers, or use a hanging closet organizer to hang your jeans, sweaters, and shoes.
Ensure that you leave enough space for a hamper and other laundry supplies like dryer sheets and detergent. It’s a good idea to use dorm-room storage bins or craft storage totes to stash folded sheets while they’re not in use. You could also skip all these and add some shelves to fold and store even more clothes.
7. Entertainment Center
While most TV stands are designed to improve the entertainment center’s aesthetics, people who live in small spaces can’t afford to waste any storage space. If you are out shopping for a TV stand, it will help if you choose one that provides more storage space.
If you have a TV, some gaming consoles, or a DVD player, it might be a good idea to use storage cubes as your dorm-room TV stand. Stack the storage cubes together to an optimum height and place your TV on top. The storage cubes will provide you with more space to store your electronic equipment and other small items.
8. Rolling Cart Side Tables
Are you thinking of buying a side table? Well, think again. If you have a small living space, you can’t afford to use side tables when other options could help you save more space, i.e., a rolling cart. Side tables offer minimal storage area while wasting valuable space underneath the table.
Buying a rolling cart is a good dorm-room storage idea since you can use it as a side table and maximize your storage area. Ensure that you buy one with the maximum number of racks that you could use to store even more items. Ideally, the number of racks should be more than three.
9. The Desk Hutch
If you don’t like distractions, then the desk hutch may not be the best storage idea for your dorm room—but if you don’t mind storing stationery or other items around your study space, it’s certainly worth considering. How to organize a desk hutch in a dorm room, you ask?
Well, the desk hutch is a vertical extension of your study desk where you get to store essential items like your pens, notebooks, study materials, and other small items you need when studying. Using the desk hutch provides extra space and convenience when studying since all your study materials will be located in a singular location.
10. Use Storage Bins for Improved Dorm Room Organization
meori’s storage bins are one of the best dorm room storage ideas. The idea is that you get to use them with meori’s storage bins are one of the best dorm room storage ideas. The idea is that you get to use them when you need them or fold them and store them when they aren’t needed. Using meori’s storage bins helps reduce the space that would have, otherwise, been taken up by other storage containers when they’re not in use.
- meori’s storage bins come in various sizes to fit various users. If you have minimal space in your dorm room, these storage bins could help boost your dorm room organization and provide you with more space to store your items conveniently.
- The reason meori’s storage bins are an excellent idea for dorms is that they are foldable. This comes in handy when you’ve got no items to store and want to create extra space in your room. You could go for a plastic storage bin, but you’ll have a hard time storing them when you are done using them—they’ll only end up using up more space.
- meori’s storage bins come in various designs that you could put to various uses. You could go for storage bins of all sizes: mini, small, medium, large, or extra-large.
- The storage bins are made with durable materials, come in various colors and prints, and are sturdy enough to hold up to 65 pounds of storage items. They lend themselves to some great dorm storage ideas as a result of this flexibility. You could also use them on standard shelving structures and closets to keep your items more organized.
Takeaway – Dorm Room Organization
It doesn’t matter if you’ve already moved into your dorm or are planning to move. Applying some or all of these dorm room organization ideas could help you save some storage space, keep your dorm decluttered, and get more space to store more items. Don’t worry about applying all the tips simultaneously; start small and take one step at a time.
Looking for more dorm storage ideas? Keep a tab on our blog, “Organize Life” for regular tips on how to organize a dorm room and other spaces.
Looking for more home storage ideas, please check out our full collection of articles here.