FUNKY and Beautiful Preppy Dorm Room Ideas For College Girls!

This blog post is all about dorm room ideas.
dorm room ideas

If there’s one thing I know for sure about college, it’s that you want to feel at home in your dorm room. When I was first starting college, I spent lots of time and effort on making sure my dorm room would feel like it was actually my space. I loved looking through Pinterest for dorm room ideas, and I probably got lost in my scrolling for way too long!

Since I did all that scrolling for you, I thought, why not put together a post of the best dorm room ideas for college girls?!

This list is full of preppy dorm room inspo that will make your room feel like it’s truly YOURS.

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PREPPY DORM ROOM IDEAS

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Preppy Dorm Room Inspiration

Finding the right dorm room decor starts with gathering ideas and inspiration as a starting point. In this blog post, I’m showing you some of the best preppy dorm room inspo pics I’ve found. I’m even linking products you can buy to recreate some of these looks and make your dorm room feel cozy!




Give It Ambience

Dorm Room Ideas
Source: @noraisley111

When I look at this dorm room, I imagine super productive nights studying in this calming ambience. I also picture it as being a great place to relax and unwind or hang out with friends. It really is the best of both worlds!

Are you not obsessed with the clock hanging above the desk in this photo?! This would be perfect for keeping track of time when you’re studying or even checking the time when you wake up.

You can get this clock and the neon light strip from Amazon!

Personalize Your Decor

Dorm Room Ideas
Source: @camidickson_

A great way to make your room instantly feel preppier is to personalize your decor. You can buy a customized throw pillow like this from Etsy, making your room instantly feel fancier and cozier at the same time!

Plus, what’s not to love about simple decor?! This print from Amazon is the perfect way to add some spunk to your bedroom.

Make it Warm

Dorm Room Ideas
Source: @sydrann

The fairy lights hanging from the ceiling of this dorm room make it feel a lot warmer and more welcoming. Adding fairy lights to your room is a great way to level up the decor and ambience at the same time.

I had fairy lights in my first dorm room for the longest time. I loved turning them on during a late night study session or when I had friends over!

Plus, adding a knit throw blanket like this into your room is a great way to make it feel warm and cozy.

Add Some Statement Decor

Dorm Room Ideas
Source: @morin0007

Some statement decor like a neon sign or captivating prints go a long way. These two staple dorm room decor pieces are an affordable way to make your room feel way more put-together!

Make It Retro

Dorm Room Ideas
Source: @averyycarrier

It doesn’t have to be full-on retro, but adding some retro elements to your dorm room decor makes it feel timeless.

I love the idea of hanging disco balls over your desk or bed. These disco balls made an otherwise plain room look so much more inviting!

Make It Girly

Dorm Room Ideas
Source: @meandmyfavoritethings_

This room is giving off ‘clean girl’ vibes to me. It’s got a beautiful feminine feel with the fluffy blanket and neon sign, while not being too over-cluttered or overpowering in patterns and designs.

Neon signs like this are a foolproof way to make your dorm room feel preppier!

Make It Color Coordinated

Dorm Room Ideas
Source: @emmalynnmillerr

The color coordination of the wall decor in this room is simple yet effective. The prints on the wall fit perfectly with the vibe of the neon heart sign.

If you don’t want a personalized neon sign, a cute heart like this is a great way to add some ambience to your room in a smaller way.

Make Use of Your Space

Dorm Room Ideas
Source: @edenelizabeth8

This girl made her dorm room super functional while keeping it color coordinated and cute, which makes it feel super put-together.

The headboard on her bed is a great way to divide her sleeping space from the rest of her dorm room, and a great way to hide any clutter so that all you’re seeing is decor!

Represent Your Personality

Dorm Room Ideas

What better way to help yourself feel at home than to ensure your dorm room reflects your personality?!

That’s why I love this disco dorm room. It’s fun, inviting, retro, and aesthetic. You can recreate this dorm room with the products I’ve linked here, or pick a color palette that suits you best and find similar prints and decor in that color!

Make It Pristine

Dorm Room Ideas
Source: @_styledbystephanie
This bedroom decor makes the room feel super clean and pristine. It’s color coordinated and not too busy, making it a simple space for the eyes to rest. This is a great option if you’re hoping to make your dorm room a sanctuary you can come back to everyday to rest and rejuvenate.

Follow us on TikTok @homestylingbymaya for more home decor ideas, first apartment finds & moving tips, shopping recommendations, and more!

Preppy Dorm Room Decor Items

Regardless of which dorm room ideas you choose to follow, there are always more decor options that can be incorporated into your room. Here’s a list of some preppy room decor that would look great with any of these dorm room ideas!




Pink Wall Collage

If you’re going for a pink dorm room aesthetic, this wall collage kit is perfect for you! I could see this looking so cute above your bed or even in front of your desk. Having a wall collage with prints like this will make your room feel much more lively and energetic.

You’re Like Really Pretty Poster

How can you not smile when you look at this poster?! It’s so cute!

If you don’t want to have a full-on wall collage, you can simply hang this above the head of your bed or somewhere else on your wall! This is a great way to elevate your dorm room decorations without needing too much effort.

Pink and Orange Wall Art

Don’t want a full wall collage but still want a cute room? Get these pink and orange wall prints!

Adding these to your wall will make your room feel symmetrical and put-together without making it over crowded with decor.

Bright Canvas Wall Art

If you want some statement art that really catches your eye, this canvas art is the way to go! 

Pink Wall Collage

Perfect for any pink aesthetic! If you want to elevate these prints for your wall collage, you can add frames to instantly make your dorm room feel more luxurious.

Preppy Round Smile Mirror

This acrylic mirror would look so cute on the back of your door or on your wall somewhere!

Wavy Floating Shelves

I’m obsessed with these wavy floating shelves because how can you not be obsessed?!

A great way to make your dorm room more interesting is to add some unique shapes and colors to your decor… and these wavy shelves achieve both those goals!

Resin Balloon Dog Sculpture

I could easily see one of these resting on your desk, a floating shelf, or a nightstand. These balloon dog sculptures are so cute, and everyone needs some cute and aesthetically pleasing elements of their dorm room decor!

Decorative Books

If you want some brightly colored decor in your room, this stack of decorative books is perfect! You can add a candle or other decor piece on top of these to tie it all together.

Dice Candles

Y2k decor and retro bedroom decor is sooo cute, and these candles are the perfect addition to your dorm room if you’re hoping to achieve a y2k decor look!

Wavy word candles like these ones from Etsy are also such a great way to add good vibes and a cute aesthetic to your room 🙂

Boot Vase

This boot vase from Urban Outfitters is adorable. If you love having fresh flowers in your room or even want to put some dried or faux flowers on display, a vase like this will take your decor up a notch!



Heart Hands Statue

Omg, how sweet is this?! This little statue would look so good sitting on your desk or a floating shelf. They even sell different colors, so you can definitely find something that matches your dorm room color palette!

Preppy Ring Holder

This ring holder is an adorable decor piece and a way to make your room more functional all at once.

Tiger Skin Ceramic Jewelry Dish

A jewelry dish is super handy to have anyways, so why not get a cute one that fits your preppy aesthetic?

Preppy Cowgirl Pillow Cases

Country plus retro, what could be better?! These pillow covers come in several different colors like pink, white, purple, blue, green, and cream!

Seashell Throw Pillow

This would look so cute with a pink aesthetic! Some reviewers said this pillow is super soft and made their room feel more charming.

Let’s Go Girls Pillow

Give me alllllll the throw pillows that have cute sayings. I love the multicolored lettering on this throw pillow because I feel like it would match several different color palettes.

Decorative Preppy Stuff Throw Pillows

Tons of reviews are saying that these pillows are as cute in real life as they look in the photos. Such a good option if you want a young style to your room!

Pink and Orange Checkered Swirl Pillow

This checkered pink and orange pillow matches the decor of several of the inspo photos above and would make the perfect addition to any dorm room bed. Throw pillows are one of the easiest ways to add to your decor and make your room feel cohesive!

Checkered Throw Blanket

This throw blanket would also look so good with the checkered throw pillows I linked above!

Heart Checkered Throw Blanket

I love the design of this throw blanket because it’s so cute but still subtle. Because the blanket is one solid color, the pattern only shows through texture which can add such a unique element to your room.

This blanket also comes in several different colors, whether you want something bright or neutral!

Soft Fleece Leopard Print Blanket

This looks like one of the coziest and softest blankets I’ve ever seen! You can honestly never go wrong with a throw blanket like this, especially when the reviews say that the blanket is even better than the picture.

Padded Upholstered Headboards

Both these variations of padded upholstered headboards would make such a unique addition to your dorm room. Headboards are one of the best ways to make your room feel luxurious without having to add a bunch of different decor pieces on top. These headboards make a statement by themselves!

Patterned Bedding

Both of these options of patterned bedding will give your room a specific, fun feel!

Statement Rugs

This xoxo butterfly rug from Society6 is SO cute. Whether the rest of your decor is more neutral and you need a pop of color, or your decor matches the palette of this rug, it’ll make a great addition to your dorm room.

There’s also this custom Barbie rug. Either way, adding a rug to your room is an easy way to make it feel cozier and preppier!

I hope you found these dorm room ideas helpful! Remember, whatever dorm room decor you choose, you’ll feel most at home if it truly represents who YOU are as a person.

This blog post was about dorm room ideas.

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