Remember last year when the folks at Walmart asked me to style a holiday table on a budget? Well, they kindly invited me back to work with them on styling a #NextLevelDorm in three different ways, ensuring each of the spaces was decorated entirely with products from Walmart. The fun twist? Each of the three dorms would be inspired by a different social media influencer. As a believer in democratic design for all ages, I jumped at the chance to showcase fun ways college students could add color and style to their blank dorm rooms. It was great to style these spaces based on the individual personalities of Remi, Reginae and Mikey. After all, decorating is about making home reflect your personality no matter where you are living! This was a huge shoot to produce, art direct and style and I’m so proud to see how the assets look on Walmart’s dedicated Back To College landing page. High fives to all the team who worked on this project with me! After the jump I’ll dive into each of the three dorm rooms in more detail. Of course, you might not have a dorm room of this size but my hope is that you will be inspired by these easy and affordable ideas for making your dorm a representation of your personality no matter the shape or size!
First up is the dorm room inspired by Remi Cruz! I took my inspiration from her bubbly personality and her Instagram feed that’s full of aqua, turquoise and pops of yellow, and created a millennial space that’s bright, cheerful and energetic. I’m obsessed with the yellow hexagonal headboard – such a great way to add a statement piece to an otherwise nondescript bed situation. To personalize Remi’s dorm I framed a series of her Instagram pictures in simple white frames and hung them in a gallery wall above the bed. Using velcro strips means that there’s no damage to the walls when it’s time to leave, which is ideal for dorm rooms where you can’t use nails.
Some dorms already have furniture and some don’t but either way you can dress up simple white furniture with colorful accessories. Think: bright binders for your school work; metal bins and tins to store all your stationery, books, hair products and so on; and personal pieces from home, like a succulent or framed photo etc. Pick a hero color – for Remi I went for aqua – and run with it! It’s a great way to create a cohesive and stylish dorm.
When it came to styling Reginae’s dorm I knew that this look would be alllll about beauty and glam details. I decided to style the space with a slick monochromatic palette before layering in metallic accents to give the space that sparkly glam vibe that Reginae loves! The best way to make a monochromatic dorm interesting is to clash patterns. From stripes to polka dots to hearts and even arrows, the patterns add the youthful life and energy into this dorm.
Adding a vanity mirror to your desk is a fun way to transform a boring dorm desk into a beauty-focused area. Also, layering the bed with throw pillows transforms the bed into a multipurpose area that can be used for relaxing, working, chilling with friends and sleeping.
The third and final dorm took its lead from Mikey’s love of filmmaking and photography, as well as his laid back SoCal lifestyle. It was a lot of fun to style the space with a ‘lived-in’ look because realistically I think we can all agree that our dorm rooms weren’t necessarily the tidiest at all times, right?! 😉 Which of the three dorm rooms do you like best, friends?
// Art direction & styling by Will Taylor for Walmart
16 Comments
This is wonderful! I love all the different styles! Awesome blog post!
I hope you have a wonderful Friday!
Michael
https://www.mileinmyglasses.com
@Michael – Kind of you to say. Thanks very much! 🙂
You killed it! I watched the sneak peeks you shared on insta and it all looks so great finished!!
@Dustin – Yay! Thanks for following along.
i need all the pastels from remi’s room lol
@Jenni – Same here, it’s my fav of the three rooms!
Oh my gosh you make me wanna go back to school!!! Love all three the second one is by far my fav!!
Love Bella
Xoxobella.com
@Bella – Go back so I can design a dorm room for you! Hahaha! I love the second look too, it’s also my favorite! Have a lovely weekend!
These are so good! It’s proof that style isn’t about money. I love the black, white and gold color scheme!
@Francis – I completely agree. I’ve always been a champion for democratic design and I truly believe you can create stylish, personal and beautiful spaces no matter your budget. Thanks for the kind words, too! 🙂
Hello, I am commenting in regards of how much you design rooms for, I am going to northern Illinois University and wanted a room that fits me
@Kai – Thanks so much for your interest! Right now, I’m not taking on any private design clients. All the best with your studies!
A wonderful idea, I like it
@Hary – Thank you!
The first two looks are just great! And the one in blue is my favourite – very modern and yet very cosy.
@Brandon – Thank you!