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Use these dorm room storage ideas and hacks that will help you make your dorm room not only beautiful but also functional.
Dorm Room Storage Ideas/Hacks that Really Work
1. Utilize the space under the bed
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If you have a lot of space under your bed, using it to store clothes, books, and other tidbits can help clean your room and provide smart storage solutions.
Use fabric or plastic drawers or boxes and label them accordingly. Pull them from under the bed when required, place your things, and push them under the bed when done.
2. Use space-saving multi-use furniture
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Furniture such as foldable tables, shelves, and chairs can be good for saving space. You can unfold them and use them when needed and fold and stow them away when not in use.
Inflatable mattresses and beanbags, collapsible shelves, and foldable lap desks are also some more options.
Some stools or ottomans come with storage space inside. You can use them to sit and store some light accessories inside them too.
3. Use a desktop organizer
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The desk of a college student tends to be cluttered most of the time. Using a desktop organizer can help reduce the clutter.
Baskets and hanging shelves can be used to keep supplies and accessories such as pens, highlighters, post-it notes, and much more. Copies and books can also be organized on designated shelves.
4. Use a shelf over your bed
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A genius creation, perfect for dorm rooms, is this bedside shelf. You can use it to store any accessories, your phone, or even just to place your cup of tea or coffee there.
5. Use organizers in the closet
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Closets usually come with some basic shelving units, and a lot of space remains unused. You can add more storage units, such as adjustable shelves, rattan or fabric baskets, and wall-mounted racks to utilize every bit of unused space inside your closet. Fold coats and keep them in the baskets. Hang hats, caps, and scarves on the walls.
You can also use multi-hangers to maximize every bit of space in the closet.
6. Hang shelves on doors and walls
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You can also use the doors to hang your accessories and shoes. Buy over-the-door racks and hang them on the door, using them for storing small tidbits. You can even store your shoes and umbrella there.
7. Use a small shelf or rolling cart as a bedside table
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Bedside tables do look good, but if you are looking for something with a little more storage, you can opt for small shelves or rolling carts as bedside tables. Both should come with ample space and shelving units for you to store stuff that you always need within reach.
8. Stick a shelf over your bedside table
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If you do not wish to substitute your bedside table, you can still put the space above the table to use. You can stick flat hanging shelves on the space just above your bedside table for storing various necessities, such as your glasses, phone, headphones, and charger.
9. Use baskets for your clothes
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If you have too many extra pieces of clothes lying around on the floor, bed, or chair, you can try stuffing them in a basket.
Rattan or jute baskets are now in vogue and come in different sizes and shapes. Match a few with the color scheme of your room and place them in a corner. Fold and stuff your clothes in the baskets, especially those that you wear more often. That way, you can reach them quickly whenever you need them.
10. Have a separate kitchen space
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No matter how small your dorm room is, you need to separate your kitchen space. Even if you don’t have a stove in there, you need to chalk out space where you keep your fridge, utensils, and snacks.
Otherwise, you will find these items lying around everywhere in your dorm room and adding to the clutter. Use shelving units and baskets to store your snacks and utensils right beside your fridge and stove.
11. Use a fridge rack
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Using a fridge rack is the best way to ensure that all your equipment is together. Various over-fridge racks on the market let you plop your fridge, microwave, and coffee maker together inside a single shelving unit. This could be useful if you are planning to keep your kitchen in one corner of the dorm room.
12. Use baskets and sticky shelves for toiletries
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Your bathroom can also feel cluttered because of your toiletries and skincare products. You can use shower caddies and shelving units to organize everything inside your bathroom.
You can drill the storage on the wall or even find sticky shelves to place your toiletries in. You can also buy small plastic organizers and place them beside your sink.
13. Make a charging station
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Have phones, cameras, power banks, or tablets that need frequent charging? Rather than plugging them in everywhere in the room, you can buy or create a small DIY charging station for all your electronics (and your friends’, too, in case they come over).
For the DIY version, pay a visit to your nearest crafts store and get a small wooden box (large enough to fit all your things), paint it any color you like, stick a few clips to maintain the cords, and stick them on a wall where the switchboards are the closest.
14. Pin your cords together
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You can get a cord organizer station or buy cord clips. For the DIY version, buy a bunch clips, gather your wires and simply clip them together. You can also label or mark separate clips and attach them to the ends of your study table to keep track of your chargers, jacks, and USB cords. That way they won’t get tangled and you won’t have to search for them incessantly during an emergency.
15. Use wall racks for accessories
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Have a collection of hats and caps? Show them off by hanging all of them on a wall rack. Have a colorful collection of scarves? Sort them by colors and hang them from a wall rack.
You can also loop them through shower curtain rings and hang them from the rack just to increase the aesthetics. Similarly, if you want to store your jewelry creatively, you can create a small DIY shelving or storage system on your wall and hang all your necklaces and earrings there.
These were some of my favorite dorm room storage hacks and ideas. Are there any that you love that are not on this list? Leave a comment below!
You might also enjoy reading:
Best Dorm Cleaning Supplies You Need Today
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