7 Student-Approved Ways to Decorate Ugly, Concrete Dorm Walls

14.07.2024 - 11:23 / thespruce.com / Nishaa Sharma

Nothing motivates a study session like coming home to a space that comforts and inspires you, and truthfully, an empty concrete wall in a dorm room is not going to do that.

Decorating dorm walls comes with its set of struggles— from the difficult-to-work-with material of the wall itself to the strict set of rules you need to follow in order to avoid hefty fines.

No stress though— plain walls are also the perfect blank canvas to work with, and these four students are here to share some clever, college-friendly ways to bring color, dimension, and personality to your dorm room walls.

@victorcaastel / Instagram

Putting up posters, photos, and artwork may be some of the first things you'd think of when bringing personality to your dorm walls, but Victor Castel, a student majoring in marketing at Adelphi University, proves this tried-and-true technique is anything but basic.

«I decided to use frames because they provide contrast between the wall and the posters, all designed by myself,» Castel explains. «Since I could not make holes in the dorm walls, I put up the posters using Command hooks with velcro.»

Elevating your selected artwork with intentional framing, creating a collage of prints—or taking personalization to the next level and designing your own posters for a gallery wall like Castel did— will instantly add dimension to a drab wall.

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@jocelyn.kreis / Instagram

The combination of harsh dorm lighting and plain concrete walls can often make your space feel clinical instead of cozy. Take inspiration from Jocelyn Kreis's freshman year dorm and solve two problems with one item by creating another