Moving into a dorm room is a pivotal moment in your life, as it’s technically the first time you are moving out of your parents’ nest. You’ll still be living with another person since you’ll be assigned a roommate, or if you get lucky, you could win the dorm lottery and score your room without having to live with a roommate.
With all of this in mind, having positive energy in your dorm is key to a successful semester, especially when it comes to dorming alongside a roommate. A great way to create good vibes in your dorm room is by incorporating feng shui for small rooms.
I took the time to speak with feng shui consultant Candice Berlanga (CFSP) on ways to incorporate effective feng shui in your dorm room.
Tips for creating good dorm room feng shui
Incorporate the right colors
Color is proven to have a psychological impact on our feelings, and in some practices of feng shui, color is thought to have energy. Adding different hues to your dorm room can help you feel more at home. Greens, soft blues, lavender, soft pinks, earthy yellows, and terracotta reds can help bring life into a dreary or cold feeling space. Avoid overusing bright and loud colors for a space that you sleep in. Small amounts for accents are fine.
Nail down your lighting
Adding some soft lighting or lamps to your dorm room can help counteract the harshness of overhead lighting. With the popularity of colored light strips and bulbs, you now have a choice of colors. Blue lights like the ones found on electric devices or LEDs are energetic and wake you up, so they’re best used in the morning.
Green is the color of nature. Green light is said to boost your immune system. Orange stimulates the creative thought process and helps people come up with new ideas. Purple lights can help reduce emotional and mental stress. Yellow can sometimes be beneficial to treat depression. Red lights help with producing melatonin. Try some different lighting options and note how they make you feel!
Hang feel-good imagery
Add a dorm photo wall or a collage of your family and friends to remind you of your support system. Although you want pictures up, avoid an overabundance of pictures so you don’t feel as though you’re being watched. College is about being independent and being away from home to discover yourself. You don’t need to feel symbolically “watched” by mom's pictures being everywhere.
Keep overhead objects away from the top of your bed
Although you may be limited in space, try to avoid placing shelving over your headboard. When it comes to feng shui, this oppresses the energy over your head while you sleep and can lead to restless sleep. You may also experience headaches in the long run.
Get creative with curtains
Curtains can be used in a variety of ways to add privacy or soften a space. Put them between beds to divide a space or hang them overhead to soften corners pointing at the bed. These corners in feng shui are known as “poison arrows” and can have a similar impact as overhead shelving. Don’t forget to add curtains to your dorm windows even if you have built-in blinds or shutters.
Get an organization and shelving system going
Some dorms come with built-in shelving while some don’t. With that said, adding shelving, decorative storage cubes, bins, and baskets can serve a dual purpose by adding a decorative touch to a space while keeping your things organized and off the floor. A fun fact about bins is that you can just toss in stuff you don’t want to be seen and organize the contents as needed.
Bring in some plants
The best way to make a small space such as a dorm feel homey is to add a natural touch with plants. Plants that are low maintenance such as an ivy or a snake plant are best for a busy college student. Although live plants are preferable, fake plants are fine, too, and can create a similar effect.
Get some natural prints on fabric
Adding different textures and designs that mimic natural materials is also a nice touch. You may be limited on wall space, so you can opt for pillows and bedding that are not only soft and cozy but options that have leaves, flowers, or natural patterns on them. It's a great way to bring some nature inside.
Be conscious of the bedding you choose
Speaking of bedding, opt for some good quality pillows, bedding sets, and mattress toppers if needed, as dorm mattresses can be old, worn, and uncomfortable. You’ll be in this space for a while. Therefore, make it as comfy as you can.