<p>Moving into Auburn dorms this year! But I’m a little lost on how to decorate…Google wasn’t giving me sufficient advice except a lifetime supply of pop-ups about netflix. I really want to give decorating something of mine for a try, so I’m gonna put some effort into my dorm. The thing is–the rules. Look at them. </p>
<p>No adhesive-backed hooks, tape, ductape, wallpaper, carpet tape or contact paper!
No stickers/decals on furniture, walls, ceilings or other Housing property.
No nails, pins, screws or tacks
No removal of furniture
No painting
No trimming doors
No lofting/lifting of beds off floors by any means or device other than the bed risers suggested below.
No personal locks
No extension cords. Use surge protectors strips with circuit breakers.
No standard curtain rods - use expansion rods for hanging curtains
No items hung outside windows
No decorative displays of alcoholic beverage containers in room/apt</p>
<p>Sooo…all my ideas were shot involving wall decals/using shot glasses as decor/hanging up a tiny birdcage. I’m sure all dorms have rules, so what should I do to decorate (cutely) around them? (Or sneak them in…) Thanks!</p>
<p>I’ll be living in the dorms this fall too! I hate that there are so many rules but here are my plans for making my room feel like home.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Bedding is probably where you’ll have the most freedom so invest in some really nice sheet sets, comforters and lots of decorative pillows. </p></li>
<li><p>Plants can help bring a little green and fresh air into your space but make sure you buy one that doesn’t need a lot of care…like a cactus, ivy, of Chinese bamboo. </p></li>
<li><p>A cute rug can add warmth to your floor. I love the Flokati-type rug that are super furry and your toes just sink right in.</p></li>
<li><p>Even though they say no adhesive backed hooks, command hooks are very easy to use and do not cause damage to the walls. You can use these to hang robes, pictures, paintings etc.</p></li>
<li><p>A floor lamp for the corner of your room adds extra lighting and looks great.</p></li>
<li><p>I’m not a big fan of posters, most of them are cliche and look a bit juvenile. However, a nice painting can really bring your wall to life. You can buy a blank canvas and have all your friends plaster hand prints and paint all over…or you can just head to a thrift store and pick out a cool piece. </p></li>
<li><p>A gold fish or Beta fish adds some life to your room. As long as you can make the commitment to feeding it and cleaning the bowl.</p></li>
<li><p>Storage is super important in any tiny space. Buy some cute storage bins underneath your bed. Invest in a chest for the foot of your bed. A small bedside table can hold undies and socks. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>you CANNOT use the command hooks. you are right, they do not do any damage, but auburn is a stickler on you following the rules exactly. during a “surprise” room inspection, my son had a picture hung on a command hook. we were charged a $32 “room damage” fee on our bill, even though he removed the hook and no damage was left. they are very careful to protect their newest dorms. also, on another note. the shower rods in the bathrooms are too high from the floor and a standard shower curtain is not long enough to meet the base of the shower…hence, a mini flood in the bathroom. my son had to buy a spring loaded shower rod and place it lower than the permanaent rod so that water was kept in the shower. this was also true for the other bathroom in his suite as well. besides that, the suites are great!</p>
<p>I don’t know if wall decals designed specifically for dorms not to cause damage to the walls count and can be used, but if they can, PB Dorm has a decent collection of everything from dry-erase calendars, to message boards, to picture frames. </p>
<p>Again, I would check as they are ‘decals’, but specifically designed for dorms.</p>
<p>Thanks for sharing about your experience with the command hooks Bluemath. I would have been paying some serious fines this semester. = ) In that case, I guess putty is the only thing we can use to hang things. </p>
<p>@ Mmiiaa- I’ll be living in Harper on the Quad.</p>
<p>Oh gah, thank you bluemath! I’ll be living in an older dorm, so perhaps they won’t care as much? Still, maybe I’ll just get decals when I get my own apartment. And shower curtain info really helped! Maybe they sell x-long curtains…or else I’ll have to buy that spring rod your son bought…
thanks blueiguana for the link! much appreciated!
and Scarlett.B, I was totally trying to get that! (Especially since I’ll be in the Honors…) But I applied to late so I have Sasnett in the Hill. Oh well, I’m grateful! Some of my friends are still trying to be placed… Sort of like dorm limbo.</p>
<p>Yeah! I have a few friends that were guaranteed housing but still haven’t been place. We are truly lucky to even get on-campus housing!</p>
<p>At my Camp War Eagle session a few weeks ago, I saw Blueiguana’s shower situation in person! The showers don’t drain well! ICK! So the water fills up and eventually overflows. It’s so gross thinking about things that possibly clog up the drainage. I think my roommate and I might have to invest in Drain-O.</p>
<p>Regarding the shower curtain problem. Walmart sells a heavy duty shower liner that is 78" long. It will keep the water in the shower in the Village bathrooms. I got that for my daughter with a pretty shower curtain for the outside.</p>
<p>If you have to fit everything into a car to take to college and to bring home in the spring you can purchase folding bookcases at the following place:cymax.com</p>
<p>I bought two Winsome 4-Tier Folding Shelves for my daughter’s room. They are very solid and they fold flat. My daughter simply removed the top shelf and then they fit perfectly on the back seat of her VW Jetta. She will be able to add the top shelf in seconds once she gets into the dorm. In addition to that she and my husband built a folding hutch for her desk. Using hinges it dismantles and folds into three flat sections for easy travel.</p>
<p>Woah, woah, woah. I lived in Owen in the Quad last year. We definitely all used command strips all over the rooms. None of us got fined! Now if you pull paint off, they may fine you. But the RA’s are the ones that do the room checks, and none of them are really strict on that. My advice? First off, by carpet. The people below you will thank you! And it’s just a lot home-ier and all. Get cute bedding, and dust ruffles help make it like home, too, and hide your stuff! Get curtains and hang them with a spring rod. Lots of girls and some guys get shelves for over the bed and over the desk. You can get the wire ones from Target or WalMart, or get white wooden ones from like Moxii or other places. They cover up empty wall space, are great storage for picture frames as well as books and your printer! Then just use the command strips to hang bulletin boards or whatever! You can so make the room look comfortable and cute, you just have to think super hard on how to go around the rules!! Good Luck!!</p>
<p>My son, who got fined for using a command hook (which left no damage when it was removed) lived in THE VILLAGE. They may not care so much about the older dorms.</p>
<p>My daughter moved into the Village this past weekend. She asked her RA about Command Hooks and was told that last year they were not allowed, but this year they are.</p>
<p>I bought a standard sized shower curtain and an extra long shower liner. If you have a boy you might be able to get away with just the shower liner. I believe it is 78" long. Walmart was the only place I could find one. The width of the shower is standard, but the bottom is low like a stall.</p>
<p>thank you, proud_mom! haha i bought 3 kinds, but the reg. width one is 84" long. (Bed, Bath & Beyond) i think i’d better go to walmart to find a 78" length one. he’d be fine with just a liner. i’m such a mom, though, cuz i also bought a navy shower curtain so it’ll look a little homey. (and everything else matching)</p>
<p>is your daughter in aubie? my son is, so after seeing your post ^^ about the command hooks i bought some today. hopefully, he’ll be able to use them, too.</p>
<p>I saw the 84" long one at Bed Bath and Beyond and decided to go back to Walmart. My daughter says the bath curtains are about 1 foot too wide, but wider than a stall size. She says it works well. </p>
<p>I would have like to have been able to just buy a solid shower curtain, but we had to get one with flowers, ordered from Target. Girls are more particular, and more expensive with this stuff. My son pretty much just wanted some bed sheets, his computer, cases of Vitamin Water and Oreos.</p>
