Heading to university doesn't have to mean drab walls and dingy, worn-out furniture. These days, as students arrive on campus in droves, TikTok and Instagram are full of inspiration as content creators flaunt their newly flipped university rooms. Spotting a new market trend, some interior designers are turning their talents to student accommodation and launching businesses that offer design packages to transform dorm rooms and shared spaces from dreary to dreamy… all for a fee, of course. Click or scroll to learn more...

Almost all students want to put their own stamp on their space and create a sanctuary where they can retreat when campus life gets too hectic, and some are lucky enough to have the funds to hire a professional. Designer Patrick Mele helped the daughter of a client to makeover her bland dorm room. He told Town and Country: "[A] beautiful halls room probably helped quell any angst that comes with moving away, like a home away from a home." While some interior designers, like Mele, have found student room decorating to be a lucrative side hustle, others, like Dawn Thomas of After Five Designs, have been working with students for years. The style changes depending on the client but symmetry is big; think matching headboards and bed linens with accessories mirrored on both sides to create a cohesive space.

Getting a dorm room professionally designed doesn't come cheap and can range anywhere from $300 (£238) to more than $2,000 (£1,585), according to The Denver Post. Thanks to social media and the power of hashtags such as #dormdecor, the trend for decking out student accommodation has spread from the Ivy League colleges to all points of the US and even across the Atlantic to the UK. Of course, the average student budget isn't built to accommodate a decorator and many content creators and designers have also taken to TikTok and other platforms to share their top tips for some DIY decoration. Here is our round-up of the best tips for transforming your halls into a stylish home-from-home...

While it may seem like an odd choice, experts say opting for a full duvet on a single bed is the way to go. Not only will the extra fabric help cover the ugly bedframe, you’ll also be able to continue using the duvet when you inevitably move to your next place and potentially larger bed. Plus, who doesn’t love a little extra blanket to snuggle up in for those long winter months?

No one likes fluorescent lighting, especially during a long night of late-night studying. The easiest way to fix a fluorescent bulb is to invest in an attractive lampshade to cover it. This lets you to soften the light source without making any permanent changes to the room, and you’ll be able to take it with you when you move out.

Everyone knows that halls furniture is never going to be something you'd choose for yourself, but you’ll have to work with what you’re given. So, what do the experts suggest? Hide it. Hide it all. Stash dressers in closets, cover desks with throws or cloths, even tuck bedside tables underneath the bed, if you can raise your bedframe. This enables you to avoid having to look at dingy furnishings, while still being able to use the pieces for storage etc.

The therapeutic qualities of plants are well-known, plus they're a great way to add texture to a vacant space. Let some pocket-sized shrubs breathe new life into your room – for maximum impact go for a mixture of plant types, from pretty trailing varieties to succulents and species with colourful variegated leaves. Most houseplant delivery services also offer 'unkillable' ranges for those who lack green fingers. However, if the responsibility of keeping real plants alive is just too much, you can pick up some faux cacti to perch on your windowsill or on your bookshelves. All the cuteness without the commitment. Just don't forget to dust them or they'll look shabby.

Your room will likely come equipped with a desk chair, but this is one piece of furniture it may be worth replacing. You’ll be spending a lot of time at your desk so invest in something comfortable that will provide appropriate back support while you’re working. This doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style, so choose one in your favourite colour for a hit of dopamine when you sit down to study.

While your room will likely come with a bed, it probably won’t have a headboard, or at least not one worth talking about. Dress up your bed by adding a headboard that suits your style, or maybe even compare notes with your roommate and settle on matching ones to create a sense of unity in your new space.

To avoid cluttering surfaces and wall space with lots of decorative items, go for single statement pieces that will elevate your space without collecting dust and making the room feel cramped. This could be an elegant statement mirror, a wall hanging, or a large piece of canvas art, something that provides a focal point and a sophisticated finish to a space.

No one goes to uni without a duvet, so a really simple way to immediately spruce up a drab dorm room is to consider buying covers and bedding that really make a statement. Choose pillowcases and duvet covers with patterns and colours you love. If you’ve got a bigger budget to play with, consider adding a headboard to up the comfort and make an instant style statement in the room.

To continue with the bedding theme, pillows are a great way to add a pop of personality to your room. Not only do they cushion your space and make for a comfy, cosy environment, but the covers come in a range of finishes and textures so you can really make a statement. And, when you're bored of them or if they get dirty you can easily take them off and wash them or change them up.

Throws are similar to pillows in that they look fantastic and have a super functional use. Whether you go for a soft faux fur or a timeless wool blanket, you’ll be thankful for a throw to keep you warm through the winter. Drape them over chairs or your bed for an instant statement.

Prints are another simple yet effective way to decorate. However, using Blu-Tac will leave behind residue and peel paint off your walls, which can lead to fines from your university or landlord. For your heavier furnishings such as posters and wall hangings, use damage-free adhesive strips to hang posters securely. If you have blemished the walls at the end of your tenancy, pick up a sample-size paint pot in the exact same colour and simply paint over the marks.

Who doesn’t need a little extra colour in their life? Neon signs with catchy phrases are all the rage on social media as a form of halls décor. These flashy retro accents can be purchased from sites like Dormify, which lets you choose from an assortment of cute designs, or even customise your own. Or, if you want to highlight a special photo or piece of art, coloured spotlights are equally pretty.

Rugs are an easy way to help a space feel cosy, not to mention a convenient hack for covering up any stained or fading carpeting which will likely already be in place in your new room. They're not that expensive to buy from places like Amazon or IKEA, but it’s also always worth checking any charity shops in the vicinity for something cute and vintage – a budget and planet-friendly option.

Your roommate may turn into your lifelong best friend, or you may never speak again after the second term ends, but regardless, you’ll need to cohabitate for a year, so it’s best to create a sense of community in your space. Invest in some inexpensive soft furnishings or even a second-hand sofa to create a shared space in the form of a small seating area, a perfect spot to enjoy some snacks together, or kick back with a movie at the end of the week.

While you may (understandably) feel compelled to cover every inch of the bland paint with posters and photos, if you overcrowd your walls, it will make the space feel small and cluttered. Instead, opt for single large pieces, or a carefully curated gallery wall or pin board featuring a few favourite memories – don’t forget, you’ll want to leave room to add to these as the year goes on!

Now the ideas have started flowing, read on for our ultimate halls packing list…

The thought of flying the nest and moving in with strangers is a great adventure, if a little daunting. Making your new pad feel homely will help you feel more settled among the chaos. While renting restricts your decorating possibilities, there are still plenty of ways you can add personality to your living space, not to mention a few practical space-saving solutions. From the bedroom to the kitchen, click or scroll on to discover the ultimate halls homeware essentials...

You have no idea how many bodies may have slept on your mattress over the years, so make a fresh start when you move in with a layer of protection. Mattress toppers provide a hygienic barrier between you and any historic bacteria, but they also allow you to customise your sleeping experience by making it softer, firmer or cooler, depending on material.

All-season duvets are the latest in clever sleeping innovation – and ideal to take away with you during term time. They're two-in-one magic rolls: a 4.5 tog summer duvet and a 10.5 tog duvet for milder weather. Fasten together, and you have a warm winter quilt. You could use a vacuum pack to store the spare duvet you aren't using to save on space too.

Student rooms aren't known for their sprawling square footage, so chances are you're going to have to get smart when it comes to making the most of your space. Opt for smart wardrobe inserts that increase your storage, like this handy hanging shoe organiser. You can also buy boxes in colours and patterns so they won't look unattractive if you have to stack them on your desk or on top of the wardrobe.

Ah laundry, one of many daunting tasks you'll have to tackle when you fly the nest. Luckily, there are cleverly designed laundry bags out there to help make the job a little easier, like this segmented design for different coloured loads. Chances are you'll be carrying your laundry to communal facilities or the local laundromat, so make sure you invest in a bag that's easy to manoeuvre. 

Whether it's a sarong from your favourite holiday or a vintage throw imbued with memories of your friends and family back home, make a feature with a fabric wall hanging. Not only will it add personality to your blank slate of a uni room, but they're also a great way to cover up any marks on the wall or ugly wallpaper.

Create instant ambience with a string of fairy lights. The soft lighting adds a glow of warmth to your room and this flexible furnishing has a myriad of design possibilities. You could wrap them around your headboard, hang them over your desk or frame them around your window. All the results are gorgeous.

In most uni halls, your room will come ready-made for decorating with a huge pinboard (probably to discourage you from hanging things on your wall, but more on that later). If not, they are an affordable purchase we would definitely recommend. Pin photos, flyers and postcards to your board, adding personality and inspiration when you most need it.

Washi Tape is a cool, damage-free alternative for lighter décor such as paper and printed photos. Buy it in bulk on online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay and use it as a jazzy frame for snapshots of precious memories. Follow this landlord-approved decorating hack and your room will be a kaleidoscope of colour in no time.

Perfect for small gatherings in your halls of residence, having at least one speaker is essential to make the most of the good times. Choose a light, portable design that's Bluetooth enabled – most makers have a whole range of colours to choose from. Pair it with your phone or laptop and you can play your favourite music to your heart's content.

Most supermarkets will cater to your economically minded kitchenware needs, however, when it comes to sharing a kitchen space, it's helpful to be able to differentiate your crockery. To ensure your pots stand out from the crowd, opt for bold colours and designs, rather than plain white plates and bowls, which will be easily muddled with up other people's. Even better, get a mug with your name or initial on so you can always locate it in the shared cupboards.

Of course, you wouldn’t have forgotten to add a frying pan to your kitchen checklist, but is it of the non-stick kind? These are miles better than your average frying pan: their slippery surface makes the cooking and clean up much easier and, often mean you don’t have to add oil unnecessarily (to a fried egg, for example). Make sure that you only use plastic utensils on your pan, however, and keep it away from metal utensils which will scratch away the surface.

Buying your lunch every day turns out to be a pretty pricey habit and will soon eat into your budget. For those long library days (yes, you’ll be having some of those!), it’s wise to invest in some practical plastic containers so you can bring your lunch with you and save some precious pounds for something way more interesting than a pre-packed sandwich.

A diet of beer and junk food is not exactly nutritious. A good way to boost your health is by adding a blender to your kitchen. Nutrient-extractor blenders are an invaluable purchase as they allow you to make fresh fruit smoothies, homemade soups, creamy milkshakes and colourful pasta sauces in a matter of minutes with minimal clean-up.

Did you know that 99% of disposable coffee cups can’t be recycled? Reusable coffee cups are the ideal ecological solution for your caffeine cravings. Plus, lots of big-name coffee chains will now give you money off your daily brew if you bring your own reusable cup.

It might not be the most glamorous addition to your student halls, but it might be one of the most important. Keep all your essential cleaning items in one handy to carry caddy and you can whip them out when you need to use the shard bathroom or to clean down the kitchen before and after you cook.

Reusable water bottles are the greatest things since sliced bread. Not only are they eco-friendly – wave goodbye to your single-use plastic habit – but they’re also economical. For the ultimate design, opt for a leak-proof model with double-walled vacuum insulation that keeps cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot drinks hot for up to 12.

Whether it’s the party people upstairs or your roommate’s penchant for humming while they fold their laundry, you never know what noises you might have to deal with when moving into shared accommodation. To avoid frustration while trying to study or sleep, invest in some decent noise-cancelling headphones to ensure you’ll always be able to tune out the world when necessary.

Whether you’re moving into halls or a flat, you probably won’t have enough space in your shared shower room to accommodate all your toiletries, so these helpful holdalls are a must-have for bathroom transport. Load it up with your shampoo, shower gel etc. and you won't lose track of them or run the risk of inadvertently 'sharing' with your dorm mates.

Like the shower caddy, hampers are an essential addition to your room. You can use them for laundry, spare blankets, or anything you want to tidy away or organise and these days they come in a variety of fabrics and colours, so you can match them to your room's colour scheme. 

Another necessity, and one you’ll never think of until you’re caught without it. A first aid kit could come in handy at any point and most are small enough to fit into a drawer, or even a bag if you want to have it with you at all times. Don’t rely on your warden or flatmate, just be prepared in case of emergencies, however minor.

Don’t strain your eyes by trying to read in poor light. Invest in a decent reading lamp to put on your desk or by your bedside – wherever you’ll be doing the most late-night studying. Also, if you’re someone who tends to be affected by reduced daylight during the winter, you may want to consider a SAD lamp. These nifty gadgets emulate sunlight, and have been found to be an effective means of combatting seasonal depression.

Depending on where you’re headed for school, you may not need one, but investing in a fan or air cooler may help if you feel the heat. And it’s best to plan ahead based on what you know about your comfort needs. You can pick up a fan quite cheaply and air cooling units often go on sale out of season, so keep an eye out on sites like Amazon.

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