Designers, manufacturers and retailers head to college
Dorm décor has moved beyond twin beds with matching spreads. Today’s rooms are beautifully designed living spaces, a trend that has more interior designers, home goods manufacturers, and retailers focusing on the college crowd.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME Hallie Ward got into the dorm design business when her daughters went to Ole Miss. She wanted their dorm rooms to be inviting, comfortable and “feel like home.” “There’s a lot of stress in college and having a nice, stable environment can make the transition easier,” she says. 
With her daughters’ input, she added carpeting, custom white linen bedcovers and padded head boards, small tables, mirrors, lamps and pillows for a Bohemian chic look. It was such a hit that she now has a side-business (W Decor) designing dorm rooms and apartments for students. After discussing style and color preferences, she orders custom bedding, curtains and headboards, then shops for furnishings, wall art and accent pieces with the coeds. “This trend is spreading like wildfire,” she says. “The rooms are getting more elaborate every year.”
SAVVY, SMART SHOPPING Clients asked Terie Shields, interior decorator and owner of Terie Shields Interiors (in Meridian, Miss.) to design dorm rooms. 
“The teens know what they like. I help them find the things they need, and pull it all together,” says Shields. A dorm room is small, so every item is focused on function, storage and comfort.”
Since it can get pricey ($2,500 to $6,000 plus), designers discuss budget up front. “There are ways to save money, and I also try to steer the girls to things that they can carry with them to the next room or their first apartment,” says Shields.
Kevin O’Gara who started Thou Swell, an Atlanta home and lifestyle blog while still in high school, designed his own dorm room at Cornell University.
“The dorm décor market has really expanded with more products, and it’s easy to get ideas on Pinterest and other social media sites,” he says. “You can have things shipped to school and put them together yourself.”
O’Gara started with textiles, knowing that bedding, drapes and rugs would add comfort, beauty and decrease noise.
CREATING CAMPUS CONNECTIONS LeighDeux makes sophisticated but affordable dorm bedding and accessories, such as their signature Headboard Pillow and the Curtain Call bed skirt that hides, but gives easy access to things stored under raised dorm beds. Their colorful solids, Shibori prints, and preppy Boho designs come from talking to young people, visiting markets and following fashion, says Leigh Goodwyn, co-owner with Leigh-ann Sprock of LeighDeux. 
“From an academic perspective, designing a room that is workable and comfortable—a happy place—is a good investment. When students are comfortable, they’re more apt to be successful,” says Goodwyn. “Dorm room décor is a growing trend. We started in 2013, and our business has tripled every year.”
Retailers and designers can capitalize on the growing demand in multiple ways. Ensure clients know design services are available when the time comes to send kids off to school. Stock products that appeal to both aesthetic wants and functional needs. And market both products and services as a specialty—many possible consumers don’t realize options are available.
For more information: LeighDeux at leighdeuxdorm.com; Terie Shields Interiors at
601.917.6366; Halle Ward at 601.480.1688; Kevin O’Gara at ThouSwell.com
Images courtesy of LeighDeux, Kevin O’Gara, and Halle Ward
