Moving out of your childhood home and into a university dorm room is one of the most exciting experiences in a young adult’s life. However, university residences are also notorious for being the dictionary definition of small, bland and boring. Fear not! With a little bit of creativity and some thrifty shopping, you can style your room to be both comfortable and stylish no matter how beige the walls are!  

Give these top tips a go for creating a great look on a tight budget: 

Wall photo mural 

Add some personality to your dorm room by creating a mural using photos. You can use old photos to create a nostalgic collage or new photos to document your current life and friends. Either way, it’s a great way to add some colour and interest to your walls. All you need is some tape, photos, and a little bit of time. 

Invest in a stylish rug 

A decent rug can add both style and comfort to a space. Whether layering multiple rugs or investing in a single large one, rugs are an easy way to add colour and pattern to a room, and they can be swapped out seasonally or as your style changes. 

Use washi tape or wallpaper to refresh furniture 

Most furniture that comes with a dorm room is old and outdated. However, you can use peel-and-stick wallpaper or washi tape to refresh the pieces in your space. Best of all, washi tape and wallpaper come in a wide range of colours and patterns, are easy to apply and just as easy to remove at the end of the year! 

Upgrade your lighting 

Twinkle lights are a great cost-effective option to add a touch of warmth and personality to any space. As a bonus, they’re relatively inexpensive and easy to install and remove, giving you the freedom to change up your look whenever you want. 

Go with quality bedding 

Your bed is the centrepiece of your dorm room, so it’s important to have something that looks good and feels even better. By investing in quality bedding, you’ll be able to create a stylish and inviting space, and you can take it with you at the end of the year. 


Expressing style doesn’t have to be expensive. From photographs to ambient lighting and quality bedding, you can make your dorm feel like home. And don’t forget about storage! Wigwam’s student storage units in Chipping Norton are the perfect way to keep your dorm room organized and clutter-free.  

Give us a call at 01608 656 300 and chat with our friendly team or get a quote online. 

Simon Fothergill
Written by

Simon Fothergill has more than 20 years of experience in the UK self storage industry and is Managing Director of Wigwam Storage.He writes practical, easy-to-follow advice to help customers make the most of self storage, whether they are moving house, decluttering, renovating, storing business stock or simply needing extra space.With a long background in self storage operations and customer service, Simon shares useful self storage tips, packing advice and storage solutions designed to make storage simple, flexible and stress-free.

Customer Reviews

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4.9
Andrew Neal profile picture
Andrew Neal
5 days ago
Great online experience with very friendly and helpful staff. I used the storage facility in Bromsgrove, which is very clean and tidy with very useful trolleys readily available and great access.
Honestly was stressing about the whole access on your phone but was stressing over nothing , it is so easy to access, the staff have been absolutely amazing throughout it all, anything isn't too much for them . So thankyou, highly recommend this company
Henry Scriven profile picture
Henry Scriven
7 days ago
Very helpful and friendly. Good choice of space
Peter Cox profile picture
Peter Cox
2 weeks ago
I've used this company a couple of times now - always impressed with their customer service, the facility is excellent and very secure, and really great prices. I will continue to use them in the future, happily.
Paul Kirk profile picture
Paul Kirk
3 weeks ago
Really easy to deal with as a company and the site is also easy to navigate and use.
Beth Gresswell profile picture
Beth Gresswell
3 weeks ago
Highly recommend this company! I recently moved and needed to store some items and was unsure where to store as I wanted to make sure it was close by but also very secure. I contacted this company and to spoke to Holly who was so welcoming and helped me decide what size would be better for me by allowing me access to see the units. The level of security in the premises is fantastic with cameras at every corner! I decided in the end to go with a 50ft storage and then dealt with both Helen and Jeremy who explain each step what happens moving forward and made sure that I would get access on the date that suited me. The process I thought was going to be long and added stress for me, however all 3 took that stress away! Thank you again!
Callum Shaw profile picture
Callum Shaw
3 weeks ago
The team of wigwam were incredible supporting. They are one of those companies who genuinely care and look after you. During hard times they were patient and considerate - no shady or distaste practices here.
Maxine Message profile picture
Maxine Message
4 weeks ago
Excellent service. Fast response to email, followed by telephone calls to discuss requirements and finalise paperwork. Prices are competitive, storage spaces are varied in size. The forecourt and the facilities are spotless. Can recommend highly.
annmarie Raymond profile picture
annmarie Raymond
4 weeks ago
Great experience with sorting storage unit to store items thanks
Linda Curtis profile picture
Linda Curtis
4 weeks ago
Lovely staff (especially Lenny), whole process dealt with efficiently and quickly. Would highly recommend.
Andrew Terry profile picture
Andrew Terry
4 weeks ago
Easy peasy. Nice people to deal with; all my (probably, very silly) questions were answered quickly and clearly, and the follow up to check that my move went smoothly was a nice finishing touch.
Sandra Mackenzie profile picture
Sandra Mackenzie
1 month ago
Best storage unit we’ve ever had. The easy way to get in and out, trolleys to use to load unload, toilet on site, really clean and modern.