Last Updated on August 5, 2022 by Jessica Reid
How To Cover Ugly Dorm Walls
Moving to college and into a dorm room faces a myriad of changes. The freshness of college life and the size of the room, the intimacy, and sometimes a lack of privacy can be daunting.
Worst still is the unimaginative blank and even ugly walls!
Dorm walls are notoriously ugly. College newbies spend hours on how to transform these into something that reflects their personality.
If you have the same apprehensions and don’t know what to do, here are innovative ideas to encourage you to make a statement and express your personality.
- Lakeside Metallic Monogram
- Personalized Wood Words
- Wire Wall Art And Words
- Flashy Neon Monogram
- Funky Headboards
- Personalized Headboard With Fabric Flowers
- Fairy Light Magic And Water-drop Mirror
- Hand-picked Scatter Cushions
- And more …
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This post looks at what to do with ugly dorm walls and plays with 20 ideas to personalize a dorm space and create accents that will steer attention away from those ugly dorm walls
1. Lakeside Metallic Monogram
See this idea in real life:
An embroidered monogram on a headboard is novel. You can also get a large custom lumbar cushion cover embroidered with a monogram. Or go for open scrollwork in an outer frame with bold embossed letters (your monogram).
The vining pattern is off-beat, funky, and eye-catching. Make a statement with this decorative item that spans 2 feet wide and will draw attention.
2. Custom Wood Words
It’s the rage! Say who you are. Like haiku, keep this simple. Stick words on your dorm wall to disguise its ugliness. You can write a personalized short line in any language.
The message might not be understood, but the graphic depiction will stick. Just compile Большой побег (translated from Russian as ‘big escape’) and see what attention you draw.
3. Wire Wall Art And Words
Play around with ideas, write some phrases or have a quote by the existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre done in wirework.
Think of his: I am, I exist. I think, therefore, I am. Or you can do your monograph in this wire option.
4. Flashy Neon Monograms
Your time at college is a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. Why not go full out and banish that ugly dorm wall into oblivion? What’s better than getting your custom neon insignia and decorating the wall as you like it.
The wall will be a showstopper and show a side of your love for fun, dance, and playfulness.
5. Modern Fabric Headboards
Turn any headboard into what we want! Use a headboard to hide ugly walls; it can be any height you choose.
Headboards are functional accents, and can be funky if personalized.
You can string fairy lights around the edge of a headboard for a bit of glitz and romance at night. It’s a perfect slumber parlor, and it’s easy to pin decorative flowers and funky paraphernalia on the board.
6. Fabric Flowers
Make a few silk flowers from recycled shirts or go full-on funk with oversized peonies in red fabric.
7. Fairy Light Magic And Water-drop Mirror
Create your own magical starry night. Slip into a dream state with twinkling fairy lights mounted along the edge of your upholstered headboard.
You can string these in any way and gently be reminded of that classical nursery rhyme: twinkle, twinkle little star! Or you can create a mirrored water droplet wall and watch the fairy-light reflect.
8. Hand-picked Scatter Cushions
There are a variety of cushions to choose from. Choose a few scatter cushions to rest against a headboard to add atmosphere and comfort. Just lie there after lectures and listen to music.
Adding cushions to a bed with a high headboard detracts from dorm room walls’ ugliness or even bleakness. You can never have enough scatter cushions.
9. BoHo Celestial Decoration
The wall hanging with the moon’s phases is the ultimate celestial and decorative bohemian feature. The hanging is modern and can be hung behind a headboard or across a wall.
As an accent, the metal phases of the moon hang like a gigantic charm bracelet, attracting attention – unique and off-beat and as fascinating as any moon chart!
10. Macrame Wall Hanging
The woven Macrame wall decoration adds a chic Boho style to a dorm and detracts from the ugliness of an empty dorm room wall.
You can also go for Macrame wall hangings in which you can slot a shelf. The functional option in a dorm room is often preferred to a purely decorative and artistic option.
11. Multi-functional Leaning Mirror
Mirrors of all sorts, styles, and sizes are an immediate accent and are functional. The multi-functional leaning mirror is a well-chosen design for a dorm room interior and a definite accent.
The uniquely designed item also disguises a boring dorm room wall. You can use it as a mirror or hang a set of scarves and shawls there, ready for you if you have to dash off to lectures.
12. Drop-Front Shoe Boxes
Design how you want to stack your shoes, make an eye-catching display and hide that ugly door wall.
You can stack the drop-front shoe boxes as stairs or a series of towers! You can play around with various arrangements.
13. Functional And Accent Mirrors
Mirrors aren’t just functional, but mirrors are accents. Whether you go for a conventional full-length mirror or place a pair of identical mirrors framed next to each other to cover an ugly dorm wall, these will also bring in plenty of light.
Mirrors also make small spaces like a dorm room appear larger.
14. Funky Shaped And Neon-lit Mirrors
Conventional rectangular mirrors do a good job to hide ugly dorm walls. But you can think of splashing out and making a statement with wavy and curvy mirror designs.
Show off your fun side by choosing some off-beat mirror designs. Make your dorm room a reflection of your personality while you cover-up an unattractive dorm wall.
15. Magnetic Picture Hanger Frames
Picture frames are the standard arrangements for making a wall an accent. Frames on a wall can also disguise a wall.
An ugly dorm room wall can be revamped in a flash with an eye-catching display of three or more same-sized frames, especially these uniquely designed magnetic ones.
16. Decorative And BoHo Wall Hangings
You won’t be able to paint the dorm walls, but you can transfer these into a magical bold and jewel-like hue with a fabric wall hanging.
There is a range of choices, hangings are quick to put up, machine washable, and you’ll never see that ugly dorm wall again. You can go BoHo or get one with a mandala or even a futuristic phantasmagorical one.
17. Metal Memo Board Wall Organizer
Clip photos and accessories onto this high-tech multi-functional mesh display board. The grid is a perfect room organizer.
The metal grid is easy to keep dust-free and clean and is powder-coated in black or white paint.
The rust-protected metal grid works well as an organizer for notes. The mesh board can be used as a mood board.
18. College Cube Dorm Desk Bookshelf
Investing in a set of dorm room bookshelves can hide ugly dorm walls. The shelves can easily be fitted above a desk standing against a wall.
You can use the shelves for your textbooks, as mini displays, or for a space to store stationery.
Your dorm desk will always be clutter-free. You won’t need to stack books, papers, and files on your desk. You can keep a cubicle free for your handbag and cell phone too.
19. Blue Wooden Louvered Shutters
See dorm room for inspo 😍:
For a touch of Provence, why not invest in a sturdy wooden louvered screen? This is a heavy duty (and will take some muscle power to carry) set of four panels that can be put flush against a wall.
This is the quickest way to transform a dorm’s ugly walls! Or invest in wooden panels to get just the right number to cover a wall. You can place these at varying heights too.
20. Fake Window Wall Mural And Wallpapering
Wallpapering papering is the rage and there are trillions of designs to choose from. You don’t need an expert to peel and paste these on a wall.
It might take a bit more to get the decorative strips off at the end of the year. If you can get away with this, try a fake window with a forest scene on that ugly wall!
This post looked at 20 ideas to inspire you to think about what you can do with ugly dorm walls.
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The post was about how to cover ugly dorm walls
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Learn more about Jessica, you’re go-to-girlfriend for college advice. Feel free to email her if you have a question or just want to say hello.
This post was about ugly dorm walls
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