Students transform their drab dorm rooms into comfy living spaces
A studded headboard for your dorm bed
NEW YORK — From $300 studded headboards and $100 coffee table books to custom-made cabinets to disguise your mini-fridge, students are spending big bucks to decorate their dorm rooms, adding yet another layer to the soaring costs of college.
Some are even going so far as to hire interior designers to beautify their 12 feet by 20 feet of space.
Lesley Lachman, 18, planned her furnishings for her dorm room with her roommate immediately after deciding to attend the University of Mississippi back in May. The Rye, New York resident scoured websites like Pinterest and designed her room herself — with hues of pink, purple and green culled from a mix of pricey brands like Essentials with Eden as well as less expensive items from Ikea and Facebook Marketplace. Total cost for the design? About $3,000, covered by her parents.
“There’s so much work that had to be done because it felt lackluster. It didn't feel homey," said Lachman, who posted a “before” and “after” video of her room on TikTok.
The “before” video shows stark yellow cinderblock walls, a mustard-colored built-in desk and an open closet. The “after” video shows a complete makeover, with lacey curtains to cover the closet, embroidered pillows and a cushy white headboard to dress up her bed, and customized framed art of hearts.
“I’m so in love with the room," Lachman said after her redesign. «I want to leave the door open and want everyone to stop by and admire it.”
Overall, the back-to-college season is big business, with families expected to spend an average of about $1,367 per person, up 14% from a year ago, according to an annual survey conducted this summer by the National Retail Federation and market researcher Prosper
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