by Catalogs.com Info Guru Samantha Rose

There is no more efficient or entertaining way to decorate your dorm room than to shop online catalogs.

Browse them for color schemes, storage ideas, and decorating themes that don’t break your student budget. Creating a dorm decor wish list and collaborating with your future roomie helps keep your dorm vibe coordinated. You can keep your individuality, and still not be at design odds with each other. Decide who buys what, place your orders, and have everything delivered for your first week at school. Easy-peasy.

10. Bambeco

Every purchase from Bambeco plants a tree, which means your dorm decorating adventure will help grow forests. How eco-friendly of you, students! You will love their funky, natural-themed decor, with vintage Kantha quilts for a funky hippy vibe, rugs, mats, and sustainable, easily priced home goods. Check out a cork desk tray for less than $10, recyled glass vases for a pop of color, and picture frame collections for all your favorite shots.

9. Petals

Give your room a gorgeous, low-maintenance floral accent – silk flowers won’t die on you, no matter now deep into your studies you get, and how concertedly you ignore them! Flowers and green plants of the silk variety will make you always feel special, brighten your spirits, and last for the entire school year. Expensive? We think not – some huge arrangements can break the bank – but a bright and artful silk floral arrangement that is the perfect size for your desk is easily under $40. Shop the clearance selection and treat your roomie, too.

8. Wallquotes.com by Belvedere Designs

Add vinyl wall quotes and graphics to your bare white dorm walls to inspire, and communicate your personality. These go up easily, come down without leaving a trace (no damage fees!) and combat that humdrum lack of color thing most dorm rooms have going on. Choose from pre-designed letter and art designs, or sort through fun fonts and colors to create your own custom lettering for your room. So much more creative than band posters!

7. Window Treatments from Brylane Home

This might have to wait until you are IN your new dorm home, so that you can measure your windows and assess both your privacy and decorating needs, but using a spring tension rod (no tools needed to install it!) and hanging pretty curtains make a huge difference! Shop for curtain sets that need only a single rod to hang, and think about light blocking curtains that will help you create a restful space for getting some sleep after those all-nighters.

6. Fresh Finds

Decide which of the roommates is buying kitchen and storage essentials. You won’t have room for doubles of everything, but you will need some affordable kitchen goods. Think four plates, four bowls, silverware, and an assortment of storage containers for restaurant leftovers. A shatterproof melamine dinnerware set is smart, and Your dorm may offer a kitchen on each floor, and you will be the most popular one on the floor if you have basic cooking and baking gear.

5. Victorian Trading Co.

If your style is retro and romantic, you will find beautiful dorm accents here. Hang a collection of Victorian art prints, add lavender lace drawer liners to your standard-issue dorm dresser, and hang a strand of filigree heart LED lights. You will also love the girly-girly Parisian hanger valet for your closet, a great help for keeping your accessories organized with a minimum of space. It all leads to instant romance for your personal retreat.

4. Giant Teddy

Well, yes, space will be at a premium. But then again, this is a teddy bear. Comfort. Love. Cute. Super cute. If you don’t feel that it’s imposing on your roomie, a great big, huge, soft teddy bear could just be your best college friend. Use him as a lounge pillow, a floor cushion, your crutch to battle home-sickness. If the biggest one busts your budget, place a great big hint for your mom to send you one as a care package that is particularly caring.

3. Things You Never Knew Existed

You will find out pretty quickly that having the coolest prop for the holiday at hand is an essential part of decorating your home away from home. This is the place to find everything to get you through the year, with super scary Halloween decor, like a black light ghost canvas, to fun Christmas accoutrements, like Dr. Who ornaments to hang around the room.

2. The Company Store

The place to start decorating your dorm room is definitely with bedding basics. Make the most important decision to either match or coordinate your beds. You can each order the same quilt or comforter, or pick a color scheme and then go from there. This catalog has hundreds of easy-care options, with the most on-trend hues and designs. They also have plain or patterned sheet sets, including extra long twin, which might required for your room. Don’t forget mattress pads, towels, pillows and a cozy robe. This is where you will make the biggest investment in your dorm room, and where your largest shipments will arrive from.

1. Rugsale.com

A rug? Yes, otherwise you will contend with bare floors. You’ll want something more substantial than little mats next to your bed, too, because lots of dorm “events” involve friends sitting on the floor for pizza, study, and laughs. Choose an inexpensive but good looking rug, and get the largest size you can fit in your room. It will make a world of difference in ambiance, and also help buffer dorm noise from your neighbors and your buddy just across the room.