Unless you live in an off-campus residence or a sorority/fraternity house, college dorm rooms can be quite sterile. However, just because the room is small and generic, it doesn't mean you can't infuse your own style and personality to make it your home away home while in college.

A dorm room isn't just for sleeping. It has to serve as a bedroom, study area, dining room and living room, so the best advice is to use the vertical space as much as possible and choose furniture that can be multifunctional. In the makeover featured, a loft style bed was ideal to gain additional living space underneath for a desk. For seating and organization, a bookcase was turned on its side to function as a bench and placed in front of the window. The cubby holes are great to store books and decorative accessories, while pillows on top complete the look to make it more comfy. Although you want to buy furniture that will require minor assembly to keep costs low and ease the move at the end of the school year, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style in the process. Most of the major retailers offer a great selection of back-to-school furniture pieces, so they are definitely out there.

Now, another big challenge with a dorm room are all restrictions when it comes time to decorate because painting and drilling holes in the walls is typically not permitted. The goal then is to add color in the room with the accessories! This means, your new best friends are removable, double-stick tape and self-adhesive hooks to install anything. For example, the curtains behind the desk area and along the window were hung by placing the tape along the top seam and this immediately added needed color in the room without paint. I also love using peel-n-stick art to add a graphic element on any wall. They come in many different designs and colors, so it's instant style in a room without the commitment. At the end of the semester, simply peel it off.

So to the students that feel bummed out about the fact that their college dorm environment is uninspiring and that they can't do anything about it, I hope these ideas help you look at your space as a blank canvas. It will allow you to transform your dorm room into a cool space exploding with style!