Quick Q+A: Dorm room case study : Annie Elliott Design

Dear Annie, So what did you end up doing for your daughters’ dorm rooms? – Several people

So glad you asked, Gentle Readers! Ruthie and I JUST ordered a bunch of stuff on Saturday. We’re a little behind, to be honest. (And maybe a wee bit in denial?) Georgie doesn’t leave until mid-September, so we have some time there.

Remember when I said that Ruthie couldn’t take this rug with her to college?

Zoë the Miniature Schnauzer isn’t going to college this year

Well, I relented. So that was our starting point. (Remember my mantra: “Start with the rug.”)

John’s friend brought this back from Morocco a million years ago

From there, we put together a combo of things we have and things we bought.

Blue gauzey duvet cover — New West Elm duvet cover. Did not get the sham

Throw blanket Nana got Ruthie for Christmas – foot of bed

White fluffy pillow — Soft furry Euro pillow (26″ square) from when we redecorated Ruthie’s room for high school – in front of sleeping pillows

West Elm again – don’t forget the insert! In front of furry pillow – it’s still pretty big at 20″ square

See how we’re (sorry – see how SHE’S) mixing reds and rusts? Harmonious but not too matchy.

Small fairy lights for dorm room — Fairy lights, of course

AND THEN, a tiny fun lamp. Ruthie found this one:

And I believe my actual words were, “Over my dead body.” Nothing wrong with Ikea, I hasten to say, but that lamp has been around for centuries and it’s just SO SO SO boring.

Then she saw this one, which I’d recommended:

Tiny lamp shaped like a mouse — From Etsy

But THEN, under the heading “so bad it’s good,” she found this thing on Etsy:

I actually laughed out loud when she showed it to me. It’s 65% awful, but 100% hilarious. How many table lamps can you say are hilarious? We agreed to share the cost on this one.

And then the usual crap – mattress topper; mattress cover (I’m pretty sure you need both?); over-the-door hooks, which the school recommended; bath caddy thing, etc. As though tuition weren’t enough! This stuff adds up! She’ll deal with stuff for the walls later; she’ll bring things she has.

Ruthie was tapping away at her laptop, then she looked up and said, ” I hate to say this, but your blog post was actually really helpful.”

I didn’t even say I told you so. We’re both maturing.

I don’t think the hamburger pillow will make the cut

Note 10.15.22: If you’re curious about Georgie’s dorm room, we did a TikTok of her move-in, which, astonishingly, has received more than 660k views so far. ?!?

Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, DC, and we have offices in St. Michaels, Maryland, and Middlebury, Vermont. If you’re installing a new floor anytime soon, our advice in The Washington Post might be helpful!