Samford Parents, Eric and Ruthann Ross, are sharing their tips for dorm decorating this fall that inspired their own approach to their daughter, Julianne’s, room when she came to Samford to study health sciences. Together, the Nashville-based couple run a successful interior design firm with Eric just publishing his second book, Embracing Southern Homes.

Here are their tips and tricks for decorating your student’s small space:

• What was it like moving Julianne in her freshman year? 

For her mom and I, we were so excited for her to start her next chapter at Samford because SHE was so excited. There were a few tears on the way home, but we found that we had more happy tears than sad.

• What are your tips for Samford parents decorating and living in small spaces? 

Let’s be honest, decorating a girl’s room is more intense that decorating a boy’s room. Boy’s just need a flag and a futon! That said, the secret is really more storage, so we found that Rubbermaid drawers under the bed and in the closets are needed. When I asked Julianne about this question, she said, “Don’t bring as many clothes as you think you need, because you don’t have room for it all.” She would bring clothes seasonally and change out from winter to spring.  

• What is your advice about decorating well on an affordable budget? 

Ikea for curtains and furniture is the real coup because it’s affordable and they offer classic shapes. Also, you don’t have to buy things specifically from a dorm website, which can be expensive. One hack we came up with was using a shower curtain which we zip tied to the side of the bed adjacent to the wall and the curtain rests on the box spring under the mattress and falls to the floor on front, hiding all the storage under the bed.

• What are some ways students can project their personality in such small spaces? 

Develop a color scheme. Keep it simple so you don’t overwhelm the space. Stick to no more than two colors to work with and you will have a successful outcome. 

• Any tips on how to work well with a roommate's family who might have different styles? 

This is a tough one when the roommates aren’t on the same page.  So, take the time early on to talk about what each roommate wants and come to a compromise. It’s nice to give instructions on who is responsible for what. Deciding things ahead of time, such as who is getting the trash can, who’s bringing the coffee maker, who’s bringing the vacuum, etc. streamlines shopping and budgets. For example, Julianne brought the “pretty” items and her roommate brought the “practical!” That seemed to divide the $$$ fairly evenly and narrowed down our lists of what our family was bringing to the dorm room.

• My child could not care less about decorating a dorm room, but I do! How do I influence and not overstep? 

I really cannot stress enough not to fall prey to the comparison game of Instagram. I really wanted Julianne to put her stamp on the room, so I asked her to make up a Pinterest board and I gave tips where needed, but she really did create most of the room to match her needs and wants.

• What have you and Julianne decided are must haves for dorm living? 

Curtains on the closet so you can hide all the items in storage.  With these small spaces, all the visual noise in the closet is disruptive to the overall look of the room.  Also, we hate overhead lighting, so portable lighting, such as floor lamps and table lamps, make such a difference in the feeling of the room.  So many visitors commented on how “homey” her room felt because of the lighting.  Also, live plants.

About Eric Ross

Eric Ross is a seasoned interior designer with over 20 years of experience. His work has been published in Traditional Home, Southern Style, Southern Lady, The Cottage Journal, and many other publications. His passion is to fan the flame of traditional decorating with a deeply Southern aesthetic, which he does with Ruthann as the business manager for their interior design firm, Eric Ross Interiors.