It's that time of the year again—Back To School! And if you are starting or returning to college, it's also moving day. 

By now, you’ve met (or least talked to your roommate) and discussed how to decorate your dorm room.  It’s always a challenge to meld two personalities and design styles into one small space.  And decorate a room that expresses your personality while staying on budget.

Design Tip: Always start with the furniture layout.  Move the beds, dressers and desks around before you bring in your bedding and accessories.

The goal is to maximize your floor space and to carve out a bit of privacy for each person.  Whenever you loft or bunk the beds, you gain square footage.

I purchased absolutely everything in this room from Goodwill for under $200!  I had to shop at several stores to find enough to go with my pink and green color scheme (but who doesn’t love to shop?).

Don’t forget to layer your bed with lots of pillows.  They add color and texture and can be used on the floor for extra comfy seating.

Each student gets a dresser. You can stack one on top of the other (more floor space, less counter space) or in this room, we paired them up under the window.  You might be able to hide them in the closet to free up even more floor space.

Design Tip: Look for creative ways to gain more storage.  This set of vintage suitcases, not only looks charming, but is perfect for hiding jewelry or toiletries.

Each desk is exactly the same with an attached hutch.  You could place them back-to-back or separate them for more privacy.

Design Tip: Purchase accessories that do double duty.  Baskets and containers in your color scheme keep your room neat and tidy while staying coordinated.

This layout created enough floor space for an area rug in green and white stripes, two lounge chairs and a table.  If you opt for a small sofa, be sure to measure your space before hauling one in.

Artwork adds personality and color to any room.  Again, look for items that serve two purposes.  The shapely dress is a bulletin board and the cat mirror has pegs, which is perfect for jewelry or scarves.

Living in a small space is a challenge.  It’s a matter of making the best use of what little space you have.  Follow a couple simple rules and your room will be a design success:

• Talk to your roommate before making purchases.
• Stick with a color scheme that you both can live with.
• Measure the room before buying big pieces of furniture.
• Look for accessories that do double duty.

Email me at askmerri@goodwillsew.com or post a comment on our Facebook page.