Dorm Decor

I have a TV spot today on WWL-TV here in New Orleans talking about dorm decor.
I'm no Design Star ha ha, but I had a good time, and I thank Missy Wilkinson from CUE Magazine for setting this up for me. I recently became a contributing writer for CUE.

Here are my suggestions for dorm decor - 

• Keep it simple
• Make it personal
• Focus on your work area
• Down size
• Make your room more grown up and not a version of your high school bedroom at home

Get these things:

• Textiles: bedding, foam mattress pad, cute pillows, drop cloths for curtains
• Extra seating: storage cubes, poufs, stools that double as tables, comfy desk chair
• The floor: Add a rug - cowhide, seagrass, carpet tiles, outdoor rugs
• Walls: Temp decals or temp wall paper, fabric covered inspiration boards (cover a large piece of sheet rock with fabric - use a staple gun, add D-rings to hang it on the wall)
• Lighting: Desk lamps, floor lamps, temp hanging lamp
• Have one large mirror (get a large tall board and stick mirror tiles on it to make a leaning mirror)
• Don't buy it all at the big box store - shop local stores, and look for vintage pieces to make your room look unique

The majority of the products I showed this morning on WWL-TV came from a wonderful store we have here in New Orleans called Modern Market. If you haven't been there yet, you are missing out on a great store with modern design elements. Modern design is just making inroads in New Orleans, so Modern Market is an oasis and a breath of fresh air.

Modern Market is at 3138 Magazine Street, 504  898-2208

Great desk chair for the dorm from Modern Market

Cute desk lamp or bed side lamp from Modern Market

Do your bedding in solid colors and add print pillows like this one from Modern Market

Cute pillow from Modern Market - These pillows were designed by Tulane graduate Andre Bernstein

How great are these giant clips you hang on the wall - Very handy for that dorm room for another form of storage to hang purses or clothes or really anything - And yes you can get them at the very fab Modern Market

Outdoor rugs are great for dorms - you can just hose them off! Rug from Modern Market

Wall stickers get a bad rap, but they are great for dorm rooms when you can't paint the walls - Get these at Modern Market

I love these cute house shape bookends from Modern Market  - put them on your dorm room desk or bookshelves, and it will remind you of home and make your dorm room feel like a little bit of home too

Temporary wallpaper is something new - Tempaper makes great modern prints that are so easy to put up and take down so it's perfect for dorm decorating - I actually have two double rolls for sale of this print I showed on television today for $45. each - email me if you would like them and I will gladly send them off to you - Also check out Casart Slipcovers For Your Walls

Get a few storage cubes - two at the end of the bed make a bench - one by your bed can be a night table - and have extras for storage and seating when friends drop by - this cute one is only $16. at Wal Mart now

Shop big box stores for bedding and storage - Also consider getting a great blanket instead of a comforter - The stuffing always shifts in a a comforter when you wash it, but a blanket holds its shape - choose solid contrasting colors for your dorm bed, and add print pillows for pizazz - Do contact your room mate to agree on color choice - Try to get away from what you had in your teen age room at home - This is your first grown up decorating experience - I chose lime greens and browns and white for as a more sophisticated color palette

Cow hide rugs are the most durable rug you can have, so it is perfect for dorm rooms - World Market now carries them at a great affordable price of $250 - Invest in a cow hide rug that you can move with you when you leave college and move into your first apartment or home - I like the pale hides best, and I promise no one will notice if you don't vacuum

And of course you can watch the segment that aired on WWL - Watch out if HGTV starts a new franchise called
Design Star Seniors!!! Valorie Hart The Visual Vamp on WWL-TV Morning Show talks about Decor

Local New Orleans shops to get good dorm decor:

• Modern Market, 3138 Magazine Street
• The Creole Cottage, 1817 Magazine Street
• Casart Slipcovers For Your Walls
• The Occasional Wife, 4306 Magazine Street
  
  

Big Box Stores in New Orleans for the basics for dorm decor:

• Wal Mart, 1901 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans
• World Market,  1617 Westbank Expressway, Harvey
• Target, 1731 Manhattan Blvd, Harvey
• Anna's Linens, 64 Westbank Expressway, Gretna
• Steinmart, 5300 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans

The Visual Vamp  make this dorm room that looks like a jail cell into something very cute! Call me 504 289-8979

Call Valorie Hart The Visual Vamp to shop 

(and deliver merchandise) 

and style a dorm room for you

504 289-8979