Dorm Decor- the vintage guy's dorm room

I love being in a large antique mall, so many opportunities to find goodies. You can bring in a laundry list of clients needs and get at least have accomplished Many times, when you find a great antique mall, you can do one stop shopping for an entire space! I took the "design one space from one store" challenge to created this guy's dorm room from bare walls to stuffed with goodies. Since things keep being purchased from the space, I add goodies from all over the store to the space weekly!


 It's that time of season to think about dorm decor and decorating your dorm room is more popular than ever. I recently put together this space from one antique mall, Hanna Antiques to create a gentlemen's dorm room. My space is intentionally retro, in keeping with a time period somewhere near Dead Poets Society time- 1930's to 1940's boys college dorm, the young man is sporty, likes cars, and a vague anglophile... he also hides a bit of smoking from the residence assistance.

I started with a lovely black enamel and brass bed with a simple white coverlet. I know boys and white, but there's this problem solver called bleach. Works like a charm. I also add plain white pillows, to keep it simple and some plaid throw pillows. In keeping with the masculinity of bold plaids, I added two different plaid blankets on the foot of the bed. They are perfect for picnic blankets, too! Bed is done, easy and easy to clean.

The small bamboo desk is perfect for laptop use and has small drawers to keep chargers, money, and in this space to hide a flask! People need a chest of drawers and this space holds a lovely one that serves as a night stand for lamps, books and a trophy or two.

In keeping with my Dead Poets feel, I thought about the popularity of smoking in the 1940's and added a humidor (one just like the one my great grandmother used as a nightstand) with other smoking matter on top. It could have just as easily been a shaving mirror, but I didn't see one in the store. Sitting beside it is a fantastic wood rocker with a face carved in the back of a man smoking. In this space is lends an air of humor and a nod to knowing what goes on in a dorm room. It also makes me think of being in college and hanging out on the president's lawn at night with friends, looking for the milky way and discussing great matters as only 20-somethings can. Then a orange dot appeared about 20 feet from us and about 6 feet from the ground... and moving closer in the Stygian black night. At 5 feet away, we realized it was or friend Darren, the Sahara Desert of dry wit, with a small cigar glowing in the night.

Lastly,  the furniture includes a seating area in smart Mitchell/Gold houndstooth chairs looks grea with a stack of red tables, an Eileen Gray adjustable glass side table or a contemporary mirror top table. It seems that what ever I put there sells, since all three of the tables have been placed there and all sold. Behind the chairs are some small storage trunks, that make me think of Harry Potter, but would be great for less used or longer termed storage.

Then there are the knick-knacks, those thinks that add personality to a space and tell the person's interests, like and sometimes beliefs... and are essential to styling a store, but maybe not a house. I decided this guy was a hunter, or at least like vestiges of dead things. And, I decided that there should be a sub-theme of horns. So, he has antlers, and horn hooks, as well as a paper caste of a french horn and a brass hunting horn. All very gentlemen's club in feel.

Boys spaces can be hard to design for, it's harder to look cool and "designed" at eighteen. Remember, that designing for young men is about them, not about what someone would like for them. If they want an all black room, go with it. They will respect the furnishings more, if it is something they like and choose. Listen to the wants, ask opinions, guide them with advise about things like buying quality for important stuff versus cheap for the temporary. You will be grooming them to be confident in their opinions, more knowledgeable about the things around them, and you will be teaching them to communicate with adults on adult's level and eye to eye!