Bobby Berk never went away to college. “I went to the school of hard knocks, and they didn’t provide dorms, unfortunately,” he says.
However, the Emmy-nominated design guru on Netflix’s “Queer Eye” is so knowledgeable on how to make the most out of those small spaces that he may as well have earned a Ph.D. in dorm decorating. For starters, he cautions that students come in with too many items that don’t do double duty. “Instead of buying extra chairs for your friends, bring in a storage cube that you can sit on,” he says.
As for what to put on those beige walls? Because painting and wallpaper are off-limits, Berk has the perfect solution. Recently, the “Right At Home” author partnered with?3M’s Command Brand?as its first official director of dorm design. “With the Command strips, you don’t need tools and you don’t put holes in the walls because the strips come off right away,” he explains. “It’s a really great way to decorate your space — and you get the deposit back!”
The various durable adhesives, he adds, can be used to prop up everything from photos of friends, family and pets — “definitely bring your favorite things to make the space feel like home” — to splashy fabric prints. “I recommend going to a fabric store and finding some great designs for your wall. It gives you color and texture and can create a great look,” he says. And because of the soft material, “it will help with acoustics in the room.”
For more decorating 101, Berk shares eight items worth having in your dorm room.
“This teaches you that you don’t need to be rich or have a designer to make your space work for you,” Berk says of his new design book. He adds that it focuses on the intersection of mental wellness and design, so dorm dwellers “can learn that setting up your room is a good way to figure out your own design style and aesthetic.” Why is it so important? “Your home is like your phone charger,” he says. “If you don’t get fully charged every night, you’re not going to make it through the day.”
Sorry, students, there’s no avoiding all those clothes encounters. At least this soft laundry bag is lightweight and collapsible so “you can just shove it under your bed,” he says. It fits Berk’s double-duty rule as well: “It’s a laundry bag with straps and a top handle, so you can put it on your bag and carry it down to the laundry room.”
Related: Keep your dorm spotless with these 25 items under $25
Beyond the photos and posters, Berk recommends that students use these heavy-duty adhesive strips to put up items like clocks and dry-erase boards. He adds that the 15-pound hooks can support book bags, jackets and clothes. “It’s a really great way to make sure that you keep things off the floor or the bed and chair, which is where everything ends up!” he says.?
It’s not easy to get a good night’s sleep in a dorm, and those mattresses certainly don’t help.?“They’re awful because they’ve probably been slept on for a good decade by the time you get there,” he says. That’s why a comfortable and breathable mattress topper is an absolute must. This 1.5-inch-thick bedding is enhanced with memory foam material and cool-touch technology to create a soothing sleep environment.
Related: The 10 best sustainable mattresses, according to experts
Berk still shudders at the memory of using lumpy, clumpy and dumpy pillows in his youth. “It affects me now because the neck and back pain is real!” he says. He likes this one because it features a breathable weave (to keep cool at night) and a supportive inner pillow and it adapts to movement. As he sums it up, “It’s like Goldilocks — it’s just right!”
Related: The best pillows in 2023, tried and tested
It’s not just a vanity purchase! A mirror that hangs on the back of a door, he notes, “reflects the light and makes the room feel bigger. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on it either.” This shatterproof mirror installs in a snap (literally) and features a rectangular black, gold or silver aluminum frame finish.
Because young adults tend to be more than slightly disorganized, Berk singles out the compact and all-knowing tech tool Google Nest Hub. “You’ll be like, ‘Oh, I need to write it down!’ and never do,” he says. “This way, you can set up reminders in your calendar and never forget a due date because it keeps track of everything.” He also likes the display screen because it enables videoconferencing with family and friends as well as access to streaming services like Netflix and YouTube.
Related: The best smart displays of 2023, tried and tested by editors
When in doubt, go green. Berk says that displaying a live plant not only livens up the space but “it’s a great way to start teaching yourself how to take care of something and be responsible for another life other than your own.” He picks this uniquely shaped vegetation, which arrives in a nursery grow pot nestled in a planter of your choice. Water every one to two weeks!
Related: 12 best indoor plants that are actually easy to keep alive, according to experts
