Dorm décor goes well beyond the basics for design-savvy LSU students and their parents

Statement rugs sprawled out on the floor. Local artwork leaning against the walls. Power strips and cabinets and curtains. With hours of work ahead of them, the only thing that will make it bearable is protection from the Louisiana heat by tons of ice water and fans. Such describes dorm move-in day at LSU.

The days of minimally decorating a dorm room only to survive the semester are over. Today, students hunger for dorms that express their personalities and make them feel at home. How do they create such a space? We talked to two moms of current LSU students to find out.

“Our goal was to make it as homey as possible,” says Andree Braud Leddy of designing her two daughters’ dorm rooms at LSU. She used the Facebook group Dorm Rooms and Beyond to gather ideas, and she relied upon Tiny Abode Interiors, owned by a friend, to help execute the girls’ specific visions.

Andree found that a rug guided the decorations in both dorms. In addition, her oldest daughter, Anna Clare, discovered a painting by her sixth-grade teacher, Krista Redmond, who is also an artist. “That drove her vision,” Andree says.

For Anna Clare’s dorm room in Annie Boyd Hall, Leddy covered up the brown built-in closets with Amazon ruffled curtain panels. Anna Clare centered her room around a turquoise, orange and pink color palette, which she matched with her roommate.

“Mary Cate wanted lavender from day one,” says Andree of her second daughter, who moved into Evangeline Hall last fall. Rather than matching décor, Mary Cate and her roommate agreed to a complementary color palette of lavender and pink. Andree helped her create an under-the-bed space by attaching tension rods and curtains to the bed. With a half-futon, this space became an extra hangout in Mary Cate’s room, and another half-futon could be added for friends spending the night.

Both girls used Essentials by Eden hutches and pillows from Etsy and Laura Park to personalize their rooms. “Pretty much everything else came from Amazon,” says Andree.

Anna Clare and Mary Cate relied upon space-saving rolling carts to store makeup and hair tools. Other decorations will prove functional beyond their original home in the dorm—both girls will move into the new Delta Zeta house with items such as their Dutch Euro pillows.

“We loved everything,” says Andree, reflecting on the dorm decorating experience. “I did ask my oldest when it came time for the youngest if there was anything she wished we did differently, and she said no!”

An abstract painting with swatches of pink, blue, and gold served as inspiration for Stefini Salles as she helped her daughter Shelby decorate her room in Azalea Hall. She centered the space around the painting’s color palette as well as Shelby’s love for frills.

Stefini, inspired by Pinterest and other dorm rooms, worked with Tamara Wingerter, a Mississippi-based dorm decorating consultant and cofounder of the Dorm Rooms and Beyond group. Tamara designed a vision board and directed Stefini to specific items that would bring her vision to life. Shelby’s dorm room featured a white hutch and nightstand complemented by gold accents. Her bed was draped with a pink blanket and monogrammed pillows to create a personalized flair.

“Tamara did a great job of picking the bedding, the decorative pillows and the rug to coordinate with the artwork,” says Stefini, who added other unique decorations picked up in local stores. Stefini concedes that Shelby and her roommate had their disagreements over details, so they decided to dress each side of the room in a way that complemented the other without being too matchy. Stefini and Shelby consider the dorm project a resounding success that actualized Shelby’s vision perfectly.

“Sydney prefers a more simplistic design,” Stefini explains of her second daughter, who moves into Azalea Hall this fall. Sydney’s room will focus on minimalist blues and greens, with less frill than Shelby’s. Stefini looks forward to helping Sydney decorate even as she reflects on the wonderful time she had decorating Shelby’s room. “It was definitely a great experience helping Shelby create her dream room,” says Stefini. “It was fun to share that experience with her.”

Housing hacks

We asked LSU parents Stefini Salles and Andree Braud Leddy for some tips on dorm room decoration:

Get started early. “I suggest starting to think about it in January,” says Stefini. “By March, have your vision board completed and start buying things a little at a time.”

Coordinate with roommates in advance. “Definitely make sure your daughter and her roommate are on the same page,” advises Stefini.

Start from the ground up. “Always start with a rug,” Andree says. “It will help you figure out the rest.”

Follow your child’s lead. “Listen to your student about what they want,” says Andree. “They will surprise you!”

Look to other parents for help. “Visit Tamara’s pages [Dorm Rooms and Beyond and Dorm Rooms of Mississippi and Beyond] for help and inspiration,” Andree reflects. “Her resources have been invaluable.”