Your residence hall room is your space to make your own. Bring the pieces that make you feel at home, comfortable and inspired.
Making your residence hall your home
See how these Boilermakers made their rooms their home at Purdue
Your residence hall room is more than just somewhere to sleep. It’s the place on campus that you call home — and your room should reflect what makes you feel comfortable.
University Residences provides many of the basics for your room, such as a bed, dresser and desk. These serve as your starting point. The rest is up to you! Your favorite colors. Your interests. Your space. Below, you’ll find tips on how to bring your room to life with themes, lighting and personal touches that fit your style.
Ava Alter and Alysse Martin combined their love of the West and the ocean to create the theme for their room in Shreve Hall. Framed pictures, a neon light, and turquoise and pink decor bring their coastal cowgirl look to life.
“The theme is coastal cowgirl!” Ava says. “My roommate and I both grew up in rural Indiana and love the western look. We also wanted to give the room a girlie pop of pink and loved the combination of blues and pinks in the coastal cowgirl theme. Our nickname for the room is the Barbie Dream House!”
For Molly Love and Abby Jones, lighting sets the mood. These two roommates wanted warm lighting in their room in Earhart Hall, so they relied on string lights and lamps to create an atmosphere where they can relax. Music decor adds to the ambience.
With a few personal touches, you can create your desired atmosphere. Lighting, colors, photos and decor can all be used to create the mood you want — whether that’s cozy, energizing, calming or fun.
“We decided upon a cozy atmosphere,” Molly says. “We decided that we wanted to incorporate plants, ambient lighting and spacious rugs to portray a home away from home. We also made one rule: Don’t turn on the big light!”
Having an open space to relax at the end of the day was important to Kylie Iloski and Vanessa Vega, which is why they collaborated to ensure that everything has a place. With thoughtful storage, these roommates in Shreve ensured they have everything they need without too much clutter.
“Our theme is cozy and modern with a touch of pink and gold,” Kylie says. “We wanted the room to feel bright, welcoming and put together, while still showing our own styles. The matching details tie it all in, and the neon and name sign make it fun and personal.”
By planning ahead, you can fill your room with personality while leaving space to unwind at the end of a long day.
