How I Upgraded My Desk Organization Game for Only $25

If you’re only going to keep one area of your dorm room organized, it needs to be your desk. Your desk is more than just a place for school work and studying. Chances are, you’ll spend so much of your time there: planning your schedule, getting ready, eating, or simply relaxing. With all of these activities taking place in such a compact area, keeping it orderly can become difficult. That’s why I’m so glad I found a product that helps me manage clutter, maximize productivity, and increase my storage space effectively. It’s the unsung organizational hero of my dorm room: my desk hutch. 

A desk hutch is a structure that lives on top of your desk to provide additional storage, often with built-in shelves, cabinets, or drawers. A great benefit of a desk hutch is that you can also use it on a dresser, nightstand, or any other surface where you need to add some vertical storage space. 

When deciding which desk hutch to buy, I considered four factors: 

1. Aesthetic: Does it match my room theme? Is it visually pleasing to me?
2. Size: How much vertical height do I want to add, and how much of my desk’s surface area do I want it to take up? 
3. Features: Do I want it to have drawers, shelves, or cabinets? Do I value one feature over another?
4. Price: How much am I willing to spend? Which features am I willing to pay more for?

Keeping these questions in mind before my search made it easy to find the perfect desk hutch for me, and I’m sure it can do the same for you.

As I enter my third year in college, I can honestly say I don’t think I would’ve survived dorm life without my desk hutch. This minimalist option from Amazon is perfect for me because it’s customizable, as you can rearrange the wooden pieces according to your storage needs, and at just $26, it was super affordable. This hutch comes in five colors (I chose white because it matched my desk area) and is pretty compact, so it doesn’t take up too much of your desk space, leaving room for additional desk essentials such as a lamp or laptop stand. I used my hutch to store my fragrance diffuser and bladeless fan, then styled it with fairy lights and my favorite perfume to give it a preppy-meets-whimsical-meets-glam aesthetic.

Although this desk hutch is the ideal option for my needs, there are other great choices out there, with different styles, functions, and price points. Here are a couple other options I came across when researching what I wanted to buy:

If you’re into the farmhouse aesthetic, this is the perfect hutch for that vibe — but it’s also neutral enough to fit in with most decor styles. Compared to my desk hutch, this one is more expensive, but if you’re looking for a larger option that provides more storage space, it’s a great pick because it’s equipped with drawers and lots of shelves. 

If you need room for a larger computer monitor, then a taller desk hutch is the most functional option for you. Although this hutch is on the pricier side, you’re going to get your money’s worth with all of the additional storage it offers. With two full cabinets, four shelves, and extra storage space on both the top and bottom levels, this hutch has space for everything from notebooks to charger cords to those tiny miscellaneous items you might otherwise place in the most random spots in your room and then forget about them until move-out day. The piece also comes in five colors and can make your space look seriously professional.