I Love the Adorable Curtain Hack in This SCAD Freshman Dorm (So Smart!)
Dorm (triple)
Savannah College of Art and Design
Cottagecore
Vintage
Savannah, Georgia
Rachel (@rachel.kesterkey on TikTok and @rachel.kesterke on Instagram), a fashion design major at Savannah College of Art and Design, created a freshman dorm centered on all things cottagecore, vintage, and cozy. Blue gingham bedding set the tone, while soft pink accents, warm lighting, and a wall of thrifted frames gave her room a charming, lived-in feel. Rachel mixed delicate patterns and sentimental decor to create a space that felt like a little home away from home. Here’s what she has to say about her room.
Rachel’s Space
What do you value most about your space? During my first quarter, I actually didn’t have any roommates, so the first friends I made were people on the same floor as me, and they became some of my best friends! My dorm was perfect for movie nights and karaoke dance parties, which gave me so many wonderful memories from my freshman year! My dorm challenged me to be more creative and resourceful when decorating my space.
Now that you’ve made it your own, what is your favorite element of your space? I really loved the frame wall I made since it was such a labor of love. To make my frame wall, I started by going through all my printed photos from my grad party and created a general color theme; then I arranged pictures on my cork board and added pictures to the frames they matched best. Then I placed the cork board on the floor and started placing frames and other hanging objects around it until I found a version I liked. I also really loved the warm wall and floor colors.
What is your space best known for? My dorm was often used for movie nights because I had a projector. We had a movie night almost every Thursday since we have a four-day school week at SCAD. We would always watch a scary movie first and then something more lighthearted after. One time, after we had watched our scary movie, I suggested we watch My Girl and fell asleep halfway through, so after that I wasn’t allowed to pick the “lighthearted” movies anymore.
Rachel’s Style
What inspired your decorating style? A lot of my decorating style is influenced by my Pinterest board. I have a lot of cottagecore and vintage Pins and overall a lot of soft, warm colors. When I was planning out my dorm, I started with the bedding. I had saved a couple inspo pics with blue gingham bedding, and I decided to use it as my base; then I picked out the rest of my bedding. I also have many framed gallery walls saved, which is what inspired me to make one for my room. I collected them from the thrift store, HomeGoods, and Hobby Lobby, as well as a corkboard from Amazon.
Rachel’s Budget
In an effort to remove the stigma associated with talking about money in college, we’re asking students to share how they plan and budget for their space.
How much does your housing cost per semester? $3,383 per quarter and $10,899 per year; we have a three-quarter system.
Do you have anyone helping to fund your housing? Yes, my dad funds my housing.
How much did it cost to decorate your space? Roughly $500 or more.
Do you have anyone helping to fund your decor? Yes, my dad helped with some things.
Do you pay for your living expenses? Partially.
How do you earn your income? Part-time job/side hustle.
What was your biggest splurge for this space and how much did it cost? The most expensive thing was probably the rug, but I’m not sure what the price was.
What was your best budget find for this space and how much did it cost? My foldable couch for $70.
Rachel’s Advice
What was the biggest challenge in decorating your space? I didn’t have a super tight budget, but I also didn’t have a big budget whatsoever. My dad bought some of the big basics that he deemed necessary, such as bedding, a carpet, a nightstand, a desk hutch, fridge shelves, and a few other things. But I had to pay for my wall decor, mini couch, projector, and other stuff. One of the hardest things about decorating was trying to put up frames without damaging the wall since the frames are so heavy. In order to minimize damage, I used Command strips and adhesive frame hooks.
What was your best decorating hack? One of my favorite decorating hacks was adding a curtain between the main area and the hallway, which also allowed the fridge organizer to be covered, making the space look neater and cozier.
What is your favorite small space decorating hack? One of my favorite things that I got for my dorm was my bed skirt because it made everything look put together and it hid my mess. Going off of that, one of the most important things I did was create as many storage spaces in my room as possible since I have a lot of stuff.
This submission’s responses were edited for length and clarity.
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