This Texas State Freshman’s Dorm Is a Cozy Coastal Surfer Dream

Rylee Simmons, a freshman at Texas State University, created a cozy, coastal dorm that reflects, as she puts it, “both me and my mind.” Simmons (@mynameisryleenotriley on TikTok; @ryleegsimmons on Instagram) has worked hard to make the room as comfy as possible so that it truly feels like her own space. 

How’d you end up in this space? I was assigned this dorm room as an incoming freshman, and I am able to live here for the rest of this semester. I luckily got my first choice as my dorm room because we got to make preferences coming into our freshman year. It is very small, as many dorm rooms are, but I have made it my own cozy space and it’s now a home away from home.

Now that you’ve made it your own, what specifically do you love about it? I specifically love that it resembles me and my mind. I put a lot of personality into it and tried to make it look as homey and not “dormy” as possible.

What’s your space best known for? Being cozy and coastal. 

Define your personal home style: Very coastal surfer. 

What’s your favorite element of your space? My surf posters! I collected them while traveling over the years!

What’s your proudest DIY or product hack? My surf magazine wall and the work that went into collecting said magazines. 

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? $4,500

Do you have anyone helping to fund your housing? Scholarships and family

Do you pay for your living expenses? No

What was your budget to decorate your space? Around $700

How much did it cost to decorate your space? $1,000

Do you have anyone helping to fund your decor? No

What was your biggest splurge for this space and how much did it cost? My comforter, which was $200 (worth the investment — it’s so cozy), and my rug, which was $200.

How do you earn your income? Side hustle

What was your biggest challenge in decorating your space? Working with a budget while trying to make it cute. I avoided this issue for the most part, though, by slowly collecting decor and dorm essentials over my senior year of high school. 

What’s your best decorating tip? Honestly, don’t overdo it! You want your space to be clean because clean room = clean mind. And you have to remember you have to move everything out of your dorm after nine months, and if you have too much stuff it gets to be a lot. I say minimize what you bring the best you can because you don’t have a lot of space and things get overwhelming and crowded quickly. 

This submission’s responses were edited for length and clarity.

Share your style: Dorm Tour Submission Form