You Must See the “Matcha Cart” in This TikTok Viral Tulane University Dorm Room

Jorja (@jorjasmith_  on TikTok, @jorjaaasmith_ on Instagram) and her roommate wanted their dorm room to feel cozy and bright. The roommates at Tulane University incorporated their favorite coastal grandmother colors (pink, blue, and green) to create an inviting and happy space, and it worked: Their room went viral on social media, garnering over 16,000 views on TikTok. And it looks like it lives up to the hype, because Jorja says this “functional and comfortable” room feels so much like home. 

How’d you end up in this space? I was randomly assigned to my dorm by Tulane, since all freshman housing is random, but I got lucky and ended up in one of the better dorm options! I instantly fell in love with the space, and I could see its potential right away. The best part is that we have two windows in our room, and the views are gorgeous, especially at sunset. Someone even told me that our view looked like something straight out of Europe, which made me appreciate it even more.

Now that you’ve made the space your own, what specifically do you love about it? I love how cozy and personalized it feels. The natural light makes the whole room feel bright and open, and I’ve styled it in a way that makes it both functional and comfortable. It’s become more than just a dorm room; it’s a space that really feels like home.

What’s your space best known for? We are known as “the Tulane dorm” that people saw on TikTok, and also the dorm with wallpaper. People love to come here and hang out regularly, day and night, which is always so fun because we have a great floor space.

Define your personal home style: I’d describe my style as minimal but cozy, with clean lines, a neutral base, and pops of color to keep things fresh and inviting. Growing up watching HGTV, especially Fixer Upper, really shaped my love for simple, timeless spaces, but I also like to add personality through flowers, colorful books, and little personal touches in every room. I’m constantly scrolling Pinterest for inspiration, which helps me find new ways to mix minimal vibes with warmth and creativity.

What’s your favorite element of your space? My favorite element of our space would probably be a tie between our matcha cart and our two windows. Our matcha cart was something I added to the room because we both love to drink matcha and making it is so fun, so getting to decorate a cart with fun decorations like a Jellycat and my own watercolor artwork adds a great personal touch to the room.

I also love the two windows in our room. We added curtains to make the room more homey, and the natural light the windows bring to the space and the view that we have is unique and something to be grateful for. 

What’s your proudest DIY or product hack? We took on a couple of DIY projects that really helped bring our room together while staying on budget. I made some of our art myself instead of splurging on expensive pieces, and my roommate found PDFs of artwork online and printed them at CVS. Between the DIY projects and creative shortcuts, we saved so much time and money while still making the space feel personal and stylish.

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? $5,595.

Do you have anyone helping to fund your housing? My parents.

Do you pay for your living expenses? Partially.

How do you earn your income? Part-time job.

How much did it cost to decorate your space? $3,000.  

Do you have anyone helping to fund your decor? My parents.

What was your biggest splurge for this space? Our 11×12 rug was $315.

What was your biggest challenge in decorating your space? The whole summer before moving in, we thought our room had a completely different layout with only one window, so we planned everything around that. When I got here and saw we actually had two windows, it totally changed things. I spent about two hours on move-in day just moving furniture around until something finally worked. On top of that, our dorm doesn’t have an elevator, and being on the third (and top) floor made moving in the early-August New Orleans heat a serious challenge. But honestly, it all worked out for the better. Now I can’t imagine the space without both windows. The light and views make the room one of my favorite parts of living here, and it’s funny to think I ever complained about it.

What’s your best tip for optimizing a small space? One of my favorite space-saving hacks was adding a shower rod to my closet for extra storage. It’s been a lifesaver for me as someone with a lot of clothes. Command hooks are also essential; we use them for just about everything. For decorating, I’ve found it really helpful to make a digital plan first so you can visualize how everything will look together before you buy or hang anything. Google Slides works great for this, and ChatGPT can even create digital mockups that make planning so much easier. 

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

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