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8 Double-Duty Dorm Room Essentials to Kick Off the School Year in Style

Summer may still be in full swing, but it won’t be long before temps begin to cool and college kids head back to university. If you’ll be shopping for your dorm room soon, we’ve got a few suggestions for pieces that will work twice as hard for you while taking up the same amount of space. Read on for our favorite 2-in-1, space-saving dormitory essentials to help you kick off the new school year in style.

The Anthology folding ottoman from Bed, Bath and Beyond packs both storage and seating into one stylish package. It comes in a number of colors and finishes from ikat to aqua suede, and is easy to transport thanks to its folding design.

Give your underbed storage a boost while powering up all of your essential electronics with these handy USB bed risers. The 4-piece platforms create 7″ of extra space for you to stash books, clothes and old pizza boxes, and the twin 110-volt, 15-amp grounded power outlets and twin USB 5-volt DC outlets are perfect for getting your iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch all charged up in time for class.

Whether you’re reading, watching TV, playing video games or catching a few quick ZZZs, the Flip Floor Lounger from PB Teen has got your back. Thanks to a hidden hinge, the plush seat can be positioned in five different ways – perfect for late night study sessions that turn into snooze sessions.

Dorm rooms are notoriously cramped, so keeping as many things off of the floor as you can is a must for conserving space. Enter Dorm Co.’s smart bed post shelf, which uses a friction clamp to attach to almost any kind of dorm bed to keep your phone, alarm clock and beverage of choice right in reach without hogging up valuable room.

Deciding what to wear to class can be a challenge, but IKEA’s Knapper floor mirror helps reflect the best version of yourself by also letting you plan your outfit for the next day. A sturdy bar acts as a valet for your tops and bottoms, and hooks allow you to map out accessory choices to complete the ensemble.

Leave messages for your roomie, work out a tough physics problem or plan out your semester with this 3-in-1 chalkboard shelf calendar from Urban Outfitters. Made from reclaimed wood and recycled metal, it’ll help you practice your French too since that’s the language the names of the months are printed in.

It’s pretty easy to get bored with your dorm room decor, but duvet covers and shams are usually too pricey to purchase multiples. Get bedding that works twice as hard with PB Teen’s Lucky Clover reversible 100% cotton percale duvet covers and shams that can be flipped inside out to an inverted color scheme whenever you want a fresh look.

Proper lighting is a must for late-night cramming, but floor lamp bases can take up quite a bit of space. This multi-purpose LED lamp and stool from the IKEA PS 2014 collection functions as a seat, but can be turned on for extra light whenever you need it.

Which of these products are you eyeing your dorm room this fall?

Yuka Yoneda

Yuka Yoneda is a reporter, cheese fanatic and self-proclaimed JeDIY master from Queens, New York. She is the founder of Clossette.com and an editor at sustainable design website Inhabitat.com. Yuka also writes for Edible Magazine and Ecouterre.com, and has written for The Daily Green and The New York Times.

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