January 26, 2010

Underbed Storage for those on the Top Bunk

Freshman year is not far away and soon dorm-life will be where you call home. Chances are, over the summer following high school graduation you’ll be talking to your soon to be roommate. You’ll decide many things together; such as sharing a fridge and/or microwave, dorm rugs, and your college furniture. One thing you may not decide until move-in day is your room layout, which includes whether or not you’ll bunk your bed. This may seem to be a minor detail, but one thing that’s easily forgotten is the storage space under your bed.

If you opt for the top bunk, make sure you discuss under bed storage. There is nothing wrong with the top bunk, but if your roommate thinks all the underbed storage is theirs then you’ll want to discuss that earlier vs later. The reason this is important is that dorm storage space is so limited that if you have no under bed storage or all under bed storage it will make a difference on what you can fit in your college dorm room. Of course you want to bring as much stuff as possible to college, so the key with any potential roommate situation is ‘conversation’. Keep the communication open and you’ll be fine. …take half of their under bed stuff, pull it out and throw it on the floor and you’ll have a problem. Regardless, if half the underbed space should be yours the best thing to do is talk it out. You'll find most roommates, even if not best friends, will be reasonable.

January 18, 2010

TRIVIA!: What is missing in a dorm room that almost every home has?

...give up?

Ans: A Hallway Closet. In dorm-life you get one closet. That closet has to be your everything closet, so when you wonder why your space is limited, blame it on the closet. At least back home you most likely had an entrance closet or a mud room closet to keep your shoes and coats, but in college there is no such thing!

The Solution: Without a closet for your shoes you just have to get more creative. One of the best ways to get creative is to utilize your door space. That's right; your door space! Every door in your dorm should be used for placing over the door shoe pockets, over the door hooks and anything else that provides storage. Your closet doors are the real secret to getting the most out of your dorm space. Whether you hang baskets, hooks, shelves or shoe racks, one thing is for certain and that is your dorm door space is prime storage real-estate.

January 11, 2010

What size dorm rug is best?

Choosing your college dorm rug depends on how much of the room you want it to cover. Do you want a rug just in front of your bed? Or do you want a rug to cover your entire floor? Do you want the cheapest dorm rug just to keep the nasty floor covered? Or do you want a rug that is also décor, which makes your room unique?

The most popular size for college dorm rugs is 5’ x 8’. Close behind 5’x 8’ in popularity is 4’ x 6’ and 6’ x 9’. The reason 5’ x 8’ dorm rugs are the most popular is that they cover up the majority of your open floor space. Although 5’ x 8’ won’t cover your entire room or under your bed, it sure covers the areas that matter. Where you may walk, decide to sit or even lay on the floor, the 5’ x 8’ size has you covered. At Dorm Co and other retailers, it is also a great priced rug. At 5’ x 8’ the rug is easily shipped and the overall cost is affordable for customers to purchase.

4’ x 6’ is the second most popular dorm rug size. The reason is that the 4' x 6' size for many dorm rooms fits the middle of your room's open space. In other dorm rooms it fits perfectly next to the bunk beds and makes for a nice center area of the room. If your bed is not bunked, the 4’ x 6’ dorm rug can be positioned next to your bed and can cover your personal space. It’s a versatile size and can make for great dorm décor.

Although 6’ x 9’ doesn’t cover your entire floor, it is as close as you’ll get without hiring a local carpet layer (which you can't do!) This size gives your room coverage under your bed and across your entire room. This is a positive if you get a cheap dorm rug, but if you get something nicer, the added size up from the 5’ x 8’ brings more cost and less value. After all, you don’t need a nicer dorm rug under your bed collecting dust bunnies!

Lastly you’ll also find 3’ x 5’ rugs while on your dorm shopping journey. These rugs are typically bedside rugs only and provide a limited amount of coverage. Often 3’ x 5’ sized dorm rugs leave college students wishing they opted for at least 4’ x 6’. That said some of the 3’ x 5’ rugs are so dirt cheap that they allow you to spend your money on other dorm stuff that you might care more about.

January 6, 2010

Down Comforter & Dorms Rooms

Ok... So if you've read the last few posts on Dorm Bedding you might feel you have the gist of it, until that is if you decide to shop for down comforters and duvet covers for your Twin XL bed.

Why? Because no matter how you try you won't find a true Twin XL Down Comforter and if you do you should be worried because you certainly won't find a Twin XL duvet. The reason being is that it's just not necessary!

Dorm Beds are 80" Long and Twin Down Comforters are typically 86" - 88" long. This is more than enough length for your dorm bed.

So what's the problem?
Really there is no problem except it has been drilled into your head that you need Twin XL ... Twin XL ... Twin XL... Twin XL. And in the case of down comforters you simply need twin (just as long as it is 86" or longer). Since retailers know that you often need to see the word Twin XL (even for comforters) they have gotten savvier and will call a Twin Down Comforter, "Twin/Twin XL Down Comforter". This subtle move helps you have peace of mind that your quality twin sized down comforter and duvet will fit the dorm beds.

TIP: Remember Twin is fine except if the dorm bedding product is fitted.