18 Preppy College Dorm Ideas for a Classy Vibe
This article is all about preppy college dorms.
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During your college years, your dorm room is where you’ll sleep, study, and hang out with friends.
Since you’ll be spending so much time there, why not go the extra mile to decorate your dorm room and make it match your personal style and aesthetic?
The preppy aesthetic has been one of the hottest design trends of the past few years.
Whether you prefer the more Southern, VSCO-inspired version of the preppy aesthetic, the old money, Blair Waldorf-inspired version, or even a mix of both, you’ve definitely come to the right place.
We’ve rounded up 18 of our favorite ideas for preppy dorm decor, giving you the inspiration you need for the preppy dorm room of your dreams!
Here are 18 Preppy College Dorm Ideas for a Classy Vibe
THE PREPPY COLLEGE DORM IDEAS
1. PREPPY DESK ACCESSORIES
When you’re in the process of decorating your preppy dorm room, don’t neglect your desk!
Clear acrylic desk organizers and simple gold jewelry stands are the perfect way to show off your perfectly aesthetic makeup, skincare, and jewelry collections.
Finally, a gold-trimmed, wall-mounted mirror and a collage of bold, colorful prints are the perfect way to add a little cheer and fun to your morning routine with an aesthetic desk setup.
2. FLORAL BEDDING
If you’re looking for a change, swap out your boring, plain-colored bedding for this classy, old money-inspired floral bedding.
This bedding is full of dainty, girly details like scalloped edges, a watercolor-inspired print, and little quilted accents that will have you feeling like Blair Waldorf every time you go to bed.
Don’t forget to top off the look with some matching pastel blue throw pillows!
3. BUTTERFLY DECOR
Butterflies are one of our favorite decor motifs for a preppy bedroom aesthetic.
This adorable decorative butterfly also combines three of our other favorite preppy design elements: a pink color scheme, glittery gold accents, and a DIY, graffiti-inspired heart print that’s sure to add a unique element of visual interest to any preppy college dorm.
4. COLORFUL DESIGNER-INSPIRED DECOR
This preppy dorm room combines the classiness and luxuriousness of designer brands like Prada, Chanel, and Hermes with a bright, bold, and youthful color scheme that keeps things from looking too stodgy or boring.
Even if you aren’t operating on a designer budget quite yet, you can easily DIY designer-inspired wall art or find them on sites like Etsy.
5. CLASSY NEON COLOR SCHEME
If you’re a lover of bold, bright colors, you’ll definitely want to take inspiration from this dorm room’s classy neon color scheme.
The bedding, wall art, floor, and curtains feature decor in eye-popping shades of bright orange and hot pink.
However, carefully placed neutral items in soothing shades of beige, white, and cream help offset and bring balance to the room, preventing the color scheme from becoming too overwhelming.
6. DIY CANVAS WALL ART
Making your own DIY Canvas wall art is one of our favorite ways to achieve the preppy bedroom aesthetic without breaking the bank.
With some colorful acrylic paints, glitter, and canvases that you can buy at any craft store, you can let your imagination run wild and create masterpieces to hang on your dorm room walls.
To make your canvases even more special, invite your girlfriends over and paint together, so your wall art has sentimental value in addition to being super cute!
7. NEON NAME LIGHT
No preppy college dorm is complete without a neon sign that’s personalized to have your name on it!
If you’re going to splurge on one decor item for your dorm room, we think a neon name light is a strong contender.
8. TRAVEL-INSPIRED WALL ART
This bold, colorful, graphic, and slightly vintage-looking travel-inspired wall art is the perfect way to spice up your dorm room.
If fantasies about a luxury vacation to Palm Beach, Capri, or Santorini are the only thing getting you through finals season, this travel-inspired wall art is sure to make you smile.
9. PASTEL COLOR SCHEME
If bold neons aren’t for you, this pastel color scheme is an equally chic option.
If you buy all of your decor in soothing shades of pastel pink and blue, your dorm room will become a girly, relaxing oasis that gives off Parisian vibes!
Plus, we especially love the vintage, jacquard-inspired blue and white wallpaper and ottoman, giving a dainty, delicate energy to your living space.
10. DIY AESTHETIC PHOTO COLLAGE
This aesthetic photo collage is another one of our favorite DIY preppy decorating ideas.
Spend some time curating a Pinterest board with your favorite preppy images, then print them out on photo paper at your local drugstore or print shop!
Why spend a ton of time and money getting prints framed when this photo collage idea is so much faster, easier, and less expensive?
11. MONOGRAMMED ACCENTS
Monogrammed accents add a bougie, classy, and of course, personalized touch to any dorm room.
We love the idea of putting your monogrammed initials on a throw pillow, towels, or even on wall art!
12. FAUX FUR RUG
The faux fur rug trend is the perfect blend of an old money preppy aesthetic and a more whimsical, modern take on the preppy aesthetic.
Of course, we don’t condone real fur rugs, but we love the idea of this faux tiger skin rug in girly shades of cream and pastel pink!
13. FUN COASTERS
If you’re trying to protect your dorm room furniture from stains and spills, you can’t go wrong with a set of fun coasters that enhance your preppy bedroom aesthetic.
One great option is quirky acrylic coasters, which you can easily find on sites like Etsy.
Another great option is these adorable intricate beaded coasters, which you can also find on Etsy or at local boutiques!
14. GINGHAM BEDDING
This pastel pink gingham bedding is another bedding option that screams “preppy”!
The simple, yet cute pattern evokes images of summertime, picnics, and state fairs, perfect for the girl who loves a slightly outdoorsy, but still super cute and girly vibe.
15. ANIMAL PRINT ACCENTS
If you want to show off your wild side, try incorporating some animal print accents into your bedroom decor.
We love the way this dorm room features pops of bold leopard print on the wallpaper, throw blanket, and throw pillow.
To keep the animal print from getting too loud and distracting, try picking animal print in neutral tones, like cream, white, and black.
16. BLUE AND WHITE COLOR SCHEME
If you’re super into the coastal grandmother aesthetic, try designing your dorm room aesthetic around a blue and white color scheme.
This color scheme definitely gives off a nautical, beachy, carefree vibe, perfectly blending the old money preppy aesthetic with the new preppy aesthetic.
This room features many of our favorite preppy design elements, from the neon name light to the travel wall prints to the jacquard headboard!
17. HEART GRAFFITI ART
This graffiti-inspired heart wall art is one of our favorite preppy decor elements.
If you’re an artsy, DIY kind of person, you can easily make your own heart graffiti art with a big canvas and some cans of colorful spray paint.
If you’re not in the mood to get messy, you can totally also buy a premade heart graffiti print!
18. COLORFUL ORIENTAL RUG
Ornate, expensive oriental rugs are an integral part of the classic, old money preppy aesthetic.
Update them for 2024 with a fresher, quirkier color scheme like hot pink or pastel blue.
These colorful rugs are the perfect combination of traditional interior design and a younger, more fun-loving look!
If the preppy aesthetic has been all over your Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok feeds lately, be sure to take inspiration from these preppy college dorm ideas.
This aesthetic is an incredible way to balance colorful, neutral, girly, and classy design elements into a dorm room that feels perfectly suited to you!
With the help of these inspo pics, your dorm room is about to be the envy of all of your friends!
