We’re here with some great Dorm Décor finds on a dime from Goodwill of North Florida.
Add thrift shopping to your back-to-school shopping rotation to not only find great deals, but it’s a sustainable way to reuse items and keep them out of the landfills.
Tip #1: Theme. Since thrift store inventory is ever changing and there aren’t multiples of everything. One tip I have is to think of a theme that will help build around. That can be shabby chic, colorful and modern etc. In many cases, the theme is best supported with artwork. But make sure you bring Command Strips and hooks to hang art, many rentals and school dorms don’t allow nails so just be sure what the rules are.
Tip #2: Lighting. Dorm rooms have notoriously bad light, and notoriously few electrical outlets in convenient spots. Many schools don’t allow extension cords, so it’s good to find power strips for desk lamps, like this one, under $10 to give some nice light. If you’re buying lighting at a secondhand store, test it and if it doesn’t work Goodwill gives you 24 hours to return electronics.
Tip #3: Warm Touches. Add warm touches to help that give some coziness to the space. Nothing warms up a sparse-looking room faster than a cozy area rug. You can find some quality rugs that are just gently used or never used at Goodwill. This one was under $10. Decorative pillow brighten up a space, and we found these that give nice color and texture and tie into the theme. college student. There are always great pillows at Goodwill for about $7.00 each.
Tip #4: Miscellaneous décor. One of the joys of thrifting is finding quirky, one-of-a-kind objects that reflect personality and style – and since there’s not a lot space this is where floating shelves and vertical space can come in handy.
Tip #5: Practically Speaking. Particularly for freshmen, there are some practical items that fall under the “practical” category, like shower caddies, laundry baskets and storage. Thrift shops are a great place for under bed storage like this, at more than 60% less than big box stores like The Container Store. You can also find laundry hampers and bags, shower caddies. This one was $7.99 and has a little wicker style to add warmth.
For more please visit www.goodwilljax.org.