For most of us, college dorms evoke angst-ridden memories of obnoxious roommates and cramped brick-lined rooms with few amenities beyond communal showers and a sad mini-fridge stocked with Easy Mac. But that was before the era of #DormTok, the corner of TikTok where very online undergrads proudly flaunt the jaw-dropping measures they took to elevate clinical campus quarters. The most extreme before-and-after clips tend to go viral, but the biggest reward is simply not living in a soulless box for eight months.
That comes with a hefty price tag. Urbanology Designs, a Dallas firm that often works with students, charges upwards of $8,000 per intervention, but that number can easily increase based on how much parents care to invest in crafting their scholar’s perfect home-away-from-home. Asks often include piles of Pinterest-worthy monogrammed pillows, neon name lights in this hand-lettering style, and custom night stands that can conceal errant Stanley cups.
“In some ways, some of these things are foundational to a young person’s future lifestyle,” Dan Mazzarini, the principal of BHDM Design, told Town & Country. “Living away from home for the first time is a great opportunity to explore your personal style. While college students may be on a budget, there are certain items worth investing a little more in! After all, you may be using some of these products after you move off-campus, or even after graduating.”
Skeptics may question investing so heavily in lavish living quarters that careless teenagers are sure to trash—and ask where everything ends up after final exams. But dorm-ified décor can have a positive impact on students’ mental health, especially for a generation that came of age during the pandemic and understands the importance of feeling at ease in their space.
For design professionals, it’s also good business. The National Retail Federation estimates back-to-college spending will reach $87 billion this year—a drastic increase from the $48 billion spent in 2014. While the thirst for social media cred has fueled some of the more over-the-top interventions, one designer thinks it goes deeper. Alethea Jay, who went viral after revamping her sister’s dorm, suspects the tough housing market is making Gen Z eager to make the most of their living situations, even just for eight months. And at least these dorms meet basic standards of humanity, even if they’re a little bit cheugy.
