Exclusive | College students now want designer dorms – and parents are spending thousands: ‘Every room is made to the nines’

College students are done with uninspiring barren slatted walls, chipped wooden furniture, and dirty dorm room carpets.

Now, those dreary spaces are becoming increasingly stylish with high-end designs that match the tastes of the TikTok-obsessed generation embarking on the independent life.

As part of a national trend, college kids are increasingly asking their parents to open their pocketbooks and drop thousands to hire designers to transform their school-sanctioned housing into the world of attractive custom.

“I had been creating a vision board for years, but I never thought it would come to life,” Madison Williams told The Post from her dorm room.

To help turn her vision board into reality, Williams’ mother surprised her by hiring Decorilla, an online interior design service in New York focused on connecting clients with interior designers who create 3D spaces. and virtual reality for them.

Madison wanted her small space to “feel warm and inviting” and ideally include additional seating for guests.

Her finished space features a soft neutral color palette with Madison’s favorite colors: turquoise, brown and purple. Highlights include a headboard upholstered in a soft velvet meant to add warmth to cold walls; a multi-functional desk area that doubles as a vanity and study area; many clever storage solutions, including under-bed organizers; and a sheepskin blanket that was slightly glorious but is now among Madison’s favorite pieces.

In total, it cost her about $4,000 and took two weeks to plan, followed by roughly a month of delivery and decor installation.

The co-worker said it helped ease her transition to school.

“I was really nervous about starting college, since I was moving several states away,” she said. “You can’t imagine how much it helped to have a space that felt like home.”

It’s a common sentiment for her peers who customize their own spaces, as a custom room makes campus life feel that much more comfortable.

For University of Mississippi roommates Madi Baker and Brittyn Wheeler, it was a bonding moment to collaborate to create a dream dorm to share.

The pair — from Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, respectively — were featured on Instagram Ole Miss Class of 2028. When they decided they wanted to live together, the girls worked with Mississippi Mary Margaret Designs owner Shelly Gates to create a room special.

“We both wanted the same colors. I know Britt wanted to add green, and I was totally fine with that. And we also wanted something different that you won’t see in other dorms,” Baker said.

It was a great fit for Gates, who prefers that her clients “let me interpret their vision and then put it into something that’s really, really unique,” she told The Post.

The trio began planning the room in April. In August, the day after the couple officially moved to campus, he was ready for “reveal day” — Gates set it up for the girls while they waited in a hotel.

“It was kind of like Christmas,” Baker recalls.

“We absolutely love it,” the 18-year-olds said in unison during a phone interview, pointing out the patterned cover installed to mask an unattractive “yellow” dorm wall, a painting of a girl and a dog in front of them. the wardrobe and desk chairs and individual shelves that everyone has next to their beds.

Window treatments add a touch of elegance—and other decorations, such as those that say “Hello,” are a nod to their home state of Texas.

Gates said it’s common practice for college kids to eschew plastic dorm decor for fancier decorations.

“Especially in the South, when you go into a dorm, every room is done to the nines for the most part,” she said. “I know it looks silly in other parts of the country, but here everyone’s dorm is nice.”

Budgets “can vary considerably, typically ranging from a few thousand to over $10,000, depending on the level of customization and quality of materials,” said Ginger Curtis, founder of Texas Urbanology Designs.

Decorilla co-founder and lead interior designer Joyce Huston said their clients have all paid at least $1,000 and up to $10,000 depending on the quality and quantity of furnishings.

Curtis said the process begins with a student style and parent budget consultation, followed by weeks to months of planning.

“Some families choose more high-end furnishings and decor, while others may focus on just a few key pieces to elevate the space,” she said.

“Parents are usually involved because students are busy with their senior year of high school during the planning phase,” added Eden Bowen Montgomery, who started her company Essentials With Eden after her freshman year of college.

“It’s rare where we have a helicopter parent who just wants to be involved in everything. BECAUSE [generally, the student] wants to make his own decisions. They want her to feel like the room is theirs,” added Huston.

And though the spaces may be transient, Montgomery advises students to plan for their on-campus housing beyond graduation — and put their parents’ money to good use in their adult lives.

“We encourage our customers to choose classic pieces and invest in quality pieces,” she said, “that will transition seamlessly with them into their future apartments and homes.”