High School Graduation: 13 Years in the Making

After 13 long years of hard work, dedication, and the occasional mental breakdown, the class of 2018 has finally made it to the finish line! In just two weeks, all of my elementary, middle, and high school years will conclude. Yes, you read that right: I am a high school senior.

I’ve always considered myself to be a creative person, which is hopefully true, since I plan on majoring in graphic design and marketing. Since I started working at AR Workshop Belmont in 2017, however, I realized how much I have to learn about design.

As the school year comes to an end, and my final summer before college begins, I have also started researching dorm room design. While this process can be overwhelming to say the least, I have created a list of must-haves for my room that I will be making/purchasing before August 17th – WCU move-in day!

1. Peel & Stick Wallpaper

Let’s face it, dorm room walls are boring! If you’re lucky, they’re just grey and dull, but often times they can be dingy and all marked up. Now, while I certainly am not planning on wallpapering my entire room, I am going to create an accent wall behind the headboard of my bed.

After reading reviews and comments, the best way to go about this is to pick a simple pattern. This allows for less precision, and also makes it much easier to line up each section. My room colors are going to be black, white & millennial pink, so this design is perfect for me!

Don’t just stop at the walls though! You can use this to line dresser drawers, wardrobe backings, or even re-decorate boxes. I plan on buying extra for last-minute decorating to ensure that nothing in my dorm room is untouched!

 

 

 

2. Custom Accent Pillows

All teenagers love their sleep, especially this girl. If you’re anything like me, you know that soft, fluffy pillows are the best for sleep. Up until I started shopping for dorm decor, however, I never paid much attention to accent pillows.

Accent pillows are the perfect way to tie your room colors together without overpowering your bed with too much. Many accent pillows can be cute and stylish, however, there’s nothing like having a customized accessory – especially if you get to make it yourself!

AR Workshop offers a variety of 18 x 18 canvas pillow designs – from preppy monograms and personalized name designs, to chic patterns and shapes.

Head over to your closest Workshop to create the perfect dorm pillow – I already have two or three picked out to make myself!

 

3. Fridge Cart

Now this might be the strangest item on my list, but it’s actually extremely useful. When you’re designing a dorm room, the two most important things to keep in mind are:  1) think vertical & 2) think versatile.

Not only does this cart provide extra storage – it also takes up no extra floor space. Because it is essentially the same size as the fridge, you are utilizing vertical space in the room – which you have plenty of – as opposed to horizontal space – which is very limited.

This cart is also very versatile. Even after your freshman year of college, if you choose to stay in an apartment with a full sized refrigerator, this cart could be used as a nightstand, pantry organizer, or even a printer station.

 

 

 

4. Custom Bed Tray

Another thing teenagers love: food. Now, I can speak from experience when I say that food + bed = a mess. I have had one too many spills on my all white conformer to know that, if you’re going to eat on your bed, you’ve got to do it the right way.

Enter – the bed tray. Perfect for food, drinks, or a laptop, as well as those pesky little thinks called books. And at the end of a long night, you can pile up all your GNI (Girl’s Night In) supplies onto your tray, and move it safely off your bed. Because, if you’re anything like me, you’re likely to kick at least one book or plate off the bed in the middle of the night!

Once again, AR Workshop is here to help you create all your most important dorm room items. With a wide variety of designs, colors, and sizes, you can create the perfect tray for all your food and organizing needs!

 

 

 

Well there you have it, my first blog post complete! The day I’ve been looking forward to for 13 years is finally in sight, and with it, a whole new set of adventures and challenges that lie ahead. In just 3 short months, I’ll be starting a brand new chapter of my life, and hopefully I will have the perfect dorm room to help me succeed.