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Dorm room storage ideas

Keeping everything neat and organized in a small dorm room is essential. But that can be hard to achieve when a single space has to do so much! Maintaining order—while enjoying a fun and functional space—all comes down to incorporating a few dorm room storage ideas. Let’s study up on dorm storage ideas to make any student’s space work a little harder and smarter.

A pastel student room featuring a bed with integrated storage along with a desk and hanging clothes storage nearby.
A pastel student room featuring a bed with integrated storage along with a desk and hanging clothes storage nearby.

How to maximize dorm room space

In a space as small as a college dorm, it’s important that everything you bring in is useful and has a designated spot to be placed or stored. As you’re packing for college, it can be helpful to separate items you plan to take into “definitely” and “maybe” piles. From that “maybe” pile, ask yourself, “Is having this item with me worth the space that it will take up in my dorm?”

Once you’ve determined everything you’ll be taking, break it out into categories to determine the best storage for dorm rooms to meet your specific needs. Start with broad categories like clothing, books and papers, toiletries, dorm bedding, dorm tech essentials and sports equipment to see what you have the most of.

College storage & organization
A paper storage box in blue holding rolls of paper, placed on a white floor and its lid leaning against the side of the box.
College storage & organization

Vertical storage solutions are a dorm room dream

When floor space is super limited—and already largely occupied by items like beds and desks—it’s time for some dorm room storage solutions with a height advantage! Make smart use of vertical space with items like wall shelves, hooks and hangers.  

You can also make your dorm more flexible and functional by including dorm furniture with multiple purposes, like a sturdy clothes rack that can hold your wardrobe and serve as a room divider. Choose an option with wheels so it can be easily moved around as needed!

College dorm furniture
A student room with a black open storage unit on wheels with hanging clothes, and a desk and bookcase in the background.
Two coffee/side tables on wheels made in birch plywood, with one of the tables opened up showing stored blankets inside.
College dorm furniture

Dorm desk organization ideas

It’s all too easy for your desk to become a catch-all for everything from keys to cups, but it’s important to give yourself the clear space you need to read, study, think and write. Consider everything you actually want and need to store on your desk, and ensure you have the space and layout just right from the beginning. This might include a desk lamp, pens and pencils, notepads, a water bottle and coaster, and storage baskets and boxes for items like charging accessories and cords.

Dorm desk organizers
A white bookcase with drawers and shelves propped with old books, a typewriter and sculpted bust placed by a reading corner.
Dorm desk organizers

Underbed and closet organization for small spaces

Clothes and books are two categories of items that typically take up a lot of space in dorm rooms. While books can be neatly stacked and stored on desks and shelves, keeping an abundance of clothing looking tidy takes a bit more work. 

Whether you have a clothing rack, armoire or built-in hanging space for your clothes, it can help minimize visual clutter to hang everything from the same type hanger. For bulkier items like sweaters and jeans—or out-of-season clothing—consider what can be folded and kept clean and out of the way in an IKEA dorm under bed storage solution.

Shop underbed storage bags
Two storage cases with orange zips sticking out from under a bed made with a white quilt cover with a black-patterned grid.
Shop underbed storage bags

Hungry for more dorm room storage solutions, or just checking a few final items off your shopping list before heading to campus? Swing by our college essentials page for inspiration and must-haves for the year ahead!