Dorm Room Furniture Essentials

While many dorms have beds, it is safe to say that you will have to buy bedding for your child's room.

It is more important than ever to get your child's input, as they might not like what you pick out, so your job might be confined to seeing that they buy the right size, and have all the pieces such as fitted sheets, flat sheets, pillow cases, comforters and blankets.

Many dorms provide extra long twin sized beds, so checking with the college is important. Otherwise your sheets might not fit. Pictured here, color choices from The Company Store.

It is also a good idea to provide extra sheet sets, so they will still have fresh sheets even if laundry doesn't get done. Extra blankets or throws are always welcome.

Lighting, especially a desk lamp is very important. Depending on the space available, you can have a floor lamp, too, but a compact desk light or one that can be used on a nightstand or small table might be more useful because it is more convenient for night time reading.

This lamp from Lite Source has a a powerful 3-diopter lens for doing any up close work. It is lightweight and small enough to be unobtrusive, and comes with an energy efficient 12 Watt G10Q-base T4-Type Fluorescent Tube bulb which is included. The lamp which has a silver finish is UL and CUL listed.

Dimensions: 14" Height x 6.5" Width x 6.5" Depth. Shade: 7" Top x 7" Bottom x 1.5" Height. Weight: 3.125 lbs

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Ample storage is always valuable in containing clutter, especially when you have limited space as in a dorm room.

Nightstands or small tables with drawers come in handy. Look for totes, baskets, and caddies to hold all kinds of stuff.

Look for creative uses of space, on the wall, inside closets and the space under the bed. IKEA is a good resource for finding functional storage pieces. The Dilling Bed Storage Box from IKEA is an inexpensive storage box that will fit under most beds. You might even find room for two. It sits on glides that make it easier to slide it out and back in. The lids help keep the dust out. At $14.99 it is a great storage option. Dimensions: Width: 30 3/8" Depth: 27 1/2" Height: 7 7/8".

While a desk and chair are usually provided, you might want to get some extra seating as well. One seating option is to get storage ottomans, since they perform a dual function. You could also choose to buy folding chairs such as the Algoma Butterfly chair.

These chairs have white powder coated steel frames, and the sling is made of 100% cotton fabric which comes in many different colors. The frame can be folded compactly to 42" x 6" x 6" for easy storage. They are hardy enough to be used outdoors as well. When not in use, the chairs can be folded and put away.

While not absolutely essential in the strictest sense, rugs do add a welcome and cozy touch to a cold and impersonal dorm room. Just make sure to get rug underlays to prevent slippage.

Again, IKEA is a good resource for inexpensive rugs for use in college dorms. Pictured here is IKEA's BARNSLIG RAND  rug which costs around $19.99. It is from cotton and can be machine washed. Dimensions: Length:5 ' 11 " Width: 2 ' 7 ". It is a long narrow rug that can be placed alongside a bed.