Final Dorm Decorating Round Up: cool temporary wallpaper and decal stickers

the forest pattern removable wallpaper panels from WallMonkeys

you may remember from my two past posts in September,

 I used HomeGoods, TJ MAXX, Ralph Lauren, Schumacher and Pottery Barn linens and products in Gabby's dorm.  But, it still didn't look finished (the nagging decorator in me).  I felt the blank, white wall over the beds (with no headboards) needed something to warm up the space.

to refresh your memory, we went with a nature-inspired aesthetic, and picked up wooden and shell accessories, throws, furniture and lamps back in September

we found these quality curtain panels 

from Tahari at Homegoods

We loaded up the car,

 and off we went to Cornell University!

When we visited during 
Parents Visiting Weekend, 
I was determined to finish the job.
So, off I went over to etsy to investigate 

removable wallpaper and 

large decals.

I added these two panels of removable wallpaper over the  beds, and the room feels a bit more cozy -- 

 Let's be honest, dorm decorating may not be "chic" decor, however, when a teen leaves the nest for sometimes the very first time, they often yearn for the comforts of home.  There are often rules in college dormitories about how much one can actually cover the walls (less than 10% of the wall can be covered in Gabby's dorm), and most of the time there are no nails allowed in the walls or adhesive that could potentially leave a stain.  The invention and popularity of temporary wallpaper and large decal-style art has made the possibilities of designing temporary spaces (like dorms) easy and painless.    You may have read my Dorm Decorating Series this Fall Part I and Part II investigate fabrics, furniture and accessories for dorm decorating.  

I initially discovered WallMonkeys on etsy, but over there they only offer a few decal options.  They reached out to me and sent me a link to their extensive website, as well as generously offered me any custom designed removable wallpaper pattern I could conjure up for my daughter's dormitory.  Since we were going with a nature-inspired theme, I chose this tree pattern they sent over.  Within a few days I had two large, decidedly sturdy and quality-looking forest wallpaper panels in my mailbox. The company uses premium materials and printing and it only takes a moment to apply it to the wall, leaving no damage or residue behind when removed. 

However, removable wallpaper and decals have real-life applications in design whether for a dorm room or powder room in a rental apartment to installations in kid's bedrooms where we may want to change it up in a year or so without the hassle of removing traditional wallpaper.  Don't get me wrong, I am crazy for wallpaper and if I had my druthers I would wallpaper one room at least in every project I work on, but sometimes the application and wall preparation can be time consuming and costly.  I discovered there are seemingly endless decorating possibilities even for temporary spaces.  

OTHER DECALS & 

REMOVABLE WALLPAPER

I found during my hunt on etsy

I was immediately surprised at the options available and at reasonable prices to boot!

This Japanese wave in a large size and offered in a plethora of colors, may be just the oomph you need over a dorm bed with no headboard. 

oversized monogram decals are a simple way to put your personal signature on those plain old walls

a large shark, perhaps?

the popular skull seen everywhere 

in fashion and home design

 who doesn't love a chevron pattern?  This one does not feel overly trendy in the smaller scale and neutral pattern

I like this clever paper, and it would be great to fill in some of the blanks with photos of the family back at home.

this graphic pattern is sophisticated yet fun

Oh my, now I want this one!

another, more traditional chevron, 
and it's a favorite for teens

with this new removable wallpaper, 

the dorm decoration is finally complete

Happy Nesting

XO TAMARA