College students everywhere love to decorate with cute dorm room ideas. This post covers 50 ideas for yellow dorm room decor for your college dorm room.
Yellow is the new pink? Maybe! At least some are trying to make it so.
Trendsetters tried to make “Gen Z Yellow” a thing, a play of how “Millennial Pink” took off.
Stars like Bella Hadid, Kylie Jenner, Angela Sarafyan, and Rita Ora have all rocked yellow on different red carpets last year.
Plus, Pantone’s 2021 Color of the Year was PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, which is the bright, fun, the yellow shade.
All of that trend stuff aside, yellow is a happy color, isn’t it?
Take a second — what comes to your mind when you think of the color? It tends to make us think of spring, the sun, warm weather, being outside, having fun, laughing, smiling, singing along. All happy thoughts!
There are so many reasons why decorating your dorm room in the color yellow is a good idea.
It can bring you joy, even while studying. If you don’t get a lot of light in your room, it’ll help your room appear as though it’s brighter.
Plus, it’s an all around reminder that there are brighter days to come! It’s a happy color for sure.
So where should you start when it comes to yellow dorm room décor? Here are 50 ideas that you can totally use, or at the very least, they will get your creative juices flowing.
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50 Ideas For Yellow Dorm Room Decor
Fill your room with yellow plants.
Assuming you have the space to do so, your roommate doesn’t mind, and your college allows you too, get some bright colored plants to decorate your room with! This will add such a nice pop of color.
Use yellow vases.
If you’re not a plant person, or your college doesn’t allow plants, get yellow vases for all the flowers you’re be buying yourself just like Miley Cyrus (or a potential boo may buy you!).
Get yellow fake plants.
If you can’t have plants in your dorm but still love them, look into silk flowers or other fake plants. There’s plenty of yellow to choose from that look real!
Have a yellow comforter.
When it comes to dorm rooms, your bed tend to be the center of attention. Get a yellow comforter for it! The bright colors will give your space a happy feel and a unique look.
Get yellow throw pillows.
If you don’t want to commit to a yellow comforter, get a neutral comforter and instead pair it with yellow accent pillows.
Decorative pillows are a great way to add a pop of color and your bed is a great place to do it because it is a large portion of the room!
Add a yellow throw blanket to the end of your bed.
If you don’t want to commit to a yellow comforter, get a yellow throw blanket and have it at the end of the bed.
Choose yellow curtains.
Curtains really can make or break a room. Putting yellow curtains up to frame your windows, where the sun will (hopefully!) be shining in from, will be such a nice look. Add some fairy lights for an ethereal glow.
Have all your storage be yellow.
Dorm rooms come with some form of closet or drawer space, but you’re likely going to want more, whether it’s for under your bed or somewhere else. Buy these pieces in yellow. You could even get a yellow mini fridge!
Paint the walls yellow.
OK we know not every college lets you paint the walls, but if you are allowed to, or you live off-campus, why not paint the walls yellow? If you don’t want to do every wall, you can do one fun accent wall.
Use yellow temporary wallpaper.
If you can’t paint… why not wallpaper? There is temporary wallpaper and you can find it in yellow. One of the best things about it is that it’s easy to remove. Just make sure you remember to take it down before you leave!
Peel and stick wallpaper or decals is a fun way to bring in good vibes with fun designs like smiley faces or daisies. Think of it as budget wall art.
Decorate your walls in yellow.
If you’re not allowed to pain your walls yellow, fill them with yellow things! You can likely hang things on your walls, so find some yellow decorations, like a pretty sunflower painting.
Hang a yellow tapestry.
Another great idea if you want yellow walls but are not allowed to paint — find a beautiful yellow tapestry or wall hangings and hang it on one of your walls! Total boho vibes.
Choose a yellow rug.
Who wants to step on that dorm carpet?! Invest in a rug and get one that’s yellow. Not only will it look great, but it can help make your room look bigger.
Get a standing light that’s yellow.
Dorm rooms have lights (typically) but if you want better lighting, get a standing light yourself. Find one in a yellow color. Or, if you can’t find a yellow one, get a yellow lampshade for it.
Try color changing lightbulbs.
If you do opt to get a standing light, with it, get a smart lightbulb or one that changes colors. Set the color to be on yellow!
Get yellow string lights.
String lights really bring the ambiance to a room. They tend to be shades of yellow to begin with, so find a fun shape or design that you like, and hang string lights!
Get a laptop case that’s yellow.
Your laptop or tablet will always be on your desk, right? Get a case for it that’s yellow! It’ll bring a pop of color to your desk. Yellow doesn’t have to be just in your home decor! It’s a great accent color for everything.
Choose a backpack that’s yellow.
Is your backpack slung over a chair or covering your desk whenever you’re in the room? Make it a yellow one and boom, it looks like part of the decor!
Cover your textbooks in yellow.
Back in the day, everyone covered their textbooks. Nowadays it’s not as popular, but think of it — if you cover your textbooks in yellow, they are all going to be on your desk or around your room. How nice would that look?
Use all yellow work supplies.
Decorate your desk in all yellow. Get yellow pencils, a yellow pencil holder, yellow scissors, yellow highlighters, yellow pens, yellow scotch tape, etc! Think of how nice everything will match on your desk, and how pretty it will all look.
Use yellow pens.
We’re not just talking about using pens that have a yellow exterior or a fun fuzzy yellow ball on top. Write in yellow, too! Find pens that have yellow ink. You may not be able to turn something in written in yellow, but you can have it for yourself.
Swap out the desk chair for a yellow one.
Who says you need to use the chair they have in the room? Get a more fun one in yellow — it may even be comfier, too!
Go neon!
Neon lights are all the rage right now, whether it’s your name in lights or a fun shape like a lightening bolt, which is of course yellow!
Neon signs are also a fun addition to dorm rooms because they’ll give off a cool ambience, which dorm lights won’t.
Make a photo wall of all pics of you in yellow.
If you’re decorating your room yellow, you likely love the color which means you’re bound to have pics of yourself in yellow! Print out the pics that have you in yellow, your friend in yellow or a yellow backdrop and use this to make a photo wall.
Photo strings are very aesthetic dorm room design and a great way to show off a photo collage.
Get a yellow letter board.
Letter boards are another trend that’s taken the world — and college life — by storm. Buy one with a yellow back-drop.
Hang fun and yellow posters.
Putting posters on your dorm room walls will never go out of style. Get ones that either have a yellow background or have some sort of yellow in it.
Print affirmations in yellow.
If you’re the type of person that prints affirmations and hangs them on your desk by your computer as little reminders, definitely starting printing them in yellow — or on yellow paper!
Use yellow contact paper to disguise furniture.
Let’s admit it – most of the furniture that comes with dorm rooms aren’t the prettiest. Assuming you won’t get in trouble, get some yellow contact paper to put on it, to “hide” the ugly furniture and make it look much prettier.
Have your roomie match you.
Chances are, you have a roommate. To really get that yellow dorm room, have them match you, whether it’s matching comforters, pillows, etc.
Hang a yellow floating shelf.
Especially if you need more space, hanging a floating shelf is a good ideas (again, assuming you’re allowed to!). Get one in yellow to really make that part of your room pop.
Bring your yellow outfits with you.
Sure, you have doors to your closet, but how often do you keep them open instead of closed? Bring all your yellow outfits with you, to brighten up your closet… and your spirits!
Hang a yellow mirror.
You’re likely going to need to hang a mirror up, right? Get one that had a yellow frame.
Cover your door in yellow wrapping paper.
Make your décor stand out from the outside, by covering your door in yellow wrapping paper or yellow contact paper! If this isn’t allowed, cover it in yellow bows or something of the likes.
Frame posters in yellow frames.
So you found a poster you need to hang, but it’s not yellow? No worries, hang it in a yellow frame! Plus, using frames for your posters will make your room look more put-together.
Have a yellow coat.
How often do you really hang your jacket in your closet? It’s hung on the back of the chair, isn’t it? Have a yellow one and boom, part of your decor.
Make your kitchen accessories yellow.
If you have a kitchen area, or a kitchen space in your dorm, get yellow appliances! You’re going to need a coffee make, right?! Get one in yellow, or get yellow coffee mugs.
Get yellow plates, cups, and napkins.
Even if you don’t have a kitchen area in your dorm, you likely still have some plates or cups or napkins, right? Doesn’t matter if they’re plastic or “real,” make them yellow!
Buy a yellow welcome mat.
Nothing says “home” like a cute welcome rug! Get one that says “welcome” or something funny on it and have the mat – or the writing on it – be yellow.
Add a yellow beanbag.
Having enough seating space is hard to come by in dorm rooms. With the small space, it’s not easy. This is why a beanbag is a good idea. It doesn’t take up too much space. Get one in yellow!
Hang college memorabilia.
Is yellow one of your school’s colors? Hang memorabilia from your college all over your room! What better way to rep school pride?
Hang memorabilia from your favorite sports team.
Does one of your favorite sports teams have the color yellow in it? Was it your high school’s color? Your town’s? Hang memorabilia in your room!
Use yellow towels.
Whether or not your bathroom’s in your room, you’ll need towels or a bathrobe. Get them in yellow! You’ll likely be hanging them somewhere everyone can see, right?
Get yellow slippers.
Do you change into slippers or fuzzy socks the second you’re in your dorm? Buy them in yellow!
Use window decorations.
Hanging things in your windows aren’t just for the holidays! Get yellow sticky flowers or anything you love to press onto your window.
Hang a yellow suncatcher.
A suncatcher is a great idea to help bring more light into your room. And can you imagine how beautiful it’ll be capturing the light when it’s a yellow one?
Have a yellow fan.
Your dorm may not have AC, which means you’ll need to bring a fan. Make it a yellow one!
Hang curtain lights.
Instead of just string lights, take things to the next level by hanging curtain lights. They’re already yellow!
Make all your frames yellow.
If a photo wall isn’t your thing but you still want to have some pics up, frame them — and make sure all the frames are yellow!
Get a yellow shoe rack.
Do you have too many shoes that there’s no shot they’re fitting in your closet? You need a shoe rack, so find one in yellow. Bonus points if you have yellow shoes to put on it, too.
Hang yellow paper lanterns from the ceiling.
Paper lanterns have become really popular and will give your room a fun look. Plus hanging yellow ones from the ceiling will make you feel like the sun’s in your room!
To Sum It Up: Yellow Dorm Room Decor For The Win
Yellow is such a bright and happy color – of course it deserves a place in your dorm room! You can also find lots of dorm room decorations at second-hand stores that will inspire your dorm room color scheme and make your dorm room feel more fun.
Hopefully this post inspired you to turn your college sleep and study quarters into a bright sun spot of yellow!
About the Author
Michelle graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelors of Arts '13 and a Master of Arts '14. She's currently working in corporate America with a side of freelance writing. She wants you to learn from her experiences and mistakes so your 20s can be your best decade. When she's not working, she's likely planning her escape to a tropical island.