Parents are going all out on their kids' college dorm rooms
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Once upon a time, kids headed for college got some extra-long sheets, a few crates and a hug good-bye from their parents — now they're getting thousands of dollars in dorm furnishings and interior design help.
Why it matters: Parents and "dorm-fluencers" are throwing themselves into glamorizing these temporary living spaces.
- Expectations for an Instagram/Pinterest/TikTok-ready dorm room are sky-high, putting those who can't afford such luxuries in a tight spot.
- Critics also say that all the design help from parents robs young adults of the opportunity to stake out their independence.
The big picture: "Gone are the days when most students pieced together secondhand finds from the side of the road and parents' basements, or lived in more spartan spaces," writes Meagan Francis in The Atlantic.
- "The era of peak dorm decor is here."
- Forget the bed-in-a-box comforter package — these rooms feature "coordinated bedding, matching desks and bedside tables, tasteful rugs, and neon name signs."
Zoom in: There's a growing group of folks, many mothers, providing dorm design advice — and earning revenue through affiliate links or selling specialized design kits, reports the New York Times.
- "They are tapping into the lucrative business of college life."
- Interior designers charge thousands for students to turn out their rooms with removable wallpaper, light fixtures, real wood furniture, etc., the paper reported last year.
Between the lines: Dorm decor is a big industry. The National Retail Federation estimated that college students would spend $12.8 billion on dorm or apartment furnishings this year — more than food ($9.4 billion).
- And there's also the need to make your space look great for posting on social media.
Some parents get super into it.
- "I'll be the first to admit — and I'm sure my husband would agree — that I probably spent too much," 46-year-old Ashley Jernigan told People magazine, laying out her months-long journey to designing her daughter's room at the University of Georgia. (A dorm gift registry was part of the process.)
- "I envisioned it being a space that truly felt like home to her," she said, adding: "She's worked so hard to get to this point, and I just wanted everything to feel perfect for her."
