5 Great Ideas for Decorating a Guy's Dorm Room

When it comes to decorating a dorm room, guys and girls approach it in totally different ways. Women are more likely to pick a singular style or theme (the color purple, butterflies, etc.) College guys like to style their dorm rooms with individual pieces that give a laid-back feel and clearly reflect their personalities. So, what are some college favorites when it comes to décor? Below are five of the top hottest picks to make a blank, boring dorm room truly yours.

Beer Signs

Do these signs feed the stereotype of the drunken college student? Who cares?!?! They're trendy, great for a dorm room and good for a laugh. For instance, there's the classic "Beer - Helping White Guys Dance Since 1842" retro-style sign, available at Amazon.com for only $4.99. Another poster in that line includes "Beer - Proud Sponsor Of Casual Sex Since 1858" If you want a beer sign that's a little different, try the "Life Is Full Of Difficult Decisions" Beer Art Poster, also available at Amazon.com for only $2.99. It's a cheaper and less messy alternative to collecting beer bottles in your room, and your advisor would probably frown on that anyway. You get the picture.

Solid-Colored Bedding

Again, you're not a woman. Unless you're a mom whose son is going to college, in which case the beer signs above were probably a shock. At any rate, when you think of jazzing up your room, your sheets and comfortable are probably not even in the equation. But they should be. Why, you ask? Because in a dorm room, a bed is not just a bed. You sit there, sleep there, study there, entertain friends there - so you need some bedding that's gonna make the cut. Go for solid colors, in a comfortable fabric that you'll enjoy sitting on every day. Also, if you pick a darker color, it will be less likely to show stains. And there will be stains. One example of cozy, practical bedding is L.L. Bean's Ultrasoft Microfiber Comforter (Twin/XL Twin - $79.99) in dark green, brown, tan, dark red and dark blue.

Neon Signs

Light up the night with these cool, bar-style signs! MyNeonHaven.com has a huge selection of neon signs, so you're sure find one perfect for your room. If you've seen it somewhere and want it, you'll probably find it there. Two of my faves are the Ferrari Prancing Horse Neon Sign ($399) and the Corona Sun, Palm & Tropical Fish Sign ($329), but those are only two of dozens available.

Art & Photography Prints

If you're at all into art or photography, you might want to find some of your favorites to fill your wall. I could get girl privileges revoked for telling you this, but here goes: the neon and beer signs will not impress a date, but an interest in art and photography will. That doesn't mean you have to slather Monet all over your walls - art and photography isn't all about flowers and butterflies. Allposter.com has a great selection including all kinds of poster prints. Ansel Adams photography and celebrity photos (such as James Dean) are decidedly not feminine. Just take a look, and pick something that reflects you.

Funky Lighting

Dorm room lighting is usually pretty weak, and sometimes there's no built-in lighting at all. That being said, you'll probably want to bring some of your own lighting, and you might as well make it good. One guy favorite that I totally don't get is the Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story. A Christmas Story House Gift Shop offers them in every imaginable shape and size - it's really pretty interesting. They have Leg Lamp Nighlights, Leg Lamp Desk Lamps, even a string of Leg Lamp Lights! Which brings me to the next type of lighting - Christmas-style!

I've known tons of guys that used string lighting across their dorm rooms, from regular Christmas lights in white or multi-colored to novelty lighting, such as beer bottle bulbs. This provides even lighting across the room and can be used in conjunction with lamps for a brighter room.