Gone are the days when you could move into your college dorm, hang up a mass-produced sign, and call it a day.
Now, it’s all about matching bedding, custom artwork, and even hiring interior decorators to ensure the aesthetic is ideal for both freshman roommates.
Students across the South, including Kansas City Chiefs heiress Ava Hunt, are showing off their dorm room transformations on TikTok, remodeling basic rooms into mini-apartments ideal for just two semesters.
Not everyone turns to a decorator: Some college girls are crafty and hunt for deals on Amazon and HomeGoods.
FEMAIL spoke to one of the go-to designers for new college students to find out how they are completing the transformation of their small living spaces.
Eden Bowen Montgomery, 25, graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2021 and started Essentials with Eden
Eden quickly became the go-to designer for incoming students at Ole Miss and Mississippi State, known for her sleek, feminine designs, as seen above.
Eden told DailyMail.com: ‘We used queen-size bedding to drape over the bed frames and reuse it in the years to come.’
Eden’s followers love her before and after photos. She explained about this one: “We delivered the items; the girls and moms installed them perfectly.”
Jaci Osment shared a video showing his freshman dorm room at the University of Mississippi.
The dorm tour showed lighted makeup mirrors, matching bedding, framed artwork above the bed, and a sleek, pillowy white couch — a far cry from the worn-out leather futon found in most college dorms.
In the comments, the Southern beauty queen explained that much of what she purchased was affordable. She bought the posters on Etsy and had them framed at craft store Hobby Lobby.
Jaci bought the rug at Target, the couch at Amazon, and the floor mirror at Walmart. She didn’t change the furniture, since most freshmen can’t move it out of their dorms, and instead found ways to camouflage the bulky wooden furniture.
The clever college student simply covered much of the rough pieces with white cloth.
Commenters were in awe of the elaborate room, with one saying: “It’s sooooo pretty. I’m 47 and I want my room to look like this.”
Student at the University of Alabama Meredith Harwell She also went viral after giving her followers a tour of her TikTok bedroom.
Meredith displayed pink bedding, disco ball pillows, and personalized neon name signs above her and her roommate’s matching beds. Both young women had matching makeup stations with pink fabric, which was actually a LoveShackFancy bean bag cover placed on the desk.
By 2024, Essentials With Eden has worked with customers in 43 different states as they offer delivery and installation services in Mississippi and also ship items nationwide.
Eden worked with these Mississippi State roommates to install custom artwork and ice-blue velvet bedspreads, showcasing the stunning before-and-after transformation.
The two roommates usually split the costs down the middle, although some will buy most of the furniture and accessories to reuse in their apartments the following year, while the other will only buy their bedding.
Eden usually starts by checking in with both roommates and their moms to make sure everyone is on the same page.
University of Alabama student Meredith Harwell went viral after giving her followers a tour of her dorm room on TikTok, showing off pink bedding, disco ball-shaped pillows and custom neon signs.
The student got her disco ball pillows at Target and hid the drawers containing her clothes under her bed.
Meanwhile, a freshman at the University of Alabama Bre Morris She was one of the first incoming 2024 students to share a tour of the dorm in August, much to the delight of her followers.
Bre, who went viral for her Bama Rush outfits, showed off the transformation of a basic bedroom, which she turned into a hot pink bedroom with a cozy rug and a makeup station.
Eden Bowen Montgomery25, graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2021 and started Essentials with Eden, where she became the go-to designer for students entering Ole Miss and State of Mississippi.
In 2024, your company The essentials with Eden They have worked with clients in 43 different states as they offer delivery and installation services in Mississippi and also ship items nationwide.
Eden works with most of her clients entering their first year and encourages them to choose quality items that will last them the next four years as they move off campus and into sorority houses or apartments.
As for how they make the entire transformation, Eden told DailyMail.com: “We used queen-size bedding to drape nicely over the bed frames and to reuse in the years to come.”
Jaci Osment shared a video showing her freshman dorm room at the University of Mississippi.
Bre Morris, a freshman at the University of Alabama, was one of the first incoming freshmen of 2024 to share a tour of the dorm in August, much to the delight of her followers.
Their team uses custom desk skirts and bed skirts to soften the dark brown furniture the bedroom offers.
Eden usually starts by consulting with the roommates and their moms.
“Most girls come in with ideas for their rooms, so we don’t really see many issues with aesthetic matching,” Eden said.
“We work with all budgets and do our best to accommodate everyone.”
The two flatmates usually split the costs evenly, although some buy most of the furniture and accessories to reuse in their apartments the following year, while the other only buys their bedding.
Eden’s company offers complete room installations, where the team designs and even assembles the room.
This option is especially helpful for students traveling by air, as they don’t have to worry about receiving all of their items on moving day.
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