Gen Z faculty college students showcase unimaginable dorm room transformations
Gone are the days when you could move into your college dorm, hang up a mass-produced poster, and call it a day.
Now, it’s all about matching bedding, custom artwork, and even getting interior decorators to help make sure that the aesthetic is ideal for both freshman-year roommates.
Southern students – including Kansas City Chiefs heiress Ava Hunt – are showing off their dorm room transformations on TikTok and remodeling basic rooms into ideal mini-apartments for just two semesters.
Not everyone is using a decorator – some college women are crafty and hunt down deals on Amazon and at HomeGoods.
FEMAIL spoke to one of the go-to designers for incoming college students to find out how they’re completing transforming 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, famous for her preppy and feminine designs, as seen above
Eden told DailyMail.com, ‘We use queen size bedding to cover the bed frames well and for reuse the following years’
Eden’s followers love her before and after pictures. She explained about this one, ‘We delivered the items — the girls and moms installed perfectly’
Jaci Osment shared a video showcasing her freshman dorm room at the University of Mississippi.
The dorm tour showed off light-up makeup mirrors, matching bedding, framed artwork above the bed, and an elegant white couch with throw pillows – a far cry from the worn out leather futon found in most college dorm rooms.
In the comments, the southern beauty queen explained much of what she bought was affordable. She purchased the posters from Etsy and framed them at craft store Hobby Lobby.
Jaci bought the rug at Target, the couch on Amazon, and the floor mirror at Walmart. She didn’t swap out the furniture, as most freshman can’t remove it from their dorms, and instead found ways to camouflage the bulky wooden furnishings.
The crafty college student simply covered much of the clunky pieces with white fabric.
Commenters were left in awe of the elaborate room, with one raving, ‘This is soooo pretty. I’m 47 and I want my room to look like this.’
University of Alabama student Meredith Harwell also went viral after giving followers a TikTok dorm tour.
Meredith showcased pink bedding, disco ball pillows, and custom neon name signs above her and her roommate’s matching beds. Both young women had matching makeup stations with pink toile, which was actually a LoveShackFancy bean bag cover placed on top of the desk.
In 2024, Essentials With Eden worked with clients 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 quilts, showing off the stunning before and after transformation
Both roommates usually split the costs down the middle, although some roommates will buy the majority of the furniture and accessories to reuse the following year in their apartments, while the other will just buy her bedding
Eden usually starts by doing a consultation 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 followers a TikTok dorm tour, showing off pink bedding, disco ball pillows, and custom neon name signs
The student got her disco ball pillows from Target and hid the drawers holding her clothes under the bed.
Meanwhile, University of Alabama freshman Bre Morris was one of the first incoming students in 2024 to share a dorm tour in August, much to the delight of her followers.
Bre, who went viral for her Bama Rush outfits, showed off the transformation from a barebones dorm room, which she turned into a hot pink bedroom with a cozy rug and makeup station.
Eden Bowen Montgomery, 25, graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2021 and started Essentials with Eden, where she’s become the go-to designer for incoming students at Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
In 2024, her company Essentials With Eden 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 starting their freshman year, and encourages them to choose quality items that will last them for the next four years as they move off-campus and into sorority houses or apartments.
And as for how they do the complete transformation, Eden told DailyMail.com, ‘We use queen size bedding to cover the bed frames well and for reuse the following years.’
Jaci Osment shared a video showcasing her freshman dorm room at the University of Mississippi
University of Alabama freshman Bre Morris was one of the first incoming freshman in 2024 to share a dorm tour in August, much to the delight of her followers
Her team uses custom desk skirts and bed skirts to soften the dark brown furniture provided by the dorm.
Eden usually starts by doing a consultation with both roommates and their moms.
‘Most of the girls come in with ideas for their rooms, so we really don’t see much issue with the matching aesthetics,’ Eden said.
‘We do work with all budgets and do our best to accommodate everyone.’
Both roommates usually split the costs down the middle, although some roommates will buy the majority of the furniture and accessories to reuse the following year in their apartments, while the other will just buy her bedding.
Eden’s company offers full room installations, where the team designs and even and sets up the room.
This option is especially helpful for students who fly in, so they don’t have to worry about getting all of their items by move-in day.
