3 Storage Spaces Every College Freshman Overlooks (And How to Use Them)
Plastic floor bins are cluttering your dorm room before you even finish unpacking. Pottery Barn Teen’s VP explains how shifting your focus to three overlooked zones can instantly make a small space feel curated instead of crowded.
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August brings a familiar ritual. Parents and college freshmen fill shopping carts with plastic floor bins and stackable drawers. The problem is that floor space in a tiny dorm room or first apartment vanishes the second the suitcases are unzipped.
According to Allison Mast, Vice President of Pottery Barn Teen and Dormify, the secret to outfitting a small space isn’t buying more bins to organize. It’s shifting the focus to three underutilized zones: the void under a lofted bed, the backs of doors, and vertical wall space.
The Illusion of Floor Space (and the Power of the Under-Bed)
When trying to make a small room look bigger than it actually is, the instinct is to push everything against the walls and fill the remaining floor area with storage. But relying on exposed bins quickly makes a room feel like a supply closet.
Storage ottomans, bed risers, and wall-mounted shelving are all popular small-space solutions, but Mast says the real gap is elsewhere.
“Maximizing vertical and hidden storage in small rooms is key, as most people tend to focus only on floor space, but walls, doors, and under-bed areas can become highly functional when designed thoughtfully.”
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Whether it’s storage ottoman, closet organizers, or an over-the-door mirror with shelving, the room can instantly feel calmer and less cluttered. And the area beneath a lofted or raised bed follows the same logic. Rather than tossing loose items under the frame, underbed storage options that slide in and out keep everyday essentials within reach but out of sight.
Storage Ideas That Maximize Style and Function
Reclaiming Walls and Doors
Most dorms and first apartments come with strict lease agreements around wall damage, which often keeps renters from using their most abundant resource....vertical space. What are the highest-impact changes someone can make that are completely renter-friendly? Well, some of the biggest transformations Mast says come from the least permanent update. “We believe temporary spaces should still feel personal.”
“Multifunctional furniture” is one of the most-searched terms in home design right now. From a design perspective, there is a difference between pieces that actually work versus ones just marketed as multifunctional. “Multifunctional pieces solve a real problem in small spaces, where every item needs to earn its place,” Mast explains.
Getting ready for move-in day? Here are the 25 best dorm room essentials on a budget to maximize space, comfort, and style in 2025.
Curing the “Organized Clutter” Syndrome
A space can be technically organized and still feel visually chaotic. Small spaces can easily start to feel cluttered even when they are technically organized. So, what design principles help a compact room feel open and intentional rather than packed? Well, in small spaces, Mast says “visual simplicity is just as important as organization.”
In small spaces, every item has to earn its place, so functionality should feel like an integral part of the design. “A cohesive color palette, multifunctional furniture, and individual design details can make a room feel more open, pulled together, and personal,” Mast continues. “We encourage students to create clear zones for sleeping, studying, and storage, even in a compact footprint.”
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That’s the throughline across all three overlooked spaces. A cramped dorm room reads as curated rather than cluttered when storage disappears into the design.
