The fall college semester is underway, so it’s time to start thinking about decorating a dorm room. Though there are plenty of options for traditional decorations, we’re going to focus on creating a modern and high-tech dorm room.
Let’s look at some smart lights, speakers, and other high-tech gadgets you can use to decorate your 21st-century dorm room.
Create Your Atmosphere With Smart Lighting
Smart lighting is becoming more and more accessible as technology advances. And for the eco-conscious college student, smart light bulbs should be a must when decorating a dorm room. This is because they help conserve energy in two ways:
- They operate on low wattage
- You can turn the lights off remotely
Smart light bulbs are also a fun way to decorate a dorm room because they come in a wide range of styles and colors.
Wyze Bulb Color Brings Smart Lighting to Those on a Budget
Smart light bulbs can be expensive, but the Wyze Bulb Color provides impressive features at a reasonable price. At $42.99 for a four-pack, these bulbs are more affordable than most color smart bulbs on the market, which makes them ideal smart light bulbs for decorating a dorm room.
Aside from the cost, one of the best features of the Wyze Bulb Color is the ability to finely tune the color of the lighting. The bulbs have over 16 million colors to choose from. Plus, you can use the Wyze smartphone app to adjust them and set the perfect mood in your dorm room.
Another fun feature is automated lighting schedules. Simply use the app to program these bulbs to turn on at a certain time of day. And if you don’t want to use the app, you can set up voice control through Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. This could be particularly useful for college students who may still be adapting to waking up in the mornings for class.
If you’re looking to turn your dorm room into your own smart living space, Wyze smart bulbs are a great starting point.
Add Creativity to Your Lighting With Nanoleaf Shapes
Nanoleaf Shapes are one of the most unique lighting products around. Unlike traditional bulbs, these smart LED lights come in either triangular- or hexagonal-shaped panels. The idea is to create your own decorative lighting display by placing the panels on any wall and linking them together in any way you see fit. We recommend starting with a “smarter kit” in the shape of your choice. Then, you can always purchase an expansion pack if you need more panels.
Not only are Nanoleaf Shapes cool to look at, but they’re also easy to use. Plus, they’re compatible with
- Apple HomeKit
- Google Home
- Amazon Alexa
Nanoleaf Shapes help add a modern touch to your dorm room. But be aware, they certainly aren’t cheap, as the full-size “smarter kits” retail for $199.99. However, these are well-designed premium products that will make your dorm room stand out if you can fit them into your decorating budget.
The Govee DreamView T1 Turns Your TV Into Part of Your Decor
We don’t typically think of a TV as decoration, but the Govee DreamView T1 TV backlight has us reconsidering.
This kit includes multi-color LEDs for the back of the TV and a camera mounted on top. The camera points at the TV to pick up the colors on the screen and then emits those same colors onto the wall behind the TV. The result is a visually stunning and immersive TV viewing experience that adds a high-tech ambiance.
Key specs and features include:
- RGBIC colored lighting
- 12 scene modes
- Voice control with Google Home or Amazon Alexa
- Smartphone app control
The DreamView T1 is convenient, stylish, and affordable at only $89.99 for the 55–65-inch TV version and $109.99 for the 75–85-inch TV version.
Add a Stylish & Functional Smart Speaker
When you’re decorating a dorm room with a high-tech feel, you probably want a convenient way to control your smart devices. And what’s easier than controlling your lights and gadgets with your voice? This is where smart speakers come in, and there are two main contenders:
Let Siri Take Control With an Apple HomePod Mini
It’s no secret that Apple products tend to be well designed and stylish. Unsurprisingly, the HomePod Mini is no exception. This small smart speaker has a premium look and feel, and it comes in a variety of colors that make decorating a dorm room fun. The HomePod Mini color range includes:
- Space Gray
- Blue
- White
- Yellow
- Orange
What makes the HomePod Mini great for a dorm room is that Siri is built into it to act as your virtual assistant. So, the HomePod Mini can control any other smart home devices that are compatible with Apple HomeKit.
Decorating a Dorm Room with Google’s Nest Hub
The Nest Hub from Google is more than just a smart speaker. It also has a seven-inch touchscreen display to add video functions. This means you can use the Nest Hub to:
- Check the weather
- Get the latest sports scores
- Watch YouTube videos
- Control your other smart home devices
Other key specs and features include:
- Full-range speaker
- Three microphones
- Built-in motion and temperature sensors
- Chromecast built in
And when you consider the Nest Hub has a touchscreen display in addition to a speaker, the $99 retail price is not a bad deal.
Decorating a Dorm Room With Technology Can Be Fun
It’s easy to just throw up some posters and pictures on the walls when you’re decorating a dorm room. However, adding smart home devices—like smart lights—can add both convenience and beauty to your student accommodation.
