A few weekends ago, I spoke with a mother-daughter duo who were shopping for some new bedding. The daughter was headed to Kentucky for her freshman year and they were searching for the perfect shade of blue to show off her new school pride. It got me thinking about how bedding can transform a cold, impersonal room and how fun it could be to showcase collegiate looks and dorm room design tips.

There is so much to get ready when you are moving out on your own for the first time. I remember being so excited to start my journey at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and the first thing on my journey to adulthood was creating my living space. I was ready to leave behind my boy band posters and childhood bedroom for a life of style and sophistication — then I saw what a dorm room actually looked like. Dorm rooms can be very impersonal and intimidating at first, but even the most beautiful art starts with a blank canvas.

How does one turn a new home-away-from-home into a space that is uniquely personal? Most dorms are equipped with a basic bed, desk and chest of drawers. While there is not much you can do about the generic, standard-issue furniture, there are touches you can add that will make a big impact on those pieces.

Let's start with bedding. To match or not to match? You can make either option work beautifully. I can't resist a set of matching twin beds; I love using symmetry in design and in small spaces to help keep visual clutter to a minimum. Matching beds are easy to put together if you and your roommate have similar tastes. If you don't, consider sticking with neutrals and just trying to land on an accent fabric that speaks to you both. Add a personal finishing touch with monogrammed pillows.

If you want to coordinate but not match, consider again sticking with a neutral base for both beds and playing up your favorite patterns in the same color palette in accent pillows and throws. One fun idea: Get two duvets with the same fabric on one side and different but coordinating fabrics on the other. Place them on each bed neutral side up, and turn them down for a fun pop of pattern and color. Finish each bed with pillows and throws that coordinate with each duvet.

Dress up your basic dorm bed with textiles you love. If a DIY headboard isn't for you but you still want to cover up the one you've been assigned, just add some large pillows — one euro or two king pillows go a long way toward hiding what you might not want to see. A skirted bedspread is great for hiding all of those under-bed storage containers. Finish off your look with a school spirit pillow or two or, of course, a monogrammed lumbar pillow.

It is easy to get cluttered at a workspace, so keep it simple with sweet and small accessories as well as practical additions such as jars. Don’t forget your chair! Add a pop of color with a pillow that will make hours of studying much more comfortable.

With bedding covered, it's time for some vignettes. We love vignettes styled on trays for any space, but they are especially functional in a dorm room where you may need to move things from bed top to dresser top to desktop quickly and often. In these spaces especially, don't shy away from using everyday and often-used items in your groupings. Maybe those biochem textbooks will seem more appealing tucked under a trinket tray full of baubles. Add cute containers for your student ID, phone charger and other essentials of student life for a vignette that is practical and pretty.

Don't forget the walls and floors. While nails are a no-go, there are plenty of practical items you can "command strip" to blank walls. For instance, instead of a basic mirror and hook, add a fanciful detail like antiqued mirrored hooks for jewelry and your room key. Pull the whole space together with an indoor/outdoor rug to soften up the space and add an inviting layer that's easier to clean (at least between semesters).