A nine-month plan came together in a day, turning Addison Standley’s dorm room into a space that felt like home—and later drawing more than 13 million views on TikTok.
At 19, Standley was preparing for another year at Nelson University with a clear vision for her room. She and her roommate gathered ideas from Pinterest and social media, then brought family into the project. Reused furnishings and handmade touches helped bring their shared vision to life.
Planning together
“Having a dorm room that really expresses you and helps you feel comfortable really helps that transition. It’s just a space that you want to feel comfortable and happy in,” Standley told PEOPLE.
She already knew who she would be living with, so the roommates began planning once the spring semester ended. With Standley’s mother helping gather inspiration from Pinterest and social media, the roommates spent the summer turning ideas into a plan.
“We were ordering stuff throughout the summer. Then we moved in a day early than what we were required to and we both came here in the afternoon and started setting up about 2:00 p.m. after we moved all of our stuff in ... and we were basically done that night,” Standley said. “It didn’t take long at all.”
They put up peel-and-stick wallpaper to make the room feel more like their own. “The thing that took the most was definitely the wallpaper, just because we wanted it to be perfect, so it took a little more time,” Standley said.
As the room took shape, the duo enjoyed the process as much as the result. “We definitely made it fun. We were just talking, enjoying decorating and just really seeing the room come to life,” she said.
Personal touches
Standley described the finished space as “our entire Pinterest board.” Instead of starting from scratch, she worked familiar pieces into the room, reusing desk decorations, a desk shelf and some furniture from the previous year.
“The only things that I really purchased that are new are the rug and my chairs from last year,” she said. “I did get a new quilt on my bed and the pillows, and then the frames and lamps are new.”
She could not estimate the total cost, but said reusing items kept expenses low. “It was not much at all just because I reused things and I would continue to reuse them.” She said other purchases came from places such as Amazon.
Some of the room’s details came from family projects. “We have many DIY things here. My headboard’s DIY; that was maybe $10, if I had to guess. My grandpa and I built my desk shelf and my roommate’s desk shelf. My mom DIY’d one of my little frames that are on my desk.”
The shared effort mattered as much as the finished look. Standley said her previous dorm room had not matched because she had a different roommate.
“Last year I didn’t have a matching room. I had a random roommate, and so only half my room had pink wallpaper,” she said. “I do love sharing this room with my roommate. We have so much fun.”
The dog portraits are one of Standley’s favorite touches, displayed front and center in the shared room. The furniture took more planning: the school provided each student with a desk, bed, shelf and wardrobe, and the roommates had to arrange everything while preserving space to move around.
“So it’s hard to make a good spacious arrangement. We did figure it out. We did put the shelves under the bed, but it is just really hard maneuvering around all of that.” Standley said.
Beyond the views
Earlier in August, Standley posted a TikTok showing the dorm transformation. The video went viral, attracting more than 13 million views. Many viewers admired the room, but she was surprised by some of the negative comments.
“I was not posting to flex on anybody. I love transition TikToks, and I love my dorm,” she said.
“I was posting, and I really didn’t think it would go that viral. Obviously, I’ve gotten a lot of great comments, but then I’ve also gotten a lot of negative comments that have really just shocked me.”
The response affected Standley for a few days, but she said she is now focused on enjoying the space rather than dwelling on strangers’ remarks.
“I’ve definitely had to work around that, and it did send me in a little spiral for a couple of days, but I’m okay now,” she said.
Standley emphasized that the makeover was never meant to set a standard for other students.
“Everybody’s dorm can be what helps them get through college and makes them feel at home. A dorm room is what expresses you the most. It’s your personality. So this is mine. A lot of people don’t want to do all this, but this is definitely my personality, so I love it,” she said.
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