Meet Dorm Decor's Newest Designers
2018 was a year of major change for Dorm Decor. Our small business is rapidly growing, and former owners Alison Gorrie and Kate Phillips sold the company to Magnussen Home Furnishings, a family-owned and operated furniture manufacturer with a global distributing platform. Additionally, we’re undergoing major renovations with the construction of a new showroom in our wonderful city of Birmingham, Alabama.
As Dorm Decor continues to evolve, we enlisted the help of two young designers attending the University of Alabama: Brighton Ellisor and Anna Ingram. Together, they came up with a few looks that are sure to help you design your home away from home. Along with former owner, founder, and lead designer Alison Gorrie, the trio created unique and colorful looks for the young, sophisticated woman heading off to college.
Meet the new designers below and learn about their process in designing Dorm Decor’s 2019 Collections!
Brighton Ellisor
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Major: Interior Design
Minor: Business
Anna Ingram
Hometown: Mountain Brook, Alabama
Major: Art History
Minor: Studio Art
Question: What inspired you while designing Dorm Decor’s 2019 Collections?
Anna: Brighton and I were inspired by our recent travels to Italy. We both had the opportunity to study abroad in the fabulous city of Florence this past summer. We were surrounded by pastels and intricate patterns which really caught our attention. Normally people are swayed toward whites and neutrals for a dorm room, so we decided to spice it up a bit while still keeping it sophisticated with dark tones.
Brighton: When thinking about what new colors to use and ways in which to design, I wanted to take the versatile, clean look and add pops of color that were pastel and muted more than bold. As Anna and I were coming up with boards for the future collections, we decided to add in darker color palettes for a new unique and sophisticated look. We also incorporated a lot of neutral and natural elements that have been taken out of their usual context and modernized by mixing patterns, colors, and textures.
Question: Do you see any particular trends arising this season?
Brighton: One of the biggest trends I see coming in this season is a lot of prints and pops of color. Bright blues, cheetah prints, and texture are things I’ve seen used and continue to rise in popularity.
Anna: I also see a trend arising in patterns and textures with accents of pastels; especially with light green and light purple. There has been a spike in obsessing over cheetah print, camouflage, and marble patterns. I also love the new trend of mixing dark tones with light tones in a room.
Question: What advice do you have for incoming freshmen when it comes to designing their dorm room?
Anna: Freshmen year is the first time you get to really express yourself, make sure you put some thought into designing your dorm room. [It] will be where you spend most of your time and you want to feel comfortable in it. My advice would be to pick a work of art to use as your inspiration and serve as a guide. Most importantly, be creative and have fun while designing your dorm room!
Brighton: Design your room with comfort and home in mind. You will feel so much more at ease and have a feeling of belonging if your dorm is a created with a sense of home with your roommate(s). Bring in to Dorm Decor the colors, blankets, pictures and whatever else you desire to create that space!