The Women of Dorm Decor

What started as an idea around a kitchen table between original founders Alison Gorrie and Kate Phillips quickly grew to a reputable brand and premier retailer for refined campus living.

Two years ago, Alison and Kate sold Dorm Decor to Magnussen Home Furnishings, a furniture manufacturer based out of Greensboro, North Carolina.

Since then, Carolyn Greene, Jennifer Cope, Martha Elliott, Sue Register and Kaci Chesebro work to continue Alison and Kate’s vision by helping college students around the country design their dorm rooms.

The women who run Dorm Decor became friends during their high school and college years at Mountain Brook and Vanderbilt University. After being close friends for many years, they were familiar with one another’s skill sets.

When Alison and Kate started Dorm Decor in 2015, Carolyn was asked by Alison to help keep the books. The first year Dorm Decor opened, the women thought there would be about 100 orders, but to their surprise there were over 1,000.

“It was very overwhelming,” said Carolyn, who quickly transitioned from bookkeeper to operations manager. After making a few hires to handle the influx of business, the team of friends excelled.

“Each day is different, and it’s fun to take the business to new heights with such amazing friends,” Carolyn said. “We really focus on quality and comfort at Dorm Decor. We test every product ourselves and have a collaborative environment where we can discuss our opinions about new products and trends. It’s very important that customers enjoy the products they purchase from us, so new products have to pass our quality standards test before being put on the market for purchase.”

Dorm Decor is more than quality products. The team enjoys helping young adults create their home away from home. They not only provide the decor; they provide guidance on style as well.

“There are many small details to be addressed when designing a dorm room,” Jennifer said. “When you work with Dorm Decor, we can help you create the perfect dorm setting, including not only comfortable and beautiful bedding, but by recommending items often overlooked like mattress encasements and a much needed 10-foot PowerCube.”

For the team, success is when all of their clients leave the showroom or website feeling as if all their needs have been met. That’s why Dorm Decor goes the extra mile for their clients, reaching out to colleges around the country to find the information needed to plan a perfect dorm room.

“Each college is different and we try to have room measurements and other details about the dorms so that we can steer customers toward the best products for their dorm,” said Martha.

The entire team at Dorm Decor is dedicated to giving back to the community and helping others thrive. Many products are manufactured in Alabama, and the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind sews thousands of bedskirt panels and pillow covers for them every year.

“It’s amazing to see what an incredible organization AIDB is, and we are happy to partner with them to help provide jobs for the hearing and sight-impaired,” Sue said.

The team is excited about the release of their 2020 collections. “We have expanded into full/queen size bedroom design, as well as added a few boy looks this year,” Kaci said. “We can’t wait to help new and returning customers design their perfect space this season!”

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