10 Best Frat House Decor Ideas

When most people think of frat houses, they’re probably imagining beer-stained couches, discarded red solo cups littering the floor, and walls that have seen better days. However, with social media and aesthetics playing a bigger role in fraternity recruitment in today’s age of Instagram and Facebook, it’s important to step up your decorating skills to the next level.

1. Paint (And Re-Paint) Those Walls

Everyone knows frat house walls witness a lot. Don’t let stains and scratches make your house appear a little too lived in. Pick out a bright, fun shade or use your fraternity’s colors and make repainting a brotherhood bonding activity!

2. Upgrade Your Dance Floor

No frat house is complete without a proper dance floor. Depending on your budget, you can use something as cheap as a foam mat or as pricey as marley flooring. Consider using fun colors or tile-based designs to really make your dance floor pop under mood lighting.

3. Have A Real Bar

Don’t just stick a brother behind a folding table filled with drinks and red solo cups and call it a bar. Invest in a proper bar to both maintain a better overall look and to limit spills that can stain your walls and furniture. You can either build a DIY bar or buy one, but either way you should decorate it with flair.

4. Frame Your Composites

Fraternity composites are an important tradition, so most frat houses already have these composites hanging on their walls – often unframed or in a boring, plain frame. Instead, find frames that are fun colors or shapes to both bring more attention to your fraternity’s history and improve your house’s overall aesthetic.

5. Personalize Your Tables

Hand paint your ping pong tables to take your party games to the next level. Some fun theme ideas are school mascots and colors, fraternity symbols, and funny memes.

6. Hang Your Favorite Records

Records make a unique backdrop for photos and especially for dance floors. This also allows for a personal touch from every new member: you can make it a tradition that every brother must supply the frat with his favorite song or album’s record cover to hang on the wall.

7. Prioritize Proper Party Lighting

There are countless options, such as multicolored strip lights for any mood, projector stage lights to elevate your dance floor to a nightclub aesthetic, and even disco lighting. Make your frat house the ultimate party destination.

8. Incorporate Some Green

Most people may not think to associate frat houses and houseplants, but there are many benefits for college students. According to a study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, they’re proven to reduce stress and foster a calm, soothing environment. Another study found houseplants can even boost productivity and reduce sick days – vital for any student.

9. Give the DJ a Proper Booth

A DJ booth not only enhances the decor of your frat house, but it also protects your expensive sound equipment. For a DIY booth, you can use large plywood sheets drilled together to form a base and stand. Measure your sound equipment properly first to make sure everything is a good fit. After you’ve built it, don’t forget to paint it a fun color or add your Greek letters to the front.

10. Make Your House Shine

Tie all these tips together with a neon sign! Neon signs have been in style for as long as they’ve been around — and you can’t deny they’re associated with a good time. Any area of your frat house can benefit from a splash of playful, iridescent color from the bar to the dance floor to the bathroom doors.

Choose a pre-made design or customize your light by commissioning a custom neon sign from a company like Radikal Neon®. You get complete control over the design and they’ll even send you a proof before production starts. “Honestly, we really enjoy designing custom signs for frat houses and helping them create their own unique vibe,” says Tom Numan, President of Radikal Neon®. “Reach out to us and lets get started on your project!”