Strike balance in dorm decorating
| • | Build loft to create space |
By Emily Hagedorn
Detroit News
 |
| Doris Yee, 18, spruced up her dorm room at Wayne State University in Detroit with pictures and other personal touches. But she says clutter — including more shoes than she needs — remains a problem.
Gannett News Service Dorm no-nos The following items are banned at most residence halls: Anything with an open flame such as candles, incense and lighters Toasters, electric grills, frying pans, hot plates and waffle irons Torchiere-type halogen lamps Space heaters |
White, cold, bleak blocks of nothingness, fluorescent light, bare-bones furniture and a prison-style mattress — not what you want to live in for the next eight months.
This might be what you see when you step into your dorm room, but this image doesn't have to live long past move-in, say designers and veteran students.
"You go mentally insane with white walls," says Doris Yee, a resident adviser and dorm dweller at Wayne State University in Detroit. "Put your heart on the wall."
With some lighting, furnishing and maybe some lofting students can create home sweet home, decorators say.
Plus, decorating a dorm room doesn't have to cost you your college tuition.
"You do not have to go to Bloomingdale's to furnish your dorm room," says Nina Willdorf, author of "City Chic: An Urban Girl's Guide to Livin' Large on Less."
Lesson No. 1: A dorm room is a shared experience.
Before moving in, many experts suggest contacting the roommate and discussing the motif. Because space is so tight roommates will want to avoid having two of everything, and shopping for dorm needs can be a pair's first bonding experience.
"If you're sort of Ms. Goth and they're Laura Ashley you might want to find a little common ground," Willdorf says.
If the roommates are complete opposites, Lee Snijders, host of HGTV's "Design on a Dime," suggests spreading the tastes around.
Instead of separating the Marilyn Manson and Britney Spears posters, mix and match them around the room. "It sort of becomes an eclectic thing," he says.
Lesson No. 2: Make spaces less claustrophobic.
"The first thing I would say is do not turn on that overhead fluorescent light," Willdorf says.
Have lamps at least by the bed and desk, says Mindy Greenberg, owner of New York City-based Encore Decor and frequent guest on HGTV's "Decorating Cents." Angle the lamp toward the wall, to make the dorm look larger.
Colors can also spruce up an otherwise dull room:
- Brights and darks can be overwhelming if exaggerated.
- Cool colors alleviate anxiety.
- Blue suppresses appetite.
Lesson No. 3: Put it up high.
Space can also be gained by lofting beds — putting the beds on risers so a desk, entertainment or lounging area can fit under it.
"It gives the student three places to sit back and do his homework — the desk, the bed and under the bed," Snijders says. It decreases the likelihood you'll fall asleep while studying, and putting the bed up high can keep visitors off it, he says.
Lesson No. 4: If you don't need it, leave it.
"There's no need for a U-Haul," says Yee.
Sometimes, first-timers will bring their entire bedroom including furniture — it only creates clutter.
"And the minute you get messy, then there's a problem," Yee says.
Most colleges furnish a bed, desk, closet and dresser.
Joseph Ratcliff III, another resident adviser at WSU, suggests only bringing the clothes needed for the season and limit the amount of formal wear.
Yee's 12 pairs of platform shoes and boots line the small hallway into her cozy abode. "I don't need half of these," she says.
Lesson No. 5: Realize your restrictions.
No painting. No big nails. No changing blinds or carpet.
No toasters. No candles. No George Foreman grills.
"You have to be a little bit more mindful of what you can do," Willdorf says.
Posters, tapestries and wall hangings — as long as they require no large nails or screws — are the norm for covering those hideous bare walls, Snijders says.
The limits on appliances also create a greater need for mini-fridges and microwaves.
Willdorf suggests roommates make hunting down cheap appliances one of their first outings.
The final test: Be creative.
Yee and Ratcliff have seen residents decorate with foosball tables, couches, Christmas lights and fake palm trees.
Yee's dorm room includes a long piece of black, plastic mesh she found on the street, which she uses to hang pictures from.
"That's a fun way to bring a fun thing into the room," he says. The more you personalize, the more time you want to spend in it.
Remember, decorating is a process and through it you can discover your own tastes.
"It is the time for a person to find out their likes and dislikes and comforts and tendencies," Greenberg says. "It's about your personality surrounding you."
• • •
Lofts are a way students can gain some extra floor space in their dorms, but depending on the school, some carpentry might be involved.
The beds resemble a bunk bed minus the lower bunk, and students can usually fit a love seat, entertainment center or desk in the open space.
At Michigan State University, where about 50 percent of the residents loft their beds, the school requires that they must be inspected, says Angela Brown, director of university housing.
Lofts must be stable, bolted in the right places and use the right sizes of wood.
They cannot be in front of a door or window, she says.
In addition to those rules, students usually get creative. She's even seen a motorized loft.
"We allow them to do just about anything aside from bolting to the wall, painting and knocking walls down," she says.
Most lofts can be built for $150 to $200, and many students will hire the loft contractors who sprout up around campus.
To be safe, make sure the loft is inspected before the builder leaves, says Brown.
"Sometimes it's not easy to get (in contact with) that company again," she says.
Lee Snijders, host of HGTV's "Design on a Dime," lofted two beds for a show he did last year on dorm decor.
He was able to fit an ottoman, chair and bookcase under each bed. He said you could also string beads or a curtain across the open space for more privacy.
"Instead of putting stuff in that space underneath, turn that space into a place to sit down and relax," he says.
