It's not easy to look at typically bland dorm rooms and see the design potential; all you may see at first are cold cinderblock walls and concrete floors. But with some creativity and know-how, you can turn your college home into a cozy retreat.

Seek Storage in Unlikely Spots

"You have to be creative with your space," says Malik Walker of Raleigh, N.C., a fourth-year psychology major at Virginia's Hampton University.

Malik says freshmen should remember two words: storage and stacking.

Malik turns every hidden space into a storage area. He's managed to be compact and neat by putting his computer keyboard in a desk drawer, sliding emptied suitcases and roll-out storage bins under his bed and filling the floor of his closet.

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North Carolina State University senior Katie Hendrix also didn't let cramped quarters cramp her style. "Anything that will go in a corner or a hole, stick it in there and push it to the back," says the Rose Hill, N.C., native.

In her dorm room, when horizontal wasn't enough, she looked up, stacking a microwave and television on colorful plastic milk crates and turning her bed into a loft so she could put a futon under it.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-Courtesy of PBdorm

Sharing Your Space? Coordinate!

Katie, who now lives in an apartment, says during her two years on campus she bought utilitarian items such as curtains, comforters and carpets with a Hawaiian beach theme.

Themed rooms are a popular approach to making tiny dorm rooms lively. If you're going that route, seniors say it's a good idea to get your roommate involved.

Aria Coley of Raleigh, N.C., a senior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, said her room's celestial scenery — created during her sophomore year — shone because she and her roommate planned ahead. They decided to wait and buy their bedspreads together, each selecting a comforter with a moon-and-stars design. They bought other furniture items, including a decorated lamp, post-arrival so they could have an equal hand in picking them.

"The advice I would give is to make some calls now," she says. "Get on one accord and talk about things that would work for both of you."

But think things through before splitting the cost of an item with your roommate. Only one person can take it when it's time to leave.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-Courtesy of PBdorm