By India Autry
Raleigh News & Observer
College freshmen begin a great adventure this fall, tackling new academic, social and personal experiences. They'll also have to settle down, into a territory some are accustomed to occupying on their own, not splitting with someone else -- the dorm room.
When they do, they'll have the luxury of starring in their own design show.
But college veterans say that before newcomers delve into decorating their rooms, they should be warned that the Home & Garden Televison show they'll find most relevant is "This Small Space."
It's not easy to look at the typically bland rooms and see the potential. But it's there, the veterans say. And they have the advice to help with transition.
It's all about imagination.
"You have to be creative with your space," said Malik Walker of Raleigh, N.C., a fourth-year psychology major at Virginia's Hampton University.
Walker says freshmen should remember two words: storage and stacking.
Walker 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.
North Carolina State University senior Katie Hendrix also didn't let cramped quarters cramp her style. Anything that will go in a hole, stick it in there and push it to the back," says Hendrix, from Rose Hill, N.C.
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.
Hendrix, who now lives in an apartment, says small dorms have big decorating potential. For 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, 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 said. "Get on one accord and talk about things that would work for both of you."
Walker said sharing should also apply to square feet. "One might have a lot of stuff, but they have to be able to condense it because, chances are, the other person's going to need all of their space, too," he said.
Walker said girls often have a different idea of domesticity -- carrying along the stuffed animals, plants and decorative pillows -- that guys often pass over.
"I think girls pretty much bring everything," Walker said. And what's the big item for guys? Video games.
Like other homes, the dorm will host visitors. Coley said room decor may not be Topic A around campus, but it is the first thing people notice when they drop by.
"It lets you into a person's personality," she said. "You can see how they like for things to look."
Upperclassmen's Dorm Decor Tips
Upperclassmen have these recommendations for freshmen to take to their new dorm rooms. They also advise buying furniture for storage that is durable enough to withstand four years of moving. Most of these items can be found at big discount stores:
- Big storage bins.
- Storage with pull-out drawers.
- Hampers.
- Shoe rack that can hang in a closet.
- Organizational material for desks such as letter sorters.
- Small trash cans.
- TV wall mounts. You can find these at electronics stores for $20 to $30.
- Bed risers. These can sit under bed posts, lifting them high enough to create storage space underneath.
- Something to hold dirty dishes until you're ready to wash them.
- One or more fans for rooms without air conditioning.
- Totes for toiletries.
- Sheets and pillows. These make nice decor for futons.
Upperclassmen also offer these tips:
- Try to find out how much furnishing your assigned dorm room already has, so you'll know what you need to take. Some rooms have less shelving and built-in storage space than others.
- If you haven't teamed up with your roommate and you're big on matching, buy things in simple solid colors to lessen the chance of clashing.
- 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.
- Guard keepsakes or breakable items.
- Things will accumulate during the course of the school year, so be prepared to take back more than you brought.
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