Interior designer extraordinaire Albert Hadley once said, “I deeply believe that a beautiful décor can have a beneficial influence on our lives.” This is a notion to consider, especially since college students spend an average of 215 days in their dorm rooms. Those 215 days can be spent without drab, bare walls and dreary shelves.
Firstly, try to keep the room organized and fairly tidy. Not only does it make roommates happier, but who cares if there is a delectable Johnny Depp poster on the wall when it is hidden by a heap of schoolbooks or clothes?
Be sure to decorate with some sentimental items that are reminders of home. Comfort is key, and stuffed animals and photographs are must-haves for students.
Warm, comfortable lamps are a necessity. The harsh, fluorescent overhead lights in dorm rooms can sometimes cause headaches. Mixing up the lighting can be a fresh new way to energize during all-nighters.
Use beanbag chairs for furniture. They are cheap, come in a variety of designs, and can be stored away easily.
Collect postcards or greeting cards and create exciting college collage posters.
Not only are they super-fun and cheap to make, but homemade magnets on the refrigerator also add color and personality to a room, and they do not cause worry about damaging the walls or furniture.
Hang a laundry line from one end of the room to the other, and buy colorful clothespins to pin up pictures, important papers, ticket stubs, etc.
Get inspired by taping favorite quotations or song lyrics on the walls.
Add some green to the room with flowers or other potted plants. Just do not forget to take care of them.
Call upon the inner “studious dorm” and hang some educational decorations on the walls. Geographic maps and other charts or tables add thought and color to the room, and they are trendy quick reference materials.
Have fun, and be sure to discuss decoration plans with roommates first.
Carol Fritz is a second-year communication studies major. She can be reached at CF716022@wcupa.edu.