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Homes

Front Porch: Turn your dorm into a home

By ELIZABETH BETTENDORF
Published August 12, 2005

Years ago, when I packed up my Volkswagen Rabbit and headed off to the University of Missouri, dorm room decorating was all the rage. Marimekko comforters, bright throw rugs, beanbag chairs, museum posters and space-saving devices, such as plastic milk crate shelving, could completely transform the most antiseptic dorm room.

For many students, the desire to personalize that first home away from home - no matter how small - hasn't changed in decades.

North Tampa interior arranger Jane Xiques, owner of Rooms for Change by Jane, specializes in making good use of small rooms. She has personal experience with it after helping her daughter, who graduated in May from the University of Florida Dental School, zest up her collegiate living spaces.

"When you first walk into a dorm room, it can be kind of intimidating," Xiques says. "You want to make it look like home - functional and comfortable - but the concrete block walls are often gray or yucky yellow and you can't paint them. There are two beds, two desks, and a closet, which you will probably be sharing with a roommate."

Xiques suggests investing in a good, washable, attractive comforter because the bed often serves as a space for eating, studying and entertaining.

Build a simple, raised loft bed if the school permits, because that will free up space underneath for a desk, file cabinets and extra lighting.

Coordinate ahead of time with your roommate and decide who will supply the TV and refrigerator, she advises, since there's no need for duplicates.

Typically, she adds, dorm room closets are Lilliputian in size and doorless. She suggests folding and stacking as many clothes as possible in clear plastic bins and buying hangers that can hold multiple skirts or pants.

Cover the front of the closet with inexpensive but fetching washable fabric that can be tossed at year's end. Plain, inexpensive muslin is an ideal canvas for hand painting, stamping or decorating with family photos for a highly individual look.

Spray a cheap metal file cabinet a shade of hot pink or tangerine with Rustoleum. And no matter how tempting it is for a parent to step in and start decorating, ultimately a dorm room should reflect the student's own vision, Xiques notes.

"This is their time and space - let them take responsibility for it," she explains. "They will care for it a lot more if it's their own design rather than if mom and dad did it for them."

Bonnie Nieves, a Wesley Chapel design consultant who works for the Norwalk furniture store in North Tampa, became so intrigued by dorm-room design after listening to the tales of college-bound family members that she created the following Top 10 dorm room decorating list.

1. First, Nieves says, bring a big rug. It will soften the floors and make the room more inviting for lounging or exercising.

2. Invest in a feather-bed mattress topper for less tossing and turning on a dorm-issue mattress.

3. Consider task lighting for desk and study areas - small, bright lamps that make it easier to see textbooks and notes.

4. Bring a beanbag chair or oversized floor pillows for additional comfortable seating besides the bed.

5. Invest in closet stuff like belt and scarf hangars to help stay organized.

6. A large "body pillow" adds extra comfort for on-the-floor study sessions.

7. Laundry and shower totes with handles make dorm life a whole lot easier.

8. Bulletin boards and wipeoff message boards are a must to stay organized.

9. Bring something for filing papers and notebooks, even if it's a large, good-looking wicker basket.

10. Favorite photos or artwork will make even the smallest living space feel warm and homey.

Perhaps one of the best resources for dorm-room decorating ideas comes from Rental Decorating Digest's Web site, www.rentaldecorating.com

They suggest decorating dorm walls with a laundry line, perfect for stringing pictures or ticket stubs. (This even works across a room.)

Just keep in mind, Xiques says, that "this will all come down in about nine months. The life of a dorm room is just one college year."

[Last modified August 11, 2005, 08:56:11]