A place of your own Students cozy up to dorm room decor

Author: Cecilia Goldschmidt

Everyone is familiar with some of the old standbys of dorm room decorating. Chances are, at least a few people on your hall have tacked up that famous image of John Belushi in his "College" sweatshirt from "Animal House," or that neon "Endless Summer" surf shot. Then there are the ubiquitous lava lamps and year-round Christmas lights. The truth is that putting flowers in your empties is not quite as elegant as you thought, especially when you first got the bright idea the morning after you polished off that bottle of Popov. I asked around and heard about some students who took more unique approaches to their dÈcor. Here are four very different rooms to help you get inspired.

Zen Oasis

"We designed it with the idea of a sanctuary in mind," said Peter Spyrou '10.5 of his double in Brooker House that he shares with Will Bellaimey '10.5. I entered this room through the window and was immediately struck by its earthy feeling. The floor is covered with a deep green rug purchased from the college bookstore. Their green couch is accented with light green pillows, and they are planning on adding green curtains to this scheme. The walls are decorated with nature scenes from Andy Goldsworthy. Four plants are strategically placed around the room Spyrou brought a jade plant and a rubber plant from home, and he and Bellaimey bought the spire plant and their "shrub" from a nursery nearby. The most notable part of their room is a calming stone fountain, complete with a Buddha statue, which sits in a round wooden table (built by Bellaimey and his brother) in the middle of the room.

The Barracks

"It sometimes feels more like summer camp than college," said Ben Kunofsky '09.5 of the Lang 4 suite that he shares with Blake Berman '09, John Havel '09, Brett Woelber '09.5, Luke Douglas '09.5 and Mason Graddock '09. Making very creative use of the space in their suite, these guys decided to take their three bedrooms and do something a little different. They moved all six beds into one room to make three bunk beds. This room, which they have named "the barracks," is quite a sight to behold. Kunofsky described the "cacophony of snoring" that takes place in the room every night and the chorus of alarm clocks that go off at 8:50 every morning, and Woelber stated that he sometimes feels like "one of the seven dwarves." They have even played a few games of "musical beds" in there. The other rooms of this suite have been turned into a den, a game room,and an "office," which holds all six of their desks. The walls of the suite have many interesting decorations, including a nude of Kunofsky and Woelber, painted by Chris Mutty '09.5 and set in the "Great Hall" (their common room).

Global Bazaar

Upon entering the single of Charles "Cully" Cavness '09.5 on the third floor of Forest, it is hard to know where to look first. His room is decorated with souvenirs from his travels and is full of personal touches. Cavness's favorite part of his room is his silk sheets that he brought back from his trip to India this summer. His floor is also lined with silk rugs from India, which he purchased after a fierce bargaining match with the vendor. Another major accent is the large Buffalo skin rug that his father bought in Colorado. On the walls are a bull whip from Mexico, colored papers that he obtained in Arkansas on a road trip, German lederhosen and an Italian flag that he brought back after taking cooking classes in Italy. Cavness feels at home in his room among these various personal mementos. "It is decorated with things from my life," he pointed out. "I can remember my experiences whenever I come back here."

Polka Dot Palace

If you have never before seen the magic of "wall pops," it is important that you check out the room of Amanda Lee '11 and Jessica Spar '11, located on Hadley 3. Lee bought the wall pops from Lowe's, and now colorful spots cover their refrigerator, drawers and wall. "We thought it would be interesting because we can't paint the walls," commented Lee. Available in all shapes, colors and sizes, wall pops easily stick to most surfaces and (perhaps more importantly) can be easily removed. Lee and Spar even have a striped wall pop whiteboard up on their wall. The colors of the decorative dots actually tie together the beddings of Lee and Spar, and this was not accidental. Lee planned ahead, and when she emailed Spar this summer before arriving on campus to get to know her, she asked her what color her bedding was and bought the wall pops accordingly. According to Lee, many people have asked where they can buy the wall pops. So this new dorm room accessory may soon be seen in dorm rooms all over campus.

With a little bit of spare time and creativity, you can turn your own room into a striking sanctuary that reflects your personality. Consult with your roommate to find an arrangement that is practical but not a replication of a Bed, Bath and Beyond catalog. Feel free to play with unique combinations of colors and patterns, to find more unique combinations of colors and patterns, and to find more unique art and posters at great price on eBay. This dorm room is going to be your home away from home for an entire year, so it's definately worh the extra effort.