Marcia WeinsteinIt is mid- summer and you call up your roommate and you both begin to wonder how big your dorm is and where it’s located. During the conversation you question each other on what items you are going to bring into your new home and what colors you should decorate the room. The end of August approaches and you enter your new pad. Unfurnished and very plain, you think to yourself, “Wow. Where do I begin?”
College students find it hard to decorate their dorm room for many reasons. First, the room is just simply too small to decorate, or secondly because you just don’t know how. Decorating your dorm can be fun and adding your own style to your section of the room is what makes the room unique. Here’s some ideas that others on campus have found helpful.
Chris Mindnich, a sophomore, said his favorite decorative item in his room is a poster. “I like my poster of Jessica Alba.”
Katie McCue, a freshman, said that her favorite decorative item in her room is her Bob Dylan poster. Having posters lined up on your wall is a great conversation starter. For example, if you have a poster of your favorite band or your future celebrity spouse, it is a great way to strike up a conversation when new people enter your dorm room, and are generally fun to look at.
Lighting is especially important when decorating your dorm room. Adding Christmas lights to your dorm room not only brightens up the room but can also be looked at as a decorative piece, or even a work of art. Having a floor lamp can add color or style to your room. It is best to place a floor lamp in the corner of a room, just because it provides indirect lighting and it will usually highlight one section of your dorm room.
Candles are also a great way to decorate your room. According to HGTV.com, “Candles are always great for creating a casual or even a romantic atmosphere.” Adding candles can also make a visitor feel welcome and at home in a space that is not their own.
Many students say they have the most fun when decorating for the holidays. Katelyn Penrose, a sophomore Elementry Education major, uses Christmas lights and a fake Christmas tree in her decorating process. “Me and my roommate love to get in the holiday spirit, and the best way to do that is decorating your room,” Penrose said.
Sometimes people feel as if it is hard to keep a color scheme that would work all year round. This is a terrible misconception because for every group of colors, there is certainly a hue that is acceptable all year round. When decorating a room it is always good to break up solid colors, so patterns do not clash. If you are trying to figure out which colors to use for your room, choose two main colors and an accent color. For example, two great colors could be blue and yellow. If you want to add vibrancy to your space add a touch of red (the accent color). Use items such as a red throw blanket for your bed, red flowers and/or candles.
In all, decorating your room can be fun. All you need to be is inventive and unique and in the end its almost guaranteed you will be satisfied with the outcome.
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Posted to the web by Matt Schill
