diy straw lamp

As a project for class, I made a pendant lamp out of straws. I grabbed the clear straws and red stirrers from a dining hall and bought the lamp cord kit from Urban Outfitters.

Sam's photo-filled single

Name: Sam R

Location: Young Orchard

Type of room: Single

Sam's room features a series of her own framed photos: Paris, San Antonio (her hometown), and her other travels. Other notable design decisions include hanging her large clock on the picture railing and placing the tall strip of photos on the right to create a well-balanced vignette.

UPDATE on holiday dorm decor

I was shopping at Urban Outfitters today for a lamp cord kit (for a project that I'll be posting soon!), and I saw a plethora of baby Christmas trees. Thinking of my previous post on holiday decorating, I decided to post these inspiring little trees.

And, for holiday decorations that you can use all year long, consider light strands, also available at Urban Outfitters.

bedskirts reinterpreted for dorm use

Some dorm room beds can be lofted, which means one great thing for students: storage! But to be honest, storage isn't always pretty. As seen in Christian's dorm tour, an improvised bedskirt can be the perfect solution. They can be made of any fabric, really.

I use a queen sized flat sheet from home for my bed, which works perfectly because it covers the bed all the way around. If any of you have tried this method, what materials have you found most effective?

tucked in pillow cases

This fabulous quick fix comes from Betty, whose room we saw in an earlier dorm tour. The idea is to transform your pillows, making them look fluffier, fuller, and more finished. How? Simply folding the outer edges and tucking them in. This trick works especially well if your pillow cases are just too big.

Read the rest of this post to get full pictures and instructions on how to achieve this look.

books as decor

Being college students, we may find our rooms overflowing with books sometimes. When shelf space isn't cutting it, I recommend stacking them out in the open. Should you stack them according to size or color? There are many approaches to this design solution. One of them includes stacks of magazines. What do you think looks best?

Betty's warm deluxe double

dorm tour

Name: Betty W (room 1)
Location: Brown University, Woolley
Type of room: Double

My freshman year, I was fortunate enough to have a super-stylin' roommate, who actually documented her designs. I'm hoping to bring a more current dorm tour to you from her current residence in Grad Center in the near future.

Kim's room through the years

dorm tour

Name: Kim Arredondo
Location: Brown University, Woolley, Emery, Metcalf
Type of room: Double, Single, Single with closet

Over the years, my room has changed a lot, but my main decorations (and of course, the given dorm furniture) remain more or less the same. Here is a sampling of pictures to see just how my room layout has evolved with my different rooms.

Christian's strategically exposed single

dorm tour

Name: Christian Martell
Location: Brown University, Hegeman
Type of room: Single with small closet

Let's face it storage can often be an issue in dorm rooms. But, rather than hiding your belongings, why not leave them out in the open for everyone to enjoy? Take a look at how this dorm features creative ways to use your things as decor. It's easy, personalized and, best of all, totally affordable...

heat you can control

Many dorms have heating that is controlled from some remote location on campus, which can mean many a cold night for college students. Some solutions to warm up winter nights include mini space heaters and heated blankets.

And there is always the old trick of heating your blankets in the dryer, made new by Brookstone's towel spa towel warmer. I have to say, the $1.25 it would cost to dry your blanket yourself is probably the more cost-effective option here, though.

space-saving storage

If there's anything lacking in dorm life, I think most students would agree that it's storage. Here's a roundup of storage solutions, including some of the most difficult things to store in a dorm: shoes and dish ware.

furniture that you can pack

When the end of the school year means packing up all your belongings into storage, the hefty sofa you bought earlier this year starts to feel more cumbersome than convenient. Dorm furniture often means compromises, but that doesn't mean they can't be stylish. Here are some of my favorite options (that are still perfectly packable).

The sofa from Aero has proven to be a comfy addition to my own room. And with a comforter on top of it and a pillow in the center, I'd like to think it takes on a cozier feel.

dorm-friendly fragrances

Many universities have strict policies against the use of candles. Some ways to avoid fines and fire alarms are oil diffusers, wall flowers, and scent bugs. If what you're really missing is the glow of candles, there are some electronic solutions and a super smart option from Febreze that lights up as well.