The Lovely Side

Above: Brown Leather + Pretty Plaid




Above: Crisp White + Candy-Coated Colors

Charcoal + Bold Orange

Amore.

I created a group on Flickr called Your Dorm Room so that readers and students could submit photos of their past/present dorms. I was so excited when I logged into my Flickr account today and noticed that someone submitted photos. I love seeing where other other people live... especially in dorm rooms. Your dorm room is your home-away-from-home. It's where you study, entertain, hang out, sleep, get around, and even eat. It's a bedroom/office/living room and sometimes even more all wrapped up into one.

A big thanks to Stratospherical for sharing pictures of her dorm. She is a 20-year-old Art History and Literature student. (I've often fantasized about majoring in Art History.) I think her dorm decor definitely gives off an artsy, bookworm kinda vibe... which I totally love. All of these photos belong to her. If you would like to view her full photostream, click here.

Now, let's take a tour:
The first thing I noticed about her dorm room is the color on the walls. …

Above: My bed. My roomie and I originally decided on a red and orange color scheme for the dorm. Unfortunately, those two colors were just not "in" that season. I looked everywhere for a red or orange comforter to my liking. Time ran out. And I ended up with a boring brown one, but it was very comfy at least. I bought the "Gone with the Wind" poster my first week of classes. Isn't it wonderful? It's my favorite movie and the poster now hangs in my bedroom at home... nicely framed, though. And yes, that's a stuffed animal on my bed. I had to leave my adorable doggie at home, which was five hours away. My mom bought a look-alike Ty puppy and put my doggie's first collar on it. Wasn't that sweet? (Needless to say, it wasn't the same as cuddling up to the warm little ball of fluff I left at home.)

Above: This is the view out our dorm window. That big building in the distance is the library. That vanity in front of the window reall…

(above: *** by Lauren Murphy)

I've noticed that hanging strands of Christmas lights in the dorm room seems to be a popular decor option among college students. However, I think that such a task should be approached carefully. These sparkling lights are so pretty, but there's a fine line between tasteful and tacky. Here are some tasteful ways to hang Christmas lights in your dorm:

(above: *** by brane_01)

(above: *** by love underlined)

(above: *** by macwright)

(above: *** by J. Anne Photography)

(above: *** by Glynnis Ritchie)

(above: *** by SMN)

(above: *** by scottmccracken)

(above: *** by flaneuse)


Amore.

(pictured above is the Antoinette Fainting Sofa from UO)

A while back, I posted the Dorm Checklist to help myself and all of you guys remember those things that may be needed/wanted in a dorm room. Now I'm going to highlight great places to find all of those things. First on the list is Urban Outfitters. I do not have a UO store near to me [weeps] but I check the apartment section on their website compulsively. They carry such an eclectic, colorful array of apartment decor... and there are soo many things I think would be fabulous in a dorm. Check out some of the stuff below.

Decor: UO has such a fun variety. Whatever your taste or style, there's gotta be something here for you. Vinyl record coasters for the music-junkie. A sleek magazine holder for those of you with your nose in Cosmo, ElleDecor, or a beloved issue of Domino. An ornate table clock for the romantic. And even typewriters if you choose to go vintage when writing your papers.
On the Walls: UO carries lot…

I'm enamored with the artwork of Alphonse Mucha. It's the combination of lovely young ladies in flowing Neoclassical-style attire, rich colors, and elaborate floral details that appeal to me. So I thought... why not let one of Mucha's pieces of art inspire a room? His images are timelessly classic and effortlessly young and fresh. It was hard to pick just one painting because each piece of his art offers so much inspiration and fun color combinations. I ended up settling on his painting entitled "Ivy" because the contrast of the rich berry tones against pale green was so unique and...well, delicious. I hoped to capture the spirit of Art Nouveau and pair it with some bold, refined character.
(Above) A collage of Alphonse Mucha beauties.

Let me introduce Decor Board #3: Mucha Ado About Something...

Color Scheme:
Black+White, Dulcet Wine, Lush Green, accents of Rusty Orange.1: This side table reminds me of the branches present in so many of Mucha's works. 2:…

(duct tape by love underlined)

While rummaging the internet, I came across Flickr user love underlined's photo set entitled "collegio" and was drawn to it immediately. There's just something about seeing college life through another college student's eyes that engrosses me. Her life is full of reading, writing, and lots of coffee. But what immediately grabbed my attention were the photos of her dorm... the photos of her dorm room walls in particular.

For dorm dittos, I usually steal design tricks from an entire dorm room. Forgive me this time. I've been thinking a lot about how to liven up boring white walls... so for this ditto I'm just going to focus on the fabulous walls of this student's room.

Sometimes it's just so easy to haphazardly fill your walls with any and every poster you own. Sometimes it works and looks great. Sometimes it just looks like a mess. And maybe you really don't care about how your dorm room walls look. (...But …

(above image by allison drew)

Skip out on the sit-down restaurant meal and opt for plopping down on a big blanket for a picnic with your love. There are so many places where you can enjoy the outdoors with this fun meal. The park. A beach. Even your own backyard. All you need is a blanket, a basket of goodies, and a pretty-eyed boy to share both with.

Decisions, Decisions...

Cupcakes in the Park
Go a little retro by packing your picnic in a vintage tin bucket. Fill it with tasty treats like strawberries and whipped cream, shortcake, brownies, cookies, and some cupcakes. Whoever said you can't make a meal out of desserts? You'll feel extra pretty in a sweet a-line sun-dress and pair of pastel pumps. Spread out the blanket at a nearby park and enjoy your afternoon getaway.



Laid-back by the Lake
Plan a laid-back supper by setting up a lakeside picnic. Pack a traditional basket with delicious sandwiches, potato salad, chips, and fresh fruit. Wash it down with some lemonade or…