July 4 Ensembles

Above: Brown Leather + Pretty Plaid

Above: Crisp White + Candy-Coated Colors

Charcoal + Bold Orange

Amore.

Stratospherical | Your Dorm Room #1

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. Beige. So not white. It surprised me because I'm used to seeing white on dorm walls since that's the neutral color most colleges pick. I like the beige though. It makes the room feel warmer and cozier. Those tall, narrow windows also caught my eye. They let in lots of natural light, I'm sure.
Here is her desk. It's a organized space with plenty of room to study and all the essentials (scissors, pencils, cell phone, etc.) within easy reach.
And now for a closer look at the desk. That little pink storage caddy keeps things like mini post-it notes, rubber bands, and paper clips all stowed away but easy to get to if needed. She used two cork squares instead of a full bulletin board. (This is something I've considered doing because the squares can be arranged on the wall.) Oh, and I reeeeally like her screen-saver. Isn't that lovely?
Here's the books she's been hitting. I'd like to see what she reads for pleasure. :)
Pictured above is her calendar. She noted that it quickly became neglected. Any calendar I ever hang quickly becomes neglected, too. I'm much more partial to the dayplanner I carry around in my purse.
One end of her bed. Gotta love the "Breakfast at Tiffany's" poster. I adore that movie.
Other end of the bed. I like that her bed is kept simple with a white blanket and those sweet heart-printed sheets. I also like those pretty little bird drawings hung on the wall.
She takes advantage of the storage space under her bed by putting the mini-fridge, microwave, and dining things there.
She shares the dorm with a roomie, but they hung this floral sheet as a divider between the two spaces. They get along great, yet sometimes it's nice to pull the curtain closed and pretend that you have your own room for a little while.
Here's one of the wardrobes. The tv is up on top. She mentioned that it had no remote and I immediately felt the pain. When I took my television to college five hours from home, I forgot the remote. It's one of those things you're really thankful for when you suddenly have to go a few weeks without it. Heh.
Another view of the creative divider. I do love the pretty colors on the sheet.
Lastly, these must be a few of her favorite items. I love, love, love that cute little deer. I'm also impressed with that drawing of Alice, the Rabbit, and the Mad-Hatter at the Tea Party. (I wonder if she drew it...?)

Thanks again, Stratospherical!

If you would like photos of your real dorm to show up here at the blog, please head on over to the Your Dorm Room group on Flickr and submit some pics.

Amore.

Room 332 | Blast from the Past

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 really came in handy. We had a small bathroom we shared with the two girls next door. It was great to be able to sit down and do my hair and make-up in the morning without being in anyone's way or them being in my way. I almost got rid of this vanity last summer, but I'm so glad I didn't... I'll be taking it college again this fall.

Above: My roomie and I on move-in day. (We accidentally matched, haha.) As you can see, the white cinder-block walls are terribly bare. I hadn't yet bought all those posters.

Above: This is the shared desk. My side was on the left, my roomie's was on the right. Definitely not much space on the desktop.

Above: A close-up of my side of the desk. This fall I'm definitely planning on coming up with a more creative replacement for the basic bulletin board. And I'm going to strive to keep the clutter to a minimum. ;)

Above: Our shared dresser, which we used as a tv stand. It wasn't a bad tv, really. Good picture, good sound. But boy was that thing a load to pack up and move to and from school. And as you can see... it was prone to having a glare.

Above: My roomie's side of the room. Her bed was loft, so we utilized the space by turning it into our little snack center. The fridge, microwave, and coffee maker were all located here. And her white Ikea chair was sooooo comfy!

Above: Here's my closet... on move-in day. Only a month later, it was sooo much more packed. Those hanging shoe organizers are nice, but the larger one was soon turned into a t-shirt organizer and the shoes ended up on the bottom of the closet.

It's hard to believe it's been almost two years since I lived in that dorm. It was a nice dorm and I have a lot of good memories that took place there. However, I only spent a semester at that school and then transferred to a community college close enough to home that I could live with my parents and family again.

This fall I am looking forward to having a much more fabulous dorm! My roomie and I attempted to design a cohesive space, but we lived far from each other and weren't sure of what to expect. We ended up just bringing random things and throwing it all together... which is what most college students do. We started out with a color scheme of red and orange, but that got forgotten about quickly. And we didn't start planning anything 'til really close to the start of school.

By starting early and having a room of my own, I'm crossing my fingers that it will turn out organized, color-coordinated to my liking, and aesthetically pretty. :)

Visit Your Dorm Room on Flickr to upload photos of your dorm so that I can share them here on the blog.

Amore.

It's a Keeper | Room Assignment Update

First of all, I just want to say thanks to those of you that responded to my "The Good, The Bad, and... The Ugly | Room Assignment for Fall 2009" post. Your comments so nicely reassured me that communal bathrooms aren't as scary as they sound, that no air-conditioning is really no biggie, and that having a single dorm is totally worth it. Thank you for your comments. :)

I have decided to stick with my original assignment. I briefly considered switching to another room on the same floor. It was a corner room. It would have been square and a bit larger. Plus, it would have had two windows on two walls. ...But in the end I kept my room because I like the long, narrow space and the fact that it has a real closet instead of those bulky armoires.

That image up above is what my room will be like. Very long and very narrow. But see that closet?! I just love that. And I like the three windows on one wall. It sounds like I'll have a pretty view out those windows, too.

I have an architect program on my computer (Total 3D Home) that can be used to design houses and landscaping. (Yes, in my spare time I do design houses for fun.) Well, I put it to another use this evening. It's great because I can create a room with the same dimensions as my dorm room. And I can insert furniture the same size as the furniture I'll have at school. Some of the furniture dimensions I had to guess (i.e. the dresser, desk, mini-fridge, and closet). I looked up the size of a twin xl bed online. And as for the futon, stacking drawers, and vanity... I already own those things so I knew the dimensions.

I played around for a while and came up with three possible furniture arrangements. Who knew arranging a long, narrow room would be so tricky?! I'm up for the challenge, though. :) I won't really know how to arrange my room for sure until move-in day. (And even then, considering I'm a habitual re-arranger... it may take a few tries until it's perfect.)

Arrangement #1

The above is Arrangement #1. It's pretty basic and is what I believe to be the most obvious way of arranging things. It also leaves a lot of floor space in the center of the room. I like that the bed is up against the windows. I like that the vanity is beside the windows, too. I'll be doing my make-up at the vanity and natural light will be most welcome. And I like that the television can be viewed from both the futon and the bed. I don't know if I like the dresser and desk placement.

Arrangement #2

The above image is Arrangement #2. This time the bed and futon are against one wall and pretty much everything else is up against the other. Again, there's a lot of floor space in the center of the room. I like that the vanity is by the window again. I also like that the desk is near the window. And what's nice about the desk and vanity being so close is that one chair can be used for both. The tv can be viewed from bed and the futon, which is a plus. But I'm not sure if I like the dresser being so far from the closet.

Arrangement #3

The above image is Arrangement #3. I went out on a limb with this one by doing something that rarely happens in a dorm room: I angled some furniture. In dorm rooms furniture usually ends up pushed against the walls. So I angled the bed coming out of the corner for something different. (And I've always liked angling furniture in my own bedroom.) Again the vanity is by the window, but this time it also kinda has its own little nook. And I unstacked the stacking drawers so that one could be near the bed as a nightstand. Also the bed and futon both have a view of the television. However, I'm not crazy about the desk being in the center of everything.

Well that's enough floor-plan brainstorming for tonight. You must think I'm crazy to be pondering furniture arrangement two months ahead of time, right? I can't help it. This is the sort of thing that keeps me up at night. :) I love thinking of all the possibilities this new space will offer. And I'm definitely up for the challenge of a long, narrow, tiny space.

Feel free to critique my arrangements and offer any suggestions you may have! I am aware that a loft would also open up much of the floor space, but they are not provided and at this time I would rather spend the money to rent/purchase a loft on other things for the dorm. And I think I'd rather sleep nearer to the ground (...since I occasionally sleepwalk).

Amore.

Christmas Lights

(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.

Outfitting Your Dorm with Urban Outfitters

(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 lots of things to put up on your walls. Some of the things below include a world map wall mural, record frames, a cardboard deer head, and museum frame wall decals. My favorite is the marquee letter. I would love to have a big light-up J. Wouldn't that be a fun, brilliant way to add some mood lighting to the dorm?Rugs: In my opinion, rugs from UO top any other place to buy rugs. They have a huge variety. Some are brightly-colored. Some have pretty patterns. And many are made out of recycled materials. Plus, they're affordable. What's not to love?Bedding: UO also comes out on top when it comes to dressing the bed. I love, love, love their selection. Beautiful patterns. Vivid colors. My only problem is deciding on which one I want. I could see myself curled up cozily in each and every one of these duvets/comforters/quilts.Windows: Don't fret. UO has your windows covered, too. Like the rugs and bedding, these panels come in pretty colors and patterns. And I'm in the same dilemma as I am with the duvets... I can't possibly pick just one favorite. There you have it. If you haven't fallen in love with Urban Outfitters by the end of my post, I'd really be surprised. If you want to see more of their apartment stuff (and maybe some clothes, too) check out the UO website. And don't forget to get going on those checklists!

♥Amore.

Mucha Ado About Something

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: This poster, Mucha's "Ivy", is the muse of the room. 3: These picture frames are reminiscent of the intertwining ivy in the poster. 4: This comforter's color is so fresh and verdant...plus the abstract leaves tie into details in the Mucha's artwork. 5: Love this elegant lamp. 6: This pillow offers a burst of burnt orange pulled from the poster. 7: And this damask berry-hued pillow is brings in the wine tone. 8: A fabulous black and white rug with abstract leaves... looks great with the comforter! 9: This funky, branch-like vase is as interesting as it is handsome. 10: This chair has a great design on the back! 11: Orange-blossom diffuser lends its wonderful scent to the room. 12: Lovely wrought-iron clock. 13: More abstract leaf design on this pale green vase. 14: This secretary desk can be closed up so that unsightly papers can be hidden from view. 15: And I couldn't resist throwing in this Alphonse Mucha calendar.

♥Amore.

Books, Record-Art, & Coffee Coffee Coffee | Dorm Ditto #8

(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 I'm thinking that you really do care, since you're still reading this blog.)

The walls of love underlined's dorm display all of her record album covers. And they're not just carelessly poster-puttied onto the wall, either. She hung them so neatly in a grid pattern. It's like a record art gallery. The colors on the records are so bright. And the pictures on them are so fantastically vintage. What's not to love?

(immersed by love underlined)

Besides the record display, I'd also like to share a creative storage solution I found in this dorm. This student and her friends are serious coffee drinkers. And while I can't say I drink coffee that much, I do enjoy a few cups if I'm in the right mood. (I love love love to drink coffee when I'm working on my novel.) So I will be bringing a small coffee maker and mugs to my dorm. I may just have to borrow her mug-storage idea.

Check it out in the photo below. I'm not sure what that contraption is called, but I have seen them in antique stores and thrift shops. I usually pass them by, carelessly acknowledging them as coat hooks or hat hangers that I have no real need for. I would have never thought to use the device as a place to hang my mugs, but I love the look. From now on, my eyes are wide open for one of these.

(missing five by love underlined)

Lastly, I just had to add in the photo of her bookshelf because I enjoy seeing what kind of reading material other people stick their noses in.

(my bookshelf by love underlined)

How to get love underlined's look:

1) Re-consider what you consider art or wall decor. Don't limit yourself to posters and pages torn out of magazines. Browse antique stores, thrift shops, and Etsy for cool vintage posters, magazine covers, postcards, and (of course!) records that would make great artwork. Then hang it on your dorm walls with some poster putty or masking tape.

Here are some record covers (found on Etsy) with potential.

Left: Organ Moods by Bob Hill | SweetLoveVintage
Middle: An Accordion in Paris | modtiki
Right: Oklahoma! | ShirleysAttic

2) Find one of those funky expandable coat hooks and hang your coffee mugs on it. ;)

The coat hook above is from DandelionGirl on Etsy.

♥Amore.