One of my greatest passions aside from writing is architecture coupled with interior design. For my passion blog, I’m going to write about how you can transform your dorm room from something simple and bland to a something that’s sophisticated and beautiful, something that you can come home to sleep in with satisfaction. Some of us (fortunately or unfortunately) have to live in these rooms for a year, so why not make our experiences in them enjoyable? Who wants to avoid spending time in the dorm because it’s atmosphere doesn’t give you the best vibes for studying, or because a roommate is bothering the crap out of you? I know I don’t. By the way, it’s not like I want you to hole up in your dorm like a hibernating grizzly (or teddy) bear, but sometimes the best place to relax, get some work done, and fall asleep peacefully is in your own room. The ideas in this blog can be generalized to other living spaces as well, and, whether you live in a dorm, an apartment, a house, or in a cubby hole under some person’s stairs, you can find a way to make it nicer both functionally and aesthetically.
Since I live in a dorm room myself, I’m going to focus on dorm design. Starting with the basics.
CHAPTER 1: BASIC LAYOUT
Sometimes you read the word “basic” or “basics” in a textbook or manual, and you immediately skip to the next chapter to where things start to get interesting. I’ve personally read a lot of science textbooks, and the first chapter has always been about the scientific method, some theories on the given subject that you’ve likely already learned, and ethics. I hate those chapters because its the same stuff every time. I get it; I’m ready to get to the good stuff. But though I don’t consider interior design a science (more as an interpretive art), the basic stuff is important if you’ve never learned about it before. The first step in interior design is the layout.
Your first questions should be something like, “How do I want the room to work out for everyone who’s going to be using it?” and “What mood do I want to create?” You really need to consider these before you start delving in. Do you want you and your roommate to have your own separate spheres to work and relax in, or do you maybe want to be able to watch T.V. and comment on it side by side? Do you want to have brilliant lighting so it’s easy to see your homework and the clothes in the drawers, or do you want more relaxed lighting for reading for pleasure and playing games with people from your hall? There’s a lot to consider, especially if you want a more social or personal, or a more functional or pleasant atmosphere. Believe me, you can have both. Once you decide how you want to interact with your roommate and what you want to be doing in the dorm (homework, folding laundry, eating food, changing clothes, reading, watching T.V., playing games, and so much more), you should start on the room layout.
Often after 2-3 weeks, the layout of the dorm room is pretty much set in stone, but if you really think changing the arrangement will work better, don’t be afraid to bring it up with your roommate. I went to several different dorms too see how different people arranged their beds, desks, chairs, fridge, microwave, and any other accessories like lamps or T.V.s and game stations. Here are a few examples you can take from:
These guys’ dorm is set up with the beds off to one side and the desks lined against the window. They have a LOT more space than there would normally be, which is great! If you want to have a dance party or play twister or something, this is the way you want to arrange the furniture. However, here they’re also blocking a nice view from the window and the breeze from outside. After I’d already taken this picture, they actually took out the backs of the desks so that more light could flood into the room. Nice idea 🙂 I’m just hoping they can put it back without instilling wrath in from the residency overlords. They sleep with their feet closer to each other and their heads in the corners. It’s nice not to wake up to someone’s stinky feet in your face or wake up to find your roommate staring creepily at you too. We all need some space.
The use of the loft is an AWESOME idea. You get more space for the room and for yourself. This girl took the desk’s shelf and back off so that it would fit under the bed. I think it would be pretty cramped under there, but it seems to work for her. This might not be such a good idea for anyone who’s claustrophobic or tall or if you hate sleeping on the top bunk. The girl who sleeps in that bed told me that she somehow climbed down in her sleep and then climbed back up without waking up. Plus you never know when you might toss and turn and accidentally fall off. Never hoping that happens to anyone! Some kind of railing could be good if you need that security. The other girl in this room put her desk next to her bed. I did the same thing in my room, but it’s cramped because you can’t pull the chair out all the way. Also, I know some people like to face a wall when they’re studying, especially so you don’t need to acknowledge a roommate if you’re busy, but, being the slightly-paranoid person I am, I don’t like my back to face a door in case anything goes down. So, if you want to ignore your roommate effectively AND see who comes in the door, turning the desk a different direction is great.
The lucky girl living here has a single room, and I think not only her design, but her layout is amazing. She brought a futon with her for added comfort, a fan, a TV, and dozens of decorations. The way she laid the bed and futon makes it so you have access to the heater, drawers, and window while still having a lot of space and not having to hear every sound coming from the hallway. She put the desk in the closet to give space for the futon. The microfridge is in the space between the dresser and the closet. Also, I know the warm months are receding, but if you’ve stayed here in the summer before, YOU NEED TO GET A FAN. Where you put it is important also.
These girls were lucky enough to get a gigantic carpet to fill the room. They put the microfridge on top of one of their drawers, and this, as well as laying the beds and desks out to one side, really helps add a sense of grandeur and huge-ness to the room, things we’re all seriously lacking here. This room is perfect for social butterflies. There’s no privacy, but it’s great if you want to be able to talk easily with your roommate and have a totally relaxed and open atmosphere for your living space. Its a very simple but beautiful layout.
Here’s a guy’s single living space. Like the other one, the bed is opposite the dresser and closet so that there’s more space. He doesn’t have a futon, so his nightstand-type thing, microfridge, and desk are all lined up against the wall. There’s also a space between the end of the dresser/closet and the wall to the outside, and there he has a T.V., a hamper, the trash can, and some other stuff. The space is utilized really well. He has a rug too. I highly recommend in investing in one of those.
These girls are more introverted, so they both like having their own space. They kept the beds on opposite walls like the one earlier, but the desks in between face opposite. The space for the chairs to come out is a little cramped, and it’s hard to talk to each other when they’re in their own beds, but this layout gives more privacy to both work and change clothes if you don’t feel like making the trek to the bathroom (which incidentally is right across the hall from these guys :D). I stood behind the T.V. to take this picture. You can see the T.V. pretty easily from both sides of the room; it’s nice to have separate spaces, yet still have a community space in the center (which is where the closet, food, and entertainment is). If they’re in the dorm together, they like to eat on the rug there. So they still get some social interaction without sacrificing their privacy (even though they do sacrifice valuable space).
This layout is pretty cool, not just ‘cus they each have their own personal window, but because they moved their beds in accordance to the window angles. Once again, they kept the beds and desks against the wall, but in this layout, they aren’t necessarily working side by side (which can be pretty distracting). They each have their own space, but it works out very nicely in accordance to the room they were assigned.
He lucked out too. His roommate never showed up, so he uses the extra bed to make a king bed, and he uses the extra desk as one of those L-desks. 2x the space for sleep and work. How could it get any better than that? Also, I like how he used the roll-out stand thing to extend the desk further, specially for his fan. I know this is probably a one in a million occurrence, and doesn’t really apply to anyone out there, but I thought it might be interesting to dream about anyway.