Dorm-It-Yourself: Ryerson School of Interior Design Students Give Tips on Setting Up Your Dorm Room
Posted on | August 5, 2010 |
before
after
Ryerson School of Interior Design students Kathlene McGuinness, Clancy Snook and Evelyn Stewart made over this typical residence room (left) into this designer dorm (right) on a student budget with a homemade bedspread made from scrap fabric and fabric paint which serves as the room’s focal point, and by introducing a series of clipboards hung on the wall which create an easily modified gallery space.
For many post-secondary students, going to university or college means moving away from home and into a residence or another small and/or shared space. It might not be much, but it is your first opportunity to really create a space that is yours. It is possible to design your dorm room in a way that maximizes your (tiny) space and creates a comfortable oasis you can call home in the craziness that is university life. Ryerson School of Interior Design students and Haiti Shelter Initiative members Kathlene McGuinness, Clancy Snook and Evelyn Stewart present some Dos and Don’ts for setting up your new room:
DO’S
- Choose one focal point: A small room can QUICKLY become overcrowded and busy. If you pick one thing in your room to have major visual impact (usually the bed in such a small space), your space will immediately feel cleaner and more interesting.
- Maximize your vertical space: You don’t have a lot of floor space, so you need to make the most of the space you do have. Make sure you have a shelf (or two) and try to build up wherever possible. We made a desktop shelving unit out of salvaged drawers that provided both storage and display space, but cost nothing.
- Invest in storage: We cannot emphasize this enough. The more storage you have, the easier and cleaner your life will become. Nothing is worse than trying to find your textbook right before class under a giant pile of stuff in front of your bed. Also, have one catch-all that you can put things in quickly when mom or that girl/guy you like surprises you with a visit.
- Make sure furniture and accessories are flexible and multipurpose: The bedside table can be a step-stool/laptop-bench/seat; hanging clipboards on the walls let you change your art regularly; etc. Making sure most large pieces you own can do more than one thing means you can do more with less – and that’s good for your dorm room, the environment and your wallet.
- Mix and Match: Buying everything at one store does not a cool dorm room make. Vintage stores, IKEA, the Dollar Store, and even found objects make amazing conversation pieces. Just make sure they have a unifying feature like color or style. Found objects are often the best things of all – we have seen a stool made out of the inside of a washing machine and a desk made out of old ironing boards!
- Introduce the element of surprise: It’s always good to have one small thing in a room that may not seem to go with anything else – this introduces a bit of surprise, which is a big lesson for any designer – have fun in your space!
- Use frames: Frames can be found in second-hand stores, at IKEA, or by the side of the road. Use them! They really elevate your décor out of high school and into adulthood. They make your pieces look clean and put together, you can lean them against the wall (if you can’t use nails or tape) and they keep your favourite images from getting damaged in the craziness that is life in residence.
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