Spring Break
A student's dedication to interior design
Bryan Murphy
Issue date: 9/10/08 Section: Commentary
Studying abroad is an excellent opportunity to soak in the nuances and differences of other cultures - their food, their style, their arts and their way of life. And one of the frequently-unmentioned benefits of studying abroad is the opportunity to experience the fact that outside of the United States, the residential college system is fairly uncommon, or at least of a far smaller scale. If you do get an on-campus room abroad, be prepared for it to be the size of a walk-in closet!
Perhaps it is as a result of the thrilling experience of living a claustrophobic's nightmare for a semester that I have decided to dedicate myself obsessively to the interior design of my (far more spacious) room this semester. Having survived to my third year, I've had a fair chance to see how a number of people have gone about decorating their rooms and what does and doesn't work.
The stand-by staple for college interior decoration is the poster. The classic poster, be it a reproduction of a classic artwork, a band, or a movie, is an excellent way of spending a lot of money to give your room a disjointed, amateurish feel. When was the last time you looked in an issue of "Architectural Digest" and saw a bunch of posters duct-taped to a white wall? The important thing to achieve through your interior design is a unity of impression, which a haphazard collection of posters can't achieve.
For the cost of a few posters, you can head to the Wal-Mart in North Windham and pick up a few yards of fabric from the store's fabric section. Wal-Mart's fabrics are an absolute godsend for covering a wide swath of your wall in clean, interesting designs - be it some leather roebuck to go for a Western theme, leopard or tiger fur for a jungle feel, or a simple matte color of anything that isn't bone white. (Why did the administration decide to paint all of the dorms in the most eye-searing, unpleasant interior color possible? Really, couldn't they have at least gone for cream?)
Similarly, you could head to a hobbyist or an art store and pick up a huge amount of tissue-paper for a low price, and glue/tape/thumbtack some of it to your walls - again, anything to achieve a swath of unitary impression. Children's bedding, with its lavish designs and ornate decoration is also - no joke - a good way to avail yourself of a number of "murals" and "carpets" for extremely cheap - check out Bed, Bath & Beyond or Wal-Mart and see if your bedroom wouldn't be improved with a large cotton "painting" or a budget "throw rug." If you do go the poster route, try to make sure they have some sort of association with each other - or try "wallpapering" an entire wall with posters which touch at the edges, which can look excellent if done properly.
Perhaps it is as a result of the thrilling experience of living a claustrophobic's nightmare for a semester that I have decided to dedicate myself obsessively to the interior design of my (far more spacious) room this semester. Having survived to my third year, I've had a fair chance to see how a number of people have gone about decorating their rooms and what does and doesn't work.
The stand-by staple for college interior decoration is the poster. The classic poster, be it a reproduction of a classic artwork, a band, or a movie, is an excellent way of spending a lot of money to give your room a disjointed, amateurish feel. When was the last time you looked in an issue of "Architectural Digest" and saw a bunch of posters duct-taped to a white wall? The important thing to achieve through your interior design is a unity of impression, which a haphazard collection of posters can't achieve.
For the cost of a few posters, you can head to the Wal-Mart in North Windham and pick up a few yards of fabric from the store's fabric section. Wal-Mart's fabrics are an absolute godsend for covering a wide swath of your wall in clean, interesting designs - be it some leather roebuck to go for a Western theme, leopard or tiger fur for a jungle feel, or a simple matte color of anything that isn't bone white. (Why did the administration decide to paint all of the dorms in the most eye-searing, unpleasant interior color possible? Really, couldn't they have at least gone for cream?)
Similarly, you could head to a hobbyist or an art store and pick up a huge amount of tissue-paper for a low price, and glue/tape/thumbtack some of it to your walls - again, anything to achieve a swath of unitary impression. Children's bedding, with its lavish designs and ornate decoration is also - no joke - a good way to avail yourself of a number of "murals" and "carpets" for extremely cheap - check out Bed, Bath & Beyond or Wal-Mart and see if your bedroom wouldn't be improved with a large cotton "painting" or a budget "throw rug." If you do go the poster route, try to make sure they have some sort of association with each other - or try "wallpapering" an entire wall with posters which touch at the edges, which can look excellent if done properly.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Michele Wilk
posted 9/10/08 @ 9:56 PM EST
Is it worth mentioning how many fire hazards were published in this article?
Merri Cvetan
posted 9/12/08 @ 10:52 AM EST
Check out www.amazinggoodwill.com. We did three dorm room "make-overs" with items purchased at Goodwill. Great design can be had on a budget. Put your personality in your room. (Continued…)
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