Creative Ideas Can Transform Rooms

Whether it is a residence hall room, an apartment or even a house, the task of decorating has probably arisen. Bare walls need livening, cold floors need warmth, beds need a personal touch and closets need organization.

Gail King, an interior refiner from Room Makeovers with Pizazz, said college students can decorate their living spaces without spending a lot of money.

"Dorm rooms often fulfill the office, bedroom and personal-space needs of at least two people," she said. "It is important to focus on coordination and space maximization."

Matching bedspreads give the eye a homogenous view, said King, who recommends Bed-in-a-Bag sets for anyone with difficulties in combining color.

As for other parts of the room, King suggests a simple valance for a window treatment and posters and pictures to add life to walls.

"A silk plant is an inexpensive way to bring greenery and help get rid of the institutional feel," she said.

Another way to break the monotony of matching dorm furniture is to add your own sitting area, King said.

Bunk beds and lofts also break the symmetry and add floor space for other furniture and storage bins.

Many students take advantage of these options, including Laura Barton, a sophomore from Wilmington who made adding flair to her room in Hinton James Residence Hall a priority.

"My roommate and I have bunked beds to make room for my full-sized futon on the other wall," she said. "As for decorating, my theory is that if everything doesn't match, then it all matches."

Barton's room decor includes red chili pepper lights, a pink yard flamingo, a Moroccan tapestry, homemade curtains and posters from the annual sale underneath the Franklin Street post office.

"I keep the walls covered because cinder block really isn't my thing," Barton said. "Also, South Campus rooms have random poles so I wrapped ours with teal and silver ribbon."

Although King suggests adding something whimsical, she does not recommend a mismatched theme. "Combining different colors and textures is especially disruptive in a small space," King said.

But color seems to work for Leslie Weaver and her roommates, who painted each room in their house a different color.

Weaver, a senior communications major from Charlotte, said she and her roommates decorated their house inexpensively by using lots of paint, old couches with slip covers and even decoupage.

"Nothing matches in our living room -- one couch has a denim cover, one is in leopard print and there is a green chair with them," she said.

Although some students might disagree with King's rule of coordination, both Barton and Weaver agree with King's philosophy of not spending a lot of money for decorations.

They advise shopping at Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Linens-n-Things, thrift stores and using what one already has to add pizzazz to a living space.