Dorm Room Design 101

By Kaja Gam

A few weeks ago I was sitting around a large table at Starbucks with six high school seniors discussing dorm rooms. After a timid first half hour, when it was clear that none of the girls had any concrete plans or had even thought in detail about their pending four years (or more?!) of college life, the conversation finally loosened up. General comments such as "It will be fine...I guess" and "I will figure it out with my roommate during the first week of school" moved to more concrete and substantial thoughts that revealed their expectations, hopes, and fears about dorm life, their rooms and their prospective roommates.

I have many clients with whom I have worked for years. As their children have aged, they have asked me to help transition their rooms from nursery motifs to more sophisticated teen styles, sometimes with as many as three transformations over the years. It is therefore only natural that as these children get ready to go off to college, I want to be able to help them with their dorm rooms as well. So I asked these young women to be part of an informal conversation that would help shed light on what it takes to make life as easy, comfortable and practical as possible for incoming college freshmen.

Personal preferences such as "I am a neat freak," "I love strong colors," "I always do my homework in bed," and "I have to listen to music when I work" were the beginning of a process that helped me compile a laundry list of absolute needs, wants and "maybes" that would help these soon-to-be coeds feel OK about moving away from home and transitioning into a four-year life that some have likened to an extended summer camp - at least as far as accommodations go.

What became very clear was that all the girls had specific ideas about what they expected from their roommates, what they could tolerate and what they could not, and how they were going to live their lives in college.

Anyone who has attended American colleges knows what the drill is: you have two to four people in one room. Single or bunk beds, minimal closet space, a desk and a chair. The walls tend to be concrete or cinder block and there are tight restrictions on adding fabric, changing colors, etc.

It's an environment that is hardly a designer's dream.

But in talking with the girls, we came up with a list of products and ideas that will enable them to add a touch of personality and function to these otherwise generic settings. Here's our laundry list of ideas:

> Since the current college generation is more adept at using a keyboard than a pen to study and communicate, a lap desk is a hot item on the wish list. They come in many shapes and styles, from ultra modern bentwood bed trays http://www.breakfasttray.com/store/1100c.html to high-tech contraptions www.lapdawg.com that offer everything from modern simplicity http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/notebook_products/stands/devices/4841&cl=us,en to colorful cushions (http://www.roomitup.com/Collections_3/Lap-Desks-With-Cup-Holder_5?leadsource=102011&osadcampaign=ADW0201&gclid=CMf69JiOq5sCFeFL5QodWHtZDQ.

> Because homework is never done on a desk anyway, make the most of the space by adding a hutch for knick knacks. Check out these simple and inexpensive ideas from Stacks and Stacks http://www.stacksandstacks.com/hutch-three-uses-optional-corkboard/ or modern and sophisticated options from Target http://www.target.com/Desk-Hutches-Desks-Furniture/b?ie=UTF8&node=12614451 http://www.target.com/Large-Hutch-Wheat/dp/B000XBCWP2/qid=1246129485/ref=br_1_24/188-5552102-7065651?ie=UTF8&node=12614451&search-alias=&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=target&field-browse=12614451&rank=pmrank&rh=&page=1.

> Those with romantic and feminine tastes might be drawn to PB Teen http://www.pbteen.com/products/p2044/.

> Add much-needed under bed storage with low and sturdy options such as this canvas box http://www.organizeit.com/po2toneunderbed.asp?rtnFile=canvbox&rtnDisplay=Canvas+Storage+Boxes&t=10 or this split top plastic box http://www.organizeit.com/posplittop.asp?rtnFile=plasticiris&rtnDisplay=Plastic+Boxes+%26+Totes. They even come with wheels http://www.organizeit.com/pounbedrol.asp?rtnFile=plasticiris&rtnDisplay=Plastic+Boxes+%26+Totes! Add some over-the-door storage, a kit for the shower and you are almost there.

> Given the limited space available in dorm rooms, look for items that provide dual function, such as additional storage compartments that can also serve as room separators for a little additional privacy and "me" space" http://www.containerstore.com/browse/index.jhtml?CATID=78066 or bedside tables that can have the same effect http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID=62561&PRODID=10022691. As a matter of fact, the Container store has created a page with just dorm room items that offers something for every taste http://www.containerstore.com/browse/index.jhtml?CATID=78156.

> No dorm room would be complete without posters and other wall art, and today's discerning college students have lots of options to choose from at http://www.allposters.com/.

Ultimately, the goal is to add a bit of color, pattern and personal style to the dorm room in a way that makes its residents feel as though the space is truly their own home and helps them feel as though they have taken their first small step into adulthood.

Previously featured on HGTV.com, Kaja Gam is a master of kitchen design in Westchester, New York. When you want a kitchen that's comfortable & functional visit http://www.kajagamdesign.com. © 2009, All Rights Reserved