Email Answer: Temporary Insanity
Q: We don’t think you realize what a following you have in terms of a younger audience that’s not in the middle of a remodeling project. At least six of us in college that are in the dorms salivate over your pad on your blog. Would you mind offering up some style tips for small spaces that you can’t paint or hang things in? It would be really cool if you could feature some ideas for decorating a place like a dorm or rented apartment that’s a temporary stop that needs some homey touches. What would you have liked to know while you were still rocking the whole “college chic” decor in your pad to make it a bit more mature and fun? Give ze doggy a scratch behind the ears for us! Peace and love from Rhiannon, Kim, Alyssa, Jace and Emma (the undergrads from UCSC at Cowell College who LOVE YOU!)
A: Oh the college years. We remember them like they were yesterday. You girls pose a very good question (one that we actually get quite often) so without further ado, a few dorm decorating ideas:
- Here’s a video of my tiny NYC apartment full of cheap and simple apartment decor ideas
- Here’s an apartment makeover we whipped up for J’s lil sister (who also couldn’t paint)
A bit more basic advice would be that if you know your walls must remain white, try bringing in some pops of color in your bedding and in other things that are easily removable (bonus: they can come with you to your next place). Here’s an example of just how chic and fabulous a few punchy orange accents can be. Keeping the rest of the room subdued (just like those white walls) really allows the orange tones to pop- and a few bright pillows are a super budget friendly solution (you can probably grab four for around $45 at TJ Maxx or Target)!
You can also get some great fabric and cover a canvas from an art store and hang that on the wall with those removable 3M hooks that don’t leave marks behind. Similarly, you can paint a large canvas (no artistic talent required, splatter yellow paint on a white canvas… it’s abstract wonderfulness) and lean it against the floor or even make it a makeshift headboard by sticking it above your bed. Here’s a room with a giant work of art on the wall, but you can create the same effect on the cheap with floral fabric or even paint (abstract pink and red stripes or squares would be great).
Again there’s a tight color palette in this space (red and pink) which is offset by an abundance of crisp white pieces (and walls). Yet this room has personality to spare- and can totally be recreated in one trip to Ikea and the fabric store. Score.
People in a dorm or their first apartment might feel limited by what they’re “allowed” to do (or what they can afford to do) but the key is focusing on the positives! Think of all the pieces that can be introduced to add style and personality on a shoestring. Here are just a few things that can be found at a thrift store or an inexpensive superstore (Target, Ikea, JC Penney, even Walmart) and taken with you to your next place too: a brightly colored rug, a wooly sheepskin tossed over an ugly desk chair, an old side chair rehabbed with spray paint and some great fabric, printed bedding with personality, a big fabric or paint covered canvas on the wall, some great lamps (seriously fabulous lamps, like some $2 thrift store ones spray painted hot pink or emerald green- something with mucho personality).
Adding in these pieces with loads of character and “wow-factor”- especially when paired with a subdued backdrop (all dark wood or white furnishings)- will make up for the white walls and make it easier and cheaper to pimp your pad (and move to the next place in a minivan). Even a bulletin board full of punchy postcards or a piece of fabric draped over an old mismatched desk (to create hidden storage) can tie things together and add so much to a space. Heck, a stack of colorful hardcover books (remove the paper sleeves to reveal the vibrant fabric spines) can even add interest and personality.
By now you probably know that we’re also obsessed with curtains for a quickie makeover (especially if you can’t use paint) so that’s definitely another great way too achieve a layered look that’s coordinated without being matchy matchy (you want the bedding, the rug, the art and the curtains to work together, but not all be the same exact material or tone). Just look at how much these patterned curtains do for this otherwise bland white bathroom. They really can make the room.
Although they might not be allowed in dorms, they’re certainly fair game in most apartments! And toothpaste makes a great last-minute hole filler when you’re waiting on your deposit and don’t want “the man” to realize that you hung curtains in the first place. Long live fabulous dorm and apartment decor!
How about you guys? Any great starting-out decor tips and tricks to toss into the mix? Share and share alike!
Images courtesy of A Life’s Design, Inspiration For Everyday Living, Design*Sponge and Apartment Therapy.
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Comments
Awesome ideas! I’ve totally used toothpaste to cover holes. And whiteout to block out little nicks in paint. Along with various colored pens to get out little marks in my own bookcases, or other furniture.
I love the toothpaste part!
Great post – I find it highly relevant as I live in an apartment in NYC. We’re hanging up the curtains today!
Yes, I remember those struggles! Once we got a house paint was my first priority since I had been living with white walls for 5 years!
Awesome tips!!! I love all of it – really embracing where you are and making it HOME…and feeling a lot less temporary.
Some rental places actually let you paint so long as you put a primer up on the painted surfaces before you move out. The last place we rented came in with sprayers and sprayed every surface (walls, woodwork, ceiling) with the same flat paint once people move out as part of readying the apartment for the next tenants. So we painted every room! It definitely made our place more homey and less “rental”.
And, if you’re feeling industrious (and have some spare storage), you can easily change out the standard rental lighting (think brass, bare-bulb chandelier) with a lighting piece of your choice. Just store the old one and put it back when you move out!
Hey Amber,
That’s too funny! We’re still loving our DIY scent diffuser thanks to some Mrs. Meyers soap, a vase, and some skewers! It’s hysterical that they actually offer the official versions at Pier 1- we’ll have to keep an eye out for them and see if the compare to our make-your-own versions!
Great job you guys. The good ole days…ahh…if I could go back and do it again I would definitely invest in good bedding…like a good duvet and feather pillow inserts. I would have saved so much in the long run because I could reuse them in the next home.
Its nice to know what I am not the only university student reading this blog as well :)
Another good dorm/apt. idea.
http://timhollytullis.blogspot.com/2008/04/hot-red-kitchen.html
Don’t forget that tension curtain rods are also an option when you don’t want to leave holes. Although not as pretty, I used them in many an apartment, and they’re super cheap.
My hubby and I have graduated to first time homeowner status (yay!), but I well remember the college days!
One trick my roomie and I used to hang curtains that I also employed in hubs and my first apartment: large adhesive hooks! There are certain wall hooks available at Target, Bed Bath etc. that come with a foam adhesive pad that is easily removable. Nowadays, the hooks even come in silver/bronze metallic finishes that would match rods perfectly. We stuck two hooks the top two sides of each window, purchased thin cheapo rods from Walmart and placed the rods in the hooks instead of actually installing them. Worked like a charm and we used smaller hooks and some ribbon for tiebacks as well!
When I was living in apartments, I would hang a wide grosgrain ribbon from as close to the ceiling as possible (this is easier if you set a big grommet at the top of the ribbon.) The ribbon would run almost to the floor. Then I would space apart several framed photos/art along the ribbon, run the ribbon through the hanger thingy at the top of the frame and attach a large safety pin to the ribbon directly under the frame’s hanger. The pin keeps the frame from sliding down the ribbon. I would hang several sets of ribbons, each with art on them in a grouping on a wall. The whole wall was covered with art with only a few nail holes in the top of the wall where the ribbons attach. I don’t think landlords look for holes at the top of the wall, or at least mine didn’t. :) If you use a nice ribbon, it gives it a kind of gallery look.
I second Amber’s idea of using tension rods to mount drapes. I have used both thin tension rods and shower curtain rods in past dorms and apartments – not only in windows, but across closets and doorways as well, when needed!
I ditto the tension rods. Used them many a time, and in my current house because of some “wall” issues.
There’s quite a variety of wall decals out there – some are very pretty. Pier 1 carries some, and I’ve seen them on Amazon as well. They are allegedly removable, but I’ve never used them myself so I can’t vouch for them.
I also second Sherry’s idea about using large frames and leaning them against the wall, a bookcase, on top of a cabinet, etc., when you can’t hang stuff on the walls themselves.
Steve and Chris gave a great demo on using fabric and cornstarch glue to make fabric tattoos. Another great/harmless way to jazz it up.
http://www.cbc.ca/stevenandchris/2009/04/diy_underwater_adventure_1.html
I loved your small apt tour! you made great use of the small space. I can only imagine how much that must have cost!!
Hey Sarah,
Oh those were the days. I bet that entire room was about $150 thanks to Craigslist and Ikea and a cheap quart of green paint for the stripe. I even printed the blue birds on the wall at work (to emulate expensive wall decals I had my eye on- hooray for free DIY!), I picked up the floating fish tank for $30 and made the headboard on the cheap too. The funny thing is that I really loved that apartment and I even miss it from time to time. Of course I am head over heels in love with our casa here in Richmond, but there was something so charming about that little closet of an apartment in the middle of the Village!
xoxo,
Sherry
One dorm room I lived in had exposed brick walls (1970s brick, not as cool as you’d think) on the long side walls so I used sticky-back velcro to hang things. I even hung up my large curtain panel on one wall to hide some of the brick and just pinned the velcro to the fabric (sticky back doesn’t stick well to fabric.)
Of course, I spent more time out of my dorm room than in it, so decoration wasn’t the biggest priority.
As far as sticking things on the walls, I heard of the suggestions of tacking (with sticky stuff) cork pieces – seen ‘em in office aisles – and then using those to hang stuff or hang fabric on walls to hide cinder blocks. Cheap rugs from Ikea would be awesome as well. And just basically keeping things clean!
I think that has to be THE BEST article ever written. If someone ever asks you for your best piece of advice, tell them, “You want the bedding, the rug, the art and the curtains to work together.” That has to be one of the a-ha moments given to people who are having a hard time decorating.
It was such an “A-HA!” moment for me.
Thanks!!!
I’m addicted to your blog. I’ve never posted before, but I’ve been really inspired by your cabinet painting, garage door painting (what a difference!), and rainbarrel making projects. I just followed a few links back to your hard drive/home for Christmas post and found out somebody is from WV, which makes me like you 10x more! I had to give you a shout out. Keep up the good work and thanks.
I love that you love us more for the West Virginia reference. Too funny. John’s grandmother is from Huntington- we were actually just there for Easter. Thanks so much for the kind words!
xo,
Sherry (& John)
I love that you have WV connections! I did my dorm days at Marshall and now live only a couple hours north!!
I didn’t know you guys had several You Tube videos out there – I just watched the apartment tours and then “House Tour #1″ and it’s inspiring to see how far you’ve come! I have a horrible habit of wanting my house to be transformed overnight, and I need to realize it’s NOT going to happen that way!
BTW, the short hair you were sporting in the house tour video looked fabulous!
To make my dorm a bit more cohesive I took all my old picture frames and spray painted them all white except for my favorites which I spray painted apple green to have a few stand out.
A great way to make some affordable art or a simple headboard starts with the TYGLOSA frame from IKEA. For an art piece you can just wrap some affordable fabric around it or to create a headboard just add a bit of batting before the fabric for a little extra cush, then hang a few just above your bed.
Great ideas! I really second the painted canvas idea–two canvases and ceiling tiles SAVED our first apartment.
Loving that dorm room design. That orange is just so yummy. I’m new to your blog (and your massive project!). Keep up the great work, you two!
In my lovely cinder block walls dorm room, my roommate and I went to a fabric store, purchased remnants that coordinated with our comforters and then took them home and cut out stars of varying sizes. We then used liquid starch to attach to the walls- we did this flowy thing all over the room that went up and around posters we had up, etc. It REALLY enlivened the space and came down with no problem.
Sherry and John,
We love you! I was introduced to your blog a few days ago and have already spent hours reading, imagining and drooling over your site. The boyfriend has come home three days in a row teasing me about being on yet the same site again! We love all your inspirational ideas and hope to implement many in our nearly identical 50′s Rancher commonly south of the James! We also love your wedding ideas and hope to incorporate some in our own this summer! Keep up the good work.
Also, you may love my boyfriends wonderful little discount fabric store http://www.ufabstore.com located right outside of Carytown on Robinson St. They can supply all the fun (CHEAP) fabrics for your fab-fabric ideas in this post. Please feel free to give us a visit!
-Your Southside Neighbors
Carley & Travis,
You’re totally speaking our language! Fun, cheap fabrics? Uh, yes please! Thanks so much for the info. We’ll be sure to drop in!
xoxo,
Sherry (& John)
Rhiannon, Kim and Alyssa here!
We’re famous! :D And looking much more fashionable.
Since we last spoke, a few of us made a trip to Ross and Target for goodies. More food than decor was purchased (mac and cheese was on sale!), but Rhiannon scored three new pillows for her bed and the ladies in the quad picked up some new sheets, a few little knick knacks and a cute lamp! There was also a major rearranging night where two bunk bed/desk combos and two wardrobes were pushed around to create a big open space perfect for inviting friends over, dance parties (the Friday night test was successful) and a couch might be purchased in the near future from craigslist. Emma tried to buy some basketball sheets while we were out and about, but Rhiannon talked her out of it by reminding her that she was an eighteen year old girl and not a six year old boy and crisis was averted.
We’re all slowly but surely adding sauce to our spaces and we appreciate your tips! Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you! Kisses to Burger!
I discovered your website when l was searching for ideas for bringing color into an apartment. I can’t paint mine and l hate white walls. I don’t know how to bring color into my kitchen (all white and small), my bedrooms (good size). I love this site and will continue to look at it for ideas. I will be attempting the headboard for both bedrooms. Thanks for all the ideas l’ve seen so far.
oooh i love the ideas on here! i’ve always fought white furniture on white walls and now i don’t think it looks so bad. and the toothpaste thing!? never heard of it but we are definitely going to have to give that a shot!! thanks!!
OH and something that I found recently and am in love with is the idea of taking cloth placemats to cover pillows! found some really cute ones from Pier One to update my brown & pink accessories (which were perfect before I lived with the bf & had a boy of my own!) really cheap way to update!!!
You should check out PrivateSpacers.com
Neat little room divider that you can customize yourself!
I am having the worst time trying to find a small square table in light wood/white and matching chairs to fit our small kitchen nook. Have you come across any cute ones lately in your research for this post or any others? It needs to be less than 3 ft in length and width. Thanks!!
Have you tried Ikea? They have lots of small scale stuff in light wood (that can also be painted white). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Yes, unfortunately, my husband is not a huge fan of IKEA and we want something that is maybe more country-ish than modern.
Great site and suggestions! A few months back a friend tried to make a desk out of books but could never get the books stable enough. How did you get the stack of books stable enough to stay put?
I would imagine you might have to drill holes in the books to put a dowel or rod in them to create enough strength to make a desk, but a tall stack of them on a chair or as a side table wouldn’t need as much reinforcement. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I stumbled upon your blog and I have been looking for that huge floral mural everywhere. Is it possible to tell me where I would get such a mural and also to tell you you have wonderful hints thank you
Hmm, we would just google around or ask friends in your neighborhood if they know if any muralists or artists. Perhaps even visit an art university to see if a student (or teacher) would be willing to paint one for you on the cheap. Good luck!
xo,
s
As some people have mentioned before, starching fabric on the your boring white walls is a great way to add some fun without ruining the walls. I saw this post on another blog I’m addicted to http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2010/06/easy-decorating-idea.html and thought, “why not hybrid these ideas?” which would result in solid fabric panels starched on your walls to get the same effect that you can just peel off when it’s time to move.
Also, I just discovered your blog yesterday and let me just say I love it, way inspired to do some DIY redecorating!
So glad you found our blog Carmen! And thanks so much for sharing the idea and the link!
xo,
s
I think they stole your idea…
http://www.worldmarket.com/New-Arrivals/Mrs-Meyers-Scented-Diffusers/lev/4/productId/10428/Ne/8/Ns/TOP_SELLER_INDEX|1/N/27/Nty/1/view/10000/perpage/0/index.pro