Dorm designing 101: make your home-away-from-home reflect your style with functionality.

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Preparing for college life means lots of things to a student, and at the top of the list is transforming a dorm room into the quintessential "home-away-from-home."

Creating a functional and cozy space can be challenging, but armed with professional advice and helpful hints, Dorm Designing 101 can be a snap!

The typical dorm room is equipped with two twin beds, two desks, usually two chests, and two small closets. Working around these basics, a chic and comfortable room can be successfully designed with confidence and style on any budget.

Bridget Tisdale, of Ridgeland-based Bridget Tisdale Designs, loves designing dorm rooms. "They are a challenge--they are tiny, and they serve triple duty (bedroom, living room, and dining room)! I love creating ways to maximize their functionality and make them seem a little more like home."

The key is efficiency, explained Tisdale. "Try to think 'dual purpose' for all pieces of furniture--desk/vanity, nightstand/ storage, futon/guest bed, bed/seating--and determine how and where they can best serve their multiple roles." Efficiency also means practicality. "You've got to be able to function in this place. Think washable!"

When selecting colors and themes for your dorm room, Tisdale emphasizes the importance of reflecting your own style. Roommates can easily pair different styles and still create the perfect decor.

"Since your room is one of the first impressions people in the dorm have of you, I wanted ours to be cute, classy, and in good taste," said Lindsey Hansbrough, a freshman at Ole Miss last year. "I wanted the room to seem very warm and inviting to everyone who came to the door."

Hansbrough and her roommate, Lindsey Robinson, chose pink and green as their colors, selected a toile fabric, and had it custom-sewn into matching bedding, pillows, window treatment, and closet covers.

Coordinating prints like polka dots, stripes, and solids are an easy way to liven-up a room. "The way the pink and green toile was paired with green polka dot fabric and other patterns was unique because it allowed us to use the same theme throughout without tiring of it," Hansbrough noted.

Jordan Whittle, an Ole Miss sophomore last year, and her roommate, Adrian Lowry, enjoyed a traditional look with a fun, modern twist by blending a toile pattern with hot pink accents and a zebra rug.

Completing a look can be simple and affordable. "Framed posters are a great and inexpensive way to add decor and color to walls," said Whittle. "Also, the table between our beds was one from my house that we spray-painted black."

The end result was a classic design with a contemporary touch. "I loved everything about it! I loved the style, the colors ... it was just a fun room," said Whittle. "It was put together well and made me feel like I was at home."

Mississippi State University student Keaton Farmer first saw her bare dorm room last year during freshman orientation. "My spirits plummeted," she admitted.

Feeling hopeless, she left the decorating to her mother who promised to make her daughter's room "a new home."

Farmer and her roommate, Jamee Etheridge, were ecstatic with the results. "Our room had a fun and home-like feel to it," Farmer said. "I like to think that our room helped people realize that even though it is a dorm room, you can still make it feel like home."

"It amazed me what a little creativity and a lot of love and determination could do," Farmer added. Tisdale agreed. "Most importantly, your dorm room needs to reflect you. After all, it is your home-away-from-home."

Tisdale designed Morgan Chaney's and Marita Walton's freshman dorm room last year at Ole Miss and melded their styles into a work of art. Coral accented with robin's egg blue, chocolate brown, and crisp white gave their room a cute, but sophisticated look.

"We started with the bedding--a machine washable chocolate quilt, a custom bedskirt to add color and hide under-the-bed storage, and a few colorful pillows in different patterns," explained Tisdale.

To create a polished look, Tisdale made monogrammed headboards from foam and canvas, covered them in fabric and trimmed them with ribbon to coordinate with the bedskirts. The headboards were lightweight, mounted to the wall with sticky hooks, and were easy to remove. "The simple headboards are a great way to get a strong dose of your color up high, plus they are great for reading in bed."

Needing to maximize all storage potential, Tisdale customized a nightstand by skirting a cube unit with separate panels on the front for easy access. "We topped the nightstand with a piece of glass to protect the top. Plus, under the glass is a great place to display pictures."

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Finding storage space is challenging and calls for creative solutions. "In a small space, eliminating clutter by hiding it will make your space feel neater and more restful," explained Tisdale. "When you are trying to live, eat, study, and sleep in a tiny room, you'll appreciate not having to look at everything all of the time."

Whittle said baskets and stackable plastic containers are the perfect fit for dorm room closets.

Bed risers are another popular space-maker.

"We had hidden storage space under the beds," added Farmer. "That was very helpful."

Hansbrough suggested bringing seasonal clothes since closets are small and saving valuable counter space by hanging picture frames with Velcro on the wails. "Even with a small budget, you can create an attractive, livable space."

Transforming a dorm room into a livable, yet personalized space is easier than you think. Throw in a little creativity and tried-and-true advice, and you are on your way to passing Dorm Designing 101 with style and flying colors!

Surviving & Thriving in the Dorm

by Bridget Tisdale, Bridget Tisdale Designs

NEEDED

Lighting--For functional and aesthetic reasons, fluores cents are not enough. Add lighting in areas for reading or studying. Use table and floor lamps to create a more cozy space.

Carpet/Rugs--Rugs instantly warm a space and create a great opportunity for a pop of color. They will make a room feel cozier, but remember to vacuum regularly. Purchase a remnant cut to fill the floor space. (It's probably best to dispose after the year.) Add smaller rugs to help designate areas, such as the sink and kitchen.

Large trash can--Even though it seems that small trash cans are more in-scale with the dorm room, remember that this is a multipurpose space, and one doesn't want to take out trash three times a day.

Storage, Storage, Storage--Find a home for everything, under beds or on shelves in closets.

Febreze--Dormitories often have curious and not always pleasant smells. Keep rooms fresh by spraying window treatments, rugs, bedding, etc. (Look for antibacterial or allergen reduced products.)

Lap Board--Desks in dorm rooms often become vanities, kitchen tables, or dumping grounds. Lapboards are great to study in bed, on a futon, or on the floor.

Fan/Blanket--Dorms usually have common heat and air units, meaning not everyone is going to be comfortable all of the time.

First Aid Kit

Shower Caddy & Flip Flops

NOT NEEDED

Ironing board--Even a small ironing board will be in the way most of the time. Tumble your clothes in a dryer then spray with Downy Wrinkle Release and hang.

Silk--It will not survive the dorm-just trust me on this one!

Accessories Galore--Choose a few picture frames. Hanging frames are better because they don't take up valuable tabletop space. New things will appear over the year-books, pictures, etc. Start under-accessorized with space to add the extra things.

photography by ron blaylock (Ole Miss) and chris jenkins (MSU)