Ask a Designer: Dorm decor gets serious

When Young Huh left for college in the 1980s, she brought “one giant poster of The Cure, bedding from the local bed-and-bath store and maybe some desk accessories.” Like so many Gen-Xers, her one creative touch was asking a supermarket for leftover milk crates to use as bookshelves.

Now an interior designer, she has helped her own children decorate their dorm rooms, and she’s amazed at the design expectations among college students.

“It’s a level of decorating that did not even exist in my world view when I was in school,” Huh says.

Today, there are lots of products “that cater entirely to the college crowd,” she says.

Interior designer Jon Call sees the same phenomenon: While his main business is designing luxury homes in Manhattan, he also gets asked to design college living spaces.

“This new generation has grown up under the influence of home magazines, HGTV and the virtues of ‘democratic design.’ They understand the value of creating unique spaces for themselves,” he says. They want their dorm rooms “not only to function, but also to reflect who they are.” ___ CHOOSE YOUR VISION As with any design project, Huh recommends beginning with an overall vision for the space. “Is it all one colour and soothing? Is it ethnic eclectic? Are you going for pink extravaganza? Clip some pictures or start a Pinterest page,” she says.

Then, choose a focal point for the room, something you would like to see every day. “It could be your bed with an oversize art work or a fun suzani wall hanging over it,” Huh says.

If your focal point includes saturated, dramatic colour, it will also help disguise the fact that a room is small. “This could be a red bed in an otherwise neutral room,” Call explains. “It allows the eye to focus on one thing and the defining walls to disappear.” ___ SMALL-SPACE SPECIALTIES

Call says to look at doubleduty furniture. “Your end table may have a drawer that is outfitted with chargers and cords to make it an electronics station. Your bed could have bolsters on it to convert it into a daybed for additional seating.”

Huh suggests adding a loft to lift the bed, or at least adding risers to create underbed storage space. ___ PERSONAL TOUCHES Lastly, says Huh: “Fairy lights are de rigueur dorm decor.”

And don’t forget personal items from home.

“Anything that you can bring from home will make a dorm room feel more personal and comfortable,” Huh says. “A favourite mug and something you love from your room at home should also come with you to school.”