May 23, 2003
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Students can use various cultures to
design themed rooms, and they can
use photos to decorate empty walls,
thus creating inviting living spaces
Natasha Holstine
Freelance Reporter
Decorating can be the ultimate difference in
making a house a home. Although moving may
be tedious, and every place can look the same,
a little effort and creativity can turn a bland,
boxy white apartment into something that re
flects each person’s vibrant personality. There
are many ways students can change their liv
ing spaces into something they look forward to
seeing after long days at school.
Freshman Tiffanie Duboise she said she can’t
wait to move into her house next year, where
she plans on painting her room yellow because
she says it is a happy color.
“Living in the dorms is really impersonal,
and you can’t really change much with the
small space,” Duboise said.
Personalizing space at home doesn’t have to
be difficult. Students can make their homes re
flect their personality by painting or creating
themes in different rooms. Some students have
picked a favorite flower or color to focus on in a
certain room, while others incorporate themes
based on cultures.
“The theme for my room is multicultural,
with different countries, like China, India,
Africa and Hawaii,” sophomore Allison Prasad
said. “I enjoy different cultures, and I am an
ethnic studies major, so everything in my room
expresses who I am.” Some of her favorite
items in her room include a purse, a throw rug
and pajamas from India, a Chinese calendar
and some Hawaiian leis.
“Each wall in my room has the things from
each culture, so everything I love surrounds
me,” she said.
Students also don’t have to visit expensive
interior design businesses to be creative. Places
like dollar stores, thrift stores and garage sales
can have exactly what people may need — and
what fits their budget.
“For those of us who can’t afford making the
change, there is always the option I take. Other
people’s trash can definitely create a treasure
for your home,” senior Abolade Majekobaje
said. “Finding treasures at garage sales is half
the luck. I don’t feel like I am much of a deco
rator; if I have a dollar, and a certain piece is a
dollar and it matches my house, I buy it.”
Majekobaje said she has found items such as
a broken globe, which she’s had since she’s
been in college, that mean a lot to her.
Pictures can also bring a sense of home to an
apartment, and frames can help fill blank
spaces on white walls. Senior Omelina Orak
said she tries to have at least one picture of
each person she cares about in her house.
“I want to be surrounded by people I love in
my room and throughout my house,” Orak said.
Small things like candles can also make a dif
ference for people who don’t have time to do
the research and the buying involved in com
plex interior design.
“Colored candles complement the room and
Turn to Design, page 5B
Clean-up
End of year
clean-up
can be a
challenge
page 3B
Cohabitation
Some couples
choose
to live
together
page 5B
Recycling
Donate or
sell old
items to be
recycled
page 7 B