Creating a Not So Humble Abode

Vladimir G. Manuel '99's dorm room looks just like home.

A colorful tapestry hangs as a curtain over the window, replacing the standard-issue white shade. A red-velvet-covered wood table sits next to an easy chair, while a hand-carved blow gun hangs above the fire-place.

The effect of the room is anything but that of a temporary, 9-month way station.

Manuel explains that others can achieve a similar effect, simply by filling a room with homey, if inexpensive, touches.

He highlights an end table constructed by covering a cardboard box with cloth. Manuel uses the decorated box for extra storage, limiting clutter in the central portion of the room.

Furnishing the new room for less may mean comparison shopping, but a trip outside of the Square affords mounting savings. The basic nylon bean-bag chair, a staple of dorm decor, sells for $54 at Urban Outfitters, but those willing to stop by Economy Hardware can get an almost identical bag for $14 less. Generally, the larger the item--from futon to area rug--the greater the savings.

If moving from a spacious bedroom at home to a tiny dorm room has prompted sardine syndrome, interior decorators advise that the secret to making a small room seem larger is all in the details.

According to Sharri L. Mack of Cambridge-based America Dural Interior Design, the key to a larger room is simplicity.

"Busier rooms look smaller," she said. "If you have a bookcase, don't put every single book you can up. If you can leave space for a vase, that makes the room look bigger."

Creating space is key, but Manuel points out that an empty room can be intimidating.

"You want the space, but you want it to be cozy," he said.

Mack also advises cutting down on the amount of furniture and artwork cluttering an already small room.

"Everyone wants to put every rock star and every famous person they like on the wall, but they should limit the art," she said. "And for some reason, mirrors make the room look bigger."

Finding unique ways to store the necessities of college life can also limit clutter.

Kelly C. Levesque, an employee at Economy Hardware in Central Square, often helps college students trying to find storage to fit tight spaces.

Levesque recommended the Metro brand shelving units, which come in a variety of sizes, all of which build off of each other. Levesque said Metro is especially helpful for students desperate for closet or bookshelf space.

"They're modular and completely adjustable," Levesque said of the units, which retail at about $90. "You can build with them, take them apart at the end of the year, and then build something new next year."

Cary Berger, who works for Basics Carpet and Furniture in Central Square, specializes in helping college students find futons and couches to make a tight squeeze.

"If they bring in measurements, we can hook them up," he says.