Redesigning the Digs

Trading classes for careers and dining halls for kitchens, seniors must soon learn how to adjust to life outside of the Harvard house system. To ease the transition, FM brought in Felice L. Silverman ’85, an interior designer who knows what it’s like to move from Harvard housing to a home of one’s own.

“The most important thing in decorating is to make sure you’re expressing your own identity,” Silverman says. “There is no right or wrong answer in design. It’s important not to be a slave to the styles that are out there.” Because most first apartments are generally on the small side, she recommends a “limit and edit” strategy in deciding what to bring from college to a new home. “This is a good time to purge,” she says. “Seniors should take a fresh look at their belongings. If something’s not in good condition, get rid of it.”

When filling a new setting with aged belongings and innovative embellishments, Silverman says it is important to keep in mind that “not everything has to be done in one day. You can grow into it.”

Below are several of Silverman’s tips for saving space and money while spicing up a bland apartment:

Storage space

—Shelving units take up wall space and save floor space.

—Under-the-bed storage units are easily accessible and take up space you don’t even know you’re missing.

—Get an armoire, a piece that is at once decorative and useful for storage

Color

—Don’t be afraid to have fun with it!

—Color is always in and is a good and inexpensive way to liven up any apartment—just be careful which tones you choose. “Dark colors can make a small room look smaller,” Silverman says. “Go for bright and fun instead.”

All that Jazz, at a Bargain Price

—Look at artwork and accessories: it’s all about the finishing touches.

—Painting is an inexpensive thing to do, but can make a dramatic difference.

—A lamp can be relatively inexpensive and can make a great accent piece that improves the quality of light.

—Simple window treatments, like long drapes, are inexpensive and easy to put up, but add extra color to the room.

—Sometimes a good distraction is all you need. For example, a nice set of flatware or china can distract from dingy kitchen cabinets.

Ditch or Stitch

Textbooks: Ditch. Don’t keep these around just to look intellectual. Only keep the books that you read, otherwise you’re just wasting space.

Futons: Stitch. Make them feel less dorm-like and more mature with a refined cover or extra pillows

Posters: You can part with posters of beer and sex, but there’s no need to throw away meaningful or graphically interesting posters. Frame the designs you like for a more sophisticated feel.