Luciana E. Milano '14

In this series, we highlight decorative student dorm rooms deserving of special mention. If you think your room is fit to be profiled, let us know!

The first thing that you'll notice as you step into the dorm room of Luciana E. Milano '14 in Pforzheimer House is that it is much more than a mere room. "The theme is homey," Milano said.

From her fanned out stack of "Economist" magazines placed by the entrance to her neatly organized scarves hanging on the door, Milano has gone above and beyond to transform her room into a place where she can unwind. "It's just somewhere to relax, pray, or meditate. Sometimes I'll wake up in the morning and play soft music, brew my coffee, and do my morning prayers. It's a great way to start the day."

Milano lets her decorating style shine through with her color-scheme, curtains, and decorative pillows. She even has her own personal "me area," complete with go-to items like makeup and perfume, along with decorations that represent her background and personality.

"I'm half-Mexican and half-Italian. There aren't many Republicans at Harvard either. I'm one of the few."

She shows off her pride in her heritage and interests with Italian, Mexican, and Republican Party flags.

Her dorm room strays from the typical dorm room set up—futon, collages on the walls, and old bags of chips—by instead introducing inspirational signs, metal flowers taped to the walls, and a special "coffee­­­ station."

"I think that college dorms usually go for a very standard look where people have posters or pictures of their friends taped on their walls, but I wanted it to feel like an actual room with curtains and a color scheme."

If you now feel inspired to transform your own room into an oasis like Milano's while expressing your personality, then follow some of her tips.

1. "Have stations, so that very part of your room is dedicated to something. That's a way to stay organized. Just have things that go together in places."

2. "Making your bed every day helps your room look sort of clean. It's like you go to a hotel and the bed is made. It's a nice feeling."

3. "Dedicate maybe just one day out of the week to do small cleaning things. Whether it's taking out your trash, cleaning your windows, or changing your sheets—college kids forget to do that, but it makes all the difference."

4. "Keep stuff under your bed and buy risers. It gives you so much more space, especially if you have limited closet space."