I am getting closer to heading off to college and I find myself less and less focused on school around me and more and more focused on the future. I met my roommate last summer at my state's American Legion Auxiliary Girl's State, we got to know each other a little bit there and found out that we share similar interests. Now that we are both half-way through our senior year in high school we are talking more and more. To girls that are trying to find a roommate, I would suggest asking someone you recently met that you know a little about but not someone you are good friends with. It's a fun and interesting process to get to know your roommate.
We are looking at what supplies we need for our dorm, items you can take from home include:
TV
Pillows
Mirror
Game Console/DVD player/Apple TV/Netflix/HULU
Desk Chair
Picture Frames
Storage Containers
Cork Boards
Blanket
Lamp
Trash Can
Shoe Rack
Stereo/ Karaoke Machine
If you are like me, you have more pieces of furniture in your room than probably necessary. However, I know that my college provides you with a desk, a dresser, and a bed for each roommate. That leaves me with a small storage pantry (found at ALCO), a small cube storage system (also from ALCO), two storage ottomans (Wal-Mart), two non-storage ottomans (Bed, Bath, and Beyond), three plastic storage towers (most likely from ALCO), and a ton of little knick-nacks. My roommmate and I have selected a 4 person suite, some of this advice is geared toward suites, but it may be applied to 2 person dorms as well.
You may need to do some re-vamping on some of these supplies.
A TV can't really get a lot more re-vamped - all though a nice TV Stand can make the TV look nicer/newer.
Pillows can be taken, for me it will be harder to decide which pillows to take because I have so many. - A fresh pillow case is all the re-vamping that you need. If you have had your pillows for a long time, this may also be a good time to get new pillows. Target has pillows as low as $7 (http://www.target.com/c/bed-pillows-protectors-bedding-home/-/N-5xtv3)
Mirrors can make your room feel larger. I currently have two mirrors one that is an over the door mirror the other that is a hanging mirror. In a suite style room you and your roommate may want to have an over the door mirror because it will not show in the hallway, instead into the common space. Adding an edging or details can make a mirror look new.
Game consoles or other entertainment devices are good idea so you can watch movies or if you enjoy gaming you can play. Netflix and HULU both offer and amazing library for hours of watching pleasure or if you have a large iTunes Library you can get Apple TV for $100 and connect your iPhone to it in order to display you pictures, watch a movie, play a game or play your music.
Some colleges provide you will desk chairs, for example: my college. However, I know the chairs will not be comfortable enough to spend much time in, so I will be taking my own. Changing fabrics and replacing cushions could make your desk chair more ready for the dorm.
Picture frames allow you to bring faces of those you love with you, but even if you put new pictures in the frames they can still be boring. Adding details and add-ons to your frames can spice them up a bit.
Storage containers are a must have. Even without trying, I know that all of my stuff will not fit in a dorm room. So you want to take the most important (and attractive) things you can. But you have to have a place to put it. Changing the color or adding detail can re-vamp this storage solution
Cork boards are a great way to keep important things visible. You can make them more visibly pleasing by trying one of the following:
Blankets are a must have if you are from the Mid-West. I use a blanket everyday from about October until April. I know that I have some blankets that I have been given that I will take with me but there are some I want to make this summer too.
![credit: Laura Birek [http://nocturnalknits.com/2011/01/giganto-blanket-finished/]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vjlz22gNgqd58VG_BhTFhm23zwVIeuVpLr3nm_c0mNhLRMtOR9n3o06p8Nywl9p1Skb0RWtkKpu6vvHUe-5PSXQvU3x1NTQYrDQweoTU_MldwzHN4SZPN4ZdDDZ8O_acHMAsVF5qX9QPq8VnHIgJAb8Xq9ChSz=s0-d)
Lamps are a great way to allow your roommate to go to sleep when you need to work at night. (I purchased my lamp stand and shade from my local Dollar General. I did my own DIY on this lamp to make it college ready)
Trash cans, usually don't need a lot of revamping but you can give it a shot.
Almost every college girl would agree; the dorm closets are too small for all my clothes let alone my clothes and my shoes. A shoe rack can be great storage.
A Stereo or karaoke machine doesn't really have any DIY or revamping but if you'd like you could take a look at these to enhance your good time.
As for the "left-over" furniture in my room.
I plan to take the pantry style storage unit, I plan to paint the unit and add mirrors to the door. I plan to make this a jewelry storage as well as clothing.*
The cubic storage system will most likely be used as either a TV stand after some paint or as shoe storage.*
The two storage ottomans and the two non-storage ottomans will receive new fabric.*
As for the storage towers, I have no idea yet.
*these plans are tentative. When/IF completed, I will post pictures and how-to's.
For DIY tutorials and more ideas check out my Pinterest page (http://www.pinterest.com/maddimajeski/) and for this collection specifically check out (http://www.pinterest.com/maddimajeski/blogger-prettying-in-pink/)
