RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Colorful cribs make for cheery school life. Painter's tape, in assorted colors, is easy on walls.
Decor can ease
life in a ‘box’
Surf and sun? Awesome. A snoring roomie? No prob. Cramming the night before for exams? Piece of cake.
It's those quiet moments between juggling classes, finals, part-time jobs, keg parties and study time when homesickness will tend to ambush college dorm students and take them down.
And it's no wonder. College students living on their own, probably for the first time, if at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, will have to shove all their worldly belongings into a space measuring a mere 12 by 15, or 180 square feet, according to Janice Nakashima, who oversees the dormitories, where students begin moving in today.
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Joe Boxer is going from marketing underwear to housewares. Available at Kmart, Joe Boxer merchandise includes a mini microwave oven ($54.99); Bed Pajamas clothes for the bed (fitted and flat sheets, and pillowcase, $44); Snooze Kit which has all the bed clothes plus a comforter ($67.19); and Happy Joe Boxer shower curtain hooks ($7.99).
It's hard to create a proper sanctuary out of a box, often shared by two and consisting only of a desk area and twin beds.
But there are dorm decor tactics that can give a lift to that one austere corner of the world they'll call home for a semester, said Nakashima.
"Freshmen usually bring prom and graduation pictures." Many dorm residents are neighbor island transplants, she said, so they'll bring things like pressed flowers or dried leis from graduation, things that remind them of home and the social support of friends and family to buoy their spirits while acclimating to new surroundings and new people.
"The girls usually bring in colorful cute items, like stuffed animals and figurines. The guys aren't too particular (about decorating). They'll bring stuff like guitars, ukuleles and body boards, if they do that sort of thing."
WAL-MART
Lamp from Wal-Mart (about $28) allows roomies to direct light in their assigned corners.
Nakashima, whose official title is physical plant officer, said many items intend to express a sense of the individuals' tastes, such as posters of favorite musicians or surfing heroes.
But there are dorm rules -- intended to keep the rooms habitable for the next student to come along -- that make such expressions a challenge. For instance, students can't use pins or nails to hang artwork or photos on the walls. "Many will use adhesive tape, but they have to be sure it won't pull the paint off," she said.
COURTESY PHOTO
A typical dorm room at the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a few basic needs brought in such as television and countertop fridge.
Sales clerks at the neighborhood hardware or home improvement store can usually offer creative solutions to such dilemmas. A City Mill clerk suggested students use painter's trim tape, which comes in bright colors (chartreuse and orange, to name a couple) and should leave the wall surface intact, depending on the strength of adhesive tape used.
Nakashima said it's best to speak to the dorm-floor resident advisor to clear any doubts about what will be used to hang items on walls. If the rooms can't pass an inspection at semester's end, students may have to pay penalty fees of whatever it costs to make repairs, "from $15 for something like (one or two) nail holes up into the hundreds" for other damages to carpets and walls.
CITY MILL
BJR underbed storage bin ($10.98) from City Mill gives you an extra pull-out drawer to put under the bed. Made of nylon with zipper and suitcase-type handle for easy carting, it folds flat when not in use.
Do-It-Yourself television shows are also offering dorm-room tips such as using college colors as a decorating palette -- in the case of the UH Warriors, green and white -- but you'd need a cooperative roomie or one who would engage in a coin toss or lose a bet in a beer chug, if that's what's needed to agree on a color scheme for bedding.
"We don't allow painting room walls" said Nakashima, although some students revel in change and color, and end up having to repaint the walls in its original off-white at semester's end.
The task may be more difficult than the students expect. "It's not just simply slapping on paint, it requires a professional paint job," Nakashima said, to get the room back to its original state, and could end up being costly for the dorm student who doesn't have a big budget.
JOE BOXER
The Joe Boxer Snooze Kit, in twin size is perfect for dorms, but also comes in full and king sizes.
If you can't paint the walls, bring it in with accessories such as bed covers, lava lamps and knickknacks.
If there's enough floor space, a folding screen can provide privacy for those who share a room, by creating a temporary wall between the twin beds -- the better to mask sleeping droolers -- and serve as bulletin board for photos and memos as well. (We found one in canvas at City Mill for about $70.)
"Rooms are wired for computers, so the students will bring their own. They have a phone they share, though most people these days have their own cell phone," Nakashima said.
The typical dorm desk and floor space, however, will quickly be taken up by basics, according to Nakashima, so there's not much room for frills.
"They usually want a small refrigerator, stereo, microwave and TVs" -- you know, just like home.
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
A fold away hamper from City Mill ($23.99) stands upright when open, but folds flat as a pancake for storage, has a zipper closure and handy shoulder strap for carrying off to the laundromat.
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