Let’s face it, no matter what dorm you’re in this year, it’s always going to seem like it’s just a little bit too small. And we’re pretty fabulous people here at Providence College, so it logically follows that we need a lot of space for our fabulous things, am I right? You could spend your time wistfully thinking about how much easier life will be when you’re able to live in a house off campus, but we figure that for now your time might be a little bit better spent picking up a few tips on how to maximize your space with minimal effort!
1. Loft your bed.
Quick horror story: My two roommates and I live in Aquinas, and if you’ve ever been in those tiny triples, you know that having one person up in the air is almost a necessity. We had emailed Fix It during the summer and asked for a loft, and although they gave us a confirmation in June saying we had one in our room, move in day comes around and we’re greeted with the sight of 3 mattresses—two of which are bunked. This was a huge disappointment, and after a lot of back-and-forth with Kevin from Res Life, we were finally blessed with a loft last week.
I cannot tell you how much of a difference it has made. The entire dynamic of the room feels so cozy! It’s so much more comfortable, and we can finally store everything in its rightful place. My roommate no longer has to climb on a desktop every night to get to bed and I don’t have to wake up and hit my head on the metal bars that hold her mattress up every morning.
2. Bunk your bed.
Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with bunking your bed. It didn’t work with our layout, but I do have a few guy friends who love their bunked beds and their room looks great! If you do like the sleep-away camp feeling and really prefer to have the bunk bed, I encourage it 100%.
3. Put large furniture against the walls.
This may seem like a no-brainer and many rooms already have this set-up when you move in, but sometimes you’re a little less lucky. Pre-loft, we had a bureau sticking out in the middle of the room and it took up a lot of space. Just turning it a little bit made a world of difference.
Putting as many large furniture pieces against the walls opens your room up so much, giving you more floor space in the middle. The key is measurement—tape measures are great but if you don’t have one, just count the tiles on the floor and see what will fit where. Think of it as one giant puzzle and enlist your friends to help with their creative eye.
Small secret: depending on the size of your closet, you might even be able to fit a dresser inside. And remember, while sticking huge pieces against the wall will make your room less cluttered, the trick to making it look nice will be the way you arrange them. One wall in our room has a dresser, desk and wardrobe against it (in that order). The different levels make it less overwhelming – you don’t want to cover one wall entirely with wood, y’know? By still leaving some wall area, we’ve been able to put up artwork and posters, which really personalizes our space.
Lastly, don’t forget: if all else fails, you can substitute/remove furniture pieces through Fix It. If you don’t need a dresser because all your clothes fit in the closet and wardrobe, don’t bother keeping it. All you need to do is shoot them an email and they’ll take it off your hands.
4. Stack and store!
Those cute crates you see at Pottery Barn and Bed Bath & Beyond? Excellent investment. You can make one just for food, another just for bath & beauty products and maybe even another for a few blankets or towels that you don’t need right now but will in the future. Our crates have made their ways underneath our beds and on the shelves above our closets. Not only does this help conserve space, but it also keeps you organized.
If feasible, it’s a good idea to stick a few items on top of each other. Having the microwave sit on top of the fridge is one way to a) organize the wires—they’re all in one place and presumably out of the way, and b) free up some tabletop space that might be better suited for other things.
(Storage bins found at Pottery Barn on sale -$19.00- $69.00)
5. When all else fails, get creative.
Allow me to introduce you to MegaDesk:
Nick Mandarakas, a Providence sophomore, is situated in a quad this year. He and his roommates figured that The Office had the right idea and thus, recreated MegaDesk.
I’m not exactly encouraging it because MegaDesk can go terribly wrong in a very painful way, but the
point still stands: get creative. College students spend the majority of their time in their room, and it pays to be a little imaginative for the sake of comfort. Your room is something that should be guest-friendly, work-friendly, and lounge-friendly, so tap into your artistic side and you should have a more open room in no time.