For many young people, decorating their freshman dorm room, or first apartment is their first chance to express themselves. It’s an exciting time. Stores like Target, Kmart and Walmart are inundated with eager college freshman and their wary parents– facing the emotional pull of having their kids move out plus the pinch of having to pay for it. Retailers have stepped up with an inventory of “Back to College Essentials”, and there is plenty of merchandise to choose from. The thing is, even at these discount stores, it can be expensive, and some of it is completely over the top. Just last week, I walked past families with shopping carts loaded with stuff, and couldn’t help but think maybe we could lend a hand. After all, much of what they are buying albeit cheaply is probably going to be cast-off, and that just doesn’t make sense to us.
The professional photo above comes from the pages of House and Garden magazine UK. It’s an inspirational photo of a dream studio apartment that most anyone could live in happily, don’t you agree? While we don’t have a dorm room to outfit this fall, we do have a first apartment/studio to furnish, as my son Matt is now a college graduate. Yay, Matt! Now, Matt is an individual with very simple needs. Unlike his sister Lauren, who’s apartment became such an undertaking that it landed on the pages of Traditional Home magazine, I had to force my way into Matt’s fifth floor walk-up “just to take a look”. Of course, from there, I gingerly offered my suggestions–and contributions, after I saw that he had been sleeping on an air-mattress on the floor for over a month. I’m pretty sure Matt will not let us show you the before and after shots of his first studio apartment, as he is a very private young man. But I can share with you five great pieces that we used in his apartment to take it from shabby to chic. Feel free to share these ideas with your friends and family before they go out and spend their summer earnings on their dorm room decor. With the scale of the one room in mind, I focused on five key pieces:
1. Ikea Solsta Sofa Bed.This sofa easily converts to a sofa bed when friends from out of town want to crash for the weekend, $99.00. 2.Target Floor Stick Lamp with Shade. A standing lamp that can move around the room wherever it’s needed. $29.99.3. Craig’s List Saarinen Table. This early Knoll Tulip Table with a white laminate top is circa early 70′s and is 42″ in diameter. Great pieces like this don’t come along at good prices often. $350.00. (chairs were not for sale-we’ll search for them later) Any chair will do, for now.4. Crate and Barrel Paterson Black Desk.  I actually purchased this for Matt last year, and he loves it. It’s well made and sturdy, with a drawer with polished nickel hardware. $249.00.5. Apartment Therapy DC Furniture Classified. This scavenged Eames DCM Chair has some minor chipping on the finish on the back of the chair, but it’s a collectible, and being sold for just $120. Matt is an excellent scavenger, and an artist, so he’ll take over from here. -S