For most of us, our college living spaces are the first chances we've had to go Christopher Lowell in our own bedrooms, but if I see one more person with a Pink Floyd "The Wall" poster or a ubiquitous Van Gogh print I'm afraid I might have to agree with those who criticize Dukies for their proclivity toward conformity. So for those of you who are still hanging your "safe" DMB posters on your doors, this article is for you. Here is a compilation of some of the very coolest things Dukies have done to their rooms, apartments and off-campus homes.
It's sometimes hard to pour your heart and decorating soul into a room that you will only be occupying for eight months. Senior Naomi Reagan has found her way around this problem by passing down a Central Campus apartment over the years. She and her friends have always been at Duke through summer school, enabling them to maintain their décor since the first summer after their freshman year. Permanent additions include a built-in bar with mirrors, shelves and a wine rack. The ceiling is a mosaic of colored lights and paper lanterns adding a homier touch than the usual prison-like lighting of the typical Duke-issued fixture.
The key to the apartment, however, is not the lighting, the colorful posters or the cozy overabundance of futons. It is the quote wall. Gradually, the apartment's occupants have kept track of random personal quotes over the years. The very best of these have been written in colorful magic marker all over their hallway. There is nothing like an out-of-context quote as a conversation starter. While most of us reserve this sort of craziness for our away messages, Naomi has proudly written, "Dad is on the Barbie with the cabana boy." on her wall. I don't know what it means and I didn't bother asking. Somehow it seems right at home with the eclectic eccentricity that is her apartment.
While all college apartments and dorm rooms inevitably take on a haphazard feel, senior Justin Gilanyi has found a way to use the objects of his existence to create assemblages. Using flea market type items, he has fashioned a series of black boxes for his living room. These diorama type art works are an attempt to take objects that might be trash to some people and create something that reflects his taste. Justin explains that the standardized furniture of Central Campus inspired him to add an artistic flavor to his otherwise banal surroundings. By using basic objects from Wal-Mart and Target he has adopted the Trading Spaces motto of economically creating something exciting and trendy out of something dull. As he explains, "Some people choose to do the poster route and think that this reflects who they are. For me it's an interactive play because my artwork is part of me."
If you are not artistically inclined, never fear. Sometimes a hammer and nail can provide the most dramatic alteration to your room. Sophomores Matt Burney and Mike McGahan took little over a day to spectacularly alter an ordinary dorm room. Forget sleeping in run-of-the-mill beds. When Matt is not resting in a hammock suspended from his ceiling he dozes off in a curtained floor bed underneath scaffolding he has constructed to hold his desk. Mike siestas in a platform built over the doorway. He assured me that it is so well-built that it does not even shake with, um, movement.
What had initially attracted me (and countless other visitors) to their room was their door, which had been spray-painted tie-dye. Unfortunately Matt was rudely awakened by housing who had come to repaint the offending door. Since the outside of the door is "outside" the room it is technically university property. While the original plans for the room had included a complete second story, Mike explained that they pretty much figured out what they wanted as they worked.
If planning an extensive building project will not fit into your schedule, a single object can really dress up your digs. Seniors Neil Terry, Jack Mercer and "John K" have found the perfect yard accessory for their off-campus house--a twenty-eight foot Riviera cruiser pontoon boat. As Neil explained, one of their house members knew a pontoon Everyone loves boats, but if you are trying to find a way to decorate your room without spending a cent, junior D.J. Vaughn has found a way--your own photos. D.J. has managed to jazz up a bland single by covering the walls in his very own photography. Adorning his space are an extensive series of black and white flower prints (remnants of a black and white photography class). The clearly aesthetic quality combined with the black and white medium add an air of elusive sophistication to the typical male single. Yet not all of D.J.'s photography is serious. The most striking feature in the room is an enormous collage of ridiculous snap shots that spell his initials.
Finally, a use for those pictures everyone has lying around that are not suitable for framing!
While you may not want to try to fit a boat into your 155-square-foot dorm room or take the risk of sleeping on anything you would construct, seeing what your fellow students are capable of creating is rather inspiring. It is about time that we all let loose and express ourselves. I've already decided that it might be time to get rid of some of my Van Gogh prints.
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