2008 Woodie Awards
Avoid Decorating Disasters the Feng Shui Way
Jesska Daugherty
Issue date: 9/21/06 Section: Features
College students often live in their first completely personal space-most commonly a dorm room or apartment. Sometimes, students don't have the money or the aesthetic know-how to make the most of their space.
Rachel Pierovich, senior interior design major, is into Feng Shui, the Chinese art of room placement and arrangement. She said it is important to have a space that is not only beautiful, but also practical.
"Your environment affects how you live," Pierovich said. "If your space is trashy and not functional, it can manipulate your life. I believe strongly in environments and how they affect people. Someone who lives in a trashy environment is probably disorganized and unhappy."
Pierovich gives several ways to Feng Shui a collegiate space on a collegiate budget:
•Add a touch of red to doorways. Red is welcoming and comforting. Pierovich said an easy, subtle way to do this is to tie red ribbons on doorknobs.
•Put a fountain by the door. The sound of flowing water is calming. Indoor fountains can be found in stores like Wal-Mart for as little as $20.
•Avoid putting the bed against a wall with a window, and try not to block doorways or windows. This creates better balance and flow in the room.
•Avoid putting a mirror in front of the bed. It is bad luck to see yourself when you first wake up.
•Don't decorate a bathroom or kitchen area with black and white. Black and white are opposites and hinder the flow of an environment.
Pierovich says most Feng Shui can be done with little or no money and cautions against marketing schemes, such as candles labeled "Feng Shui products."
Here are a few easy steps to decorating a room without breaking the piggy bank.
•Collegiate carpeting: Adding an area rug to the room can bring in some extra color and make a room cozier. As an added bonus, carpeting helps temperature control in the winter by covering cold tile floors and helps year-round to drown out noise from nearby rooms. Rugs range in price but can be found for as little as $20 at a local store.
•Dorm drapes:
Changing the curtains or the bland blinds in a dorm room or apartment can add a touch of flair and bring in a bit of home. Students can purchase panel curtains for $20-$30 at a discount store.
As a cheaper option, students can make an easy window treatment valance out of about 10 yards of fabric. Simply pick up fabric from a craft or fabric store, and center it over the window making 2-3 swags and letting the leftover fabric hang evenly on each side of the window.
•Picture Perfect:
No one wants to stare at boring white cinderblocks all day. Since the poster sale has passed, check out Websites like AllPosters.com or local stores like Hastings for deals on posters. AllPosters.com even has a 20 percent discount for Facebook members.
Whether a student wants to delve into Feng Shui or embellish a room with homemade touches, a decorated dorm room doesn't have to leave them broke.
Rachel Pierovich, senior interior design major, is into Feng Shui, the Chinese art of room placement and arrangement. She said it is important to have a space that is not only beautiful, but also practical.
"Your environment affects how you live," Pierovich said. "If your space is trashy and not functional, it can manipulate your life. I believe strongly in environments and how they affect people. Someone who lives in a trashy environment is probably disorganized and unhappy."
Pierovich gives several ways to Feng Shui a collegiate space on a collegiate budget:
•Add a touch of red to doorways. Red is welcoming and comforting. Pierovich said an easy, subtle way to do this is to tie red ribbons on doorknobs.
•Put a fountain by the door. The sound of flowing water is calming. Indoor fountains can be found in stores like Wal-Mart for as little as $20.
•Avoid putting the bed against a wall with a window, and try not to block doorways or windows. This creates better balance and flow in the room.
•Avoid putting a mirror in front of the bed. It is bad luck to see yourself when you first wake up.
•Don't decorate a bathroom or kitchen area with black and white. Black and white are opposites and hinder the flow of an environment.
Pierovich says most Feng Shui can be done with little or no money and cautions against marketing schemes, such as candles labeled "Feng Shui products."
Here are a few easy steps to decorating a room without breaking the piggy bank.
•Collegiate carpeting: Adding an area rug to the room can bring in some extra color and make a room cozier. As an added bonus, carpeting helps temperature control in the winter by covering cold tile floors and helps year-round to drown out noise from nearby rooms. Rugs range in price but can be found for as little as $20 at a local store.
•Dorm drapes:
Changing the curtains or the bland blinds in a dorm room or apartment can add a touch of flair and bring in a bit of home. Students can purchase panel curtains for $20-$30 at a discount store.
As a cheaper option, students can make an easy window treatment valance out of about 10 yards of fabric. Simply pick up fabric from a craft or fabric store, and center it over the window making 2-3 swags and letting the leftover fabric hang evenly on each side of the window.
•Picture Perfect:
No one wants to stare at boring white cinderblocks all day. Since the poster sale has passed, check out Websites like AllPosters.com or local stores like Hastings for deals on posters. AllPosters.com even has a 20 percent discount for Facebook members.
Whether a student wants to delve into Feng Shui or embellish a room with homemade touches, a decorated dorm room doesn't have to leave them broke.
Be the first to comment on this story