Decorate Your Dorm Windows with Blinds
One of the most exciting things about college is the opportunity to set up a "home away from home" with items that represent the student's own personal style and personality. Dorm decorating can be a challenge because of the small space, but that doesn't mean that a room cannot be personalized and enjoyed!
First of all, think big -- items like bedspreads and window wood blinds coverings are a great way to create big blocks of color in any room. I know not everyone purchases blinds for their dorm rooms, but it's a really good idea. The shades that come standard in most dorms are dusty and dark -- not at all reflective of the fun college life most students are planning to have. There are so many stylish blind options now that one can actually use blinds to make a statement about him or her self, also enhancing the theme of the room. Bamboo shades, for example, go perfectly with tropical themes and will help keep wonderful summer and spring-break memories alive year round! Other colors and fabrics can help brighten up a dark room or create the illusion of openness in a small space.
Window blinds are also important for a student's comfort and security. Ground-floor dorms and courtyard apartments make good faux wood window shades a real necessity. It is wise to use room-darkening cellular blinds to keep nosy neighbors and passerbys from peering into the room at night. One of the most distracting things about dorm life is that there's always something going on. During downtime, it's wonderful to see friends passing by one's room and head out to join them for some fun. Throw those shades up and keep an eye out for the next adventure in college living! Then rest easy knowing that when it's crunch time and peace and quiet are desperately needed to study for a big exam or write that 20 page research paper, it's easy to pull down the privacy shades and get some work done.
That brings me to another common issue with dorm life -- privacy (or the lack thereof). Sharing a room with someone who starts out as a stranger can be a real challenge. It is possible to hit it off and become fast friends, but it's equally as likely that students find themselves living with impossibly different and disconnected roommates. Friend or foe, after spending 24/7 in cramped quarters with a roommate, the time will come when both students will wish they could just make each other disappear! When that happens, sliding panel blinds are ideal friends. These blinds act as screens that can be pulled out to create private spaces within a room. They're great on windows, of course, but they're also a great way to divide up space in a hostile dorm environment!
For more tricks and tips for working with blinds, click here.