Some say the creation of your identity is rooted in childhood, but what about college that time of new friends and new skills, when choices arent vetted by parental supervision, actions have an unbuffered case of cause and effect, and cash-flow issues force you to get creative? Truth be told, only a fraction of the person you knew in high school will emerge four (or five) years later.
Naturally, you want your dorm room the room in which youll break ground, hearts and coffee-consumption records to also evolve and reflect the unique matryoshka-like layers of your personality. Our advice?
Resist the ubiquitous poster sales, and decorate sans Kurt Cobain references (unless you were somehow in Seattle in 1992 when Nirvana performed that 10-song set at the Croc) and pictures of Kate Moss (oh, Kate, forever young). Try some affordable Vancouver street art (Ken Foster makes a great start to any art collection), or pick up a paint brush yourself one of those first weekends in September.
And instead of a potted plant that will guilt you from the window sill as you realize 24 hours isnt actually enough time to water it in a day, get a low-maintenance terrarium, perhaps with a little ceramic person or animal in it for you to talk to on your third day of thesis writing.
Finally, if this all looks great but might cost a few too many Queen Elizabeth IIs, blogs such as Apartment Therapy and Poppytalk have amazing DIY hacks on pretty much every decorating project you can dream up, so track down the (much cheaper) components and come up with something even better!
1 - MAIL You will look back on your time at university with mixed emotions, but you will always remember how awesome it was to get things in your mailbox that werent bills. Make sure its a regular dose of good news by subscribing to a cool magazine. Try a gorgeous and well-written quarterly like Kinfolk (the guide for small gatherings) to get the inspiration flowing; your future parties will thank you. Individual issues are sold at Old Faithful for $18. Subscriptions ($60/year) can be bought at Kinfolk.com. Also, check out the letter writing workshops at Regional Assembly of Text.
2 - COFFEE You could get one of those single-serve brewers (if you like creating compressed garbage pucks with every coffee you drink), or you could stick to a technology that hasnt changed much in 100 years; pick up a stylish French press that will graduate with you into your first apartment and beyond. The concept may have been patented by Italian designer, but weve got to go with the Bodum Brazil 8C (made in Denmark by a Swiss company and called a French press). Crossbred European lineage aside the minimalist Bodum is a most durable, attractive and affordable flavour delivery device. And no paper filter means no waste. $20; available at the Bay.
3 - TOOLS Invented by Vancouvers Kevin Royes and touted by O Magazine as the next best thing to living with a handyman, the Kelvin 23 is 23 essential tools, from measuring tape to level, rolled into one compact cast-aluminum supertool. And, ladies, while it also comes in pink, THAT was not deemed an essential function. For everything else from hanging pictures to assembling flat packed furniture this beauty has you covered. $30; Home Hardware.
4 - TIME With wall and desk space at a premium, Finn Magee kills two birds with one design via his Flat Life Clock for Areaware a poster of a digital alarm clock that is actually a functioning clock. Huzzah! Its cleverness, no matter your grades, will make you look clever by default (just dont ruin it by admitting the $160 price point); Secret Location.
5 - BAGS Special thanks to Walrus on Cambie for lending us one of their best-selling backpacks Herschels Little America for the cover photo. The navy blue with leather straps positively reeks of classic mountaineering style, so if you prefer your beauty timeless, this is the beginning and the end of your search. But if you are picking up on the theme of this piece, patterns arent going anywhere. Herschels Spring/Summer 14 booth at the KNOWSHOW was bedecked in backpacks sporting treehouse patterns and fish prints! But thats SO next year, and this black chevron is available now. For a pattern that will turn heads for years to come, its top of our shopping list. No matter which of the 25 styles strikes you, though, all are lined with their signature striped fabric, with a padded 15 laptop sleeve and cinch top closure. $90; HerschelSupply.ca.
6 - PILLOWS Your dorm room will be a revolving door of visitors, each with a long story to tell that requires a comfortable place to sit. Keep your dorm cozy, welcoming and colour blocked with this Stream Knit 20 two bold stripes of heathered blue banded across a chunky herringbone knit in natural. Hand-knit in super soft acrylic, it also reverses to solid natural. Includes pillow insert. $45; available from CB2.
7 - TECH Once you get your desk set up, you arent going to want to be crawling under it and feeling around for that cable you had to unplug to take your laptop to the library. Head to Room in Order on Davie and pick up some cute cable organizers like these CableDrops by BlueLounge, which manage your desk intraweb by gently grasping cables so they dont fall off your desk every time you unplug your equipment. Packs of six come in bright, white, black or muted colours. $13 (And while youre there, have a giggle at the hand sanitizers, with titles like Bitch Slap those Germs, and Maybe you Touched your Genitals ($6).
8 - LAUNDRY Whether you ever want to wash that Graffiti Party T-shirt or not, you need somewhere to keep your dirty (and filthy dirty) clothes. Luckily there is this organic cotton laundry basket with leather handles in a Ferm Living signature print. Thank God. For $110 you can have 40 x 60 cm of gorgeousness. Available at Homewerx on Davie.
9 - FIRST AID With no mom around to kiss your scrapes, cheer yourself up with the Head Over Healing First Aid Box. Demonstrate your talent for triage in retro style once this sizable, sturdy metal container is packed with gauze, balm, and a barrage of essential supplies. The four compartments plus tray topper can also stand in as an attention grabbing makeup organizer in any dorm decor. $30; ModCloth.com.
10 - MUSIC Noise reduction: a key selling feature in any headphone, but especially as one as tricked out and sexy as the Zinken DJ headphone by Urbanears (pictured in cobalt). The ZoundPlug allows another person to plug into your headphones to share your music (good for making new friends at school), and they come with built-in mic and remote so you can pick up phone calls or shuffle your tracks. And the best thing about them is that they are totally collapsable, which makes them easy to store in your bag when you get to class (if you actually take them off to listen). $120; various retailers.
11 - PLANTS A little in-dorm terrarium building too messy for your (or your roommates) taste? Head to Flower Factory on Main and fall to your knees in front of their effortless front window display. Youll have trouble choosing which glass-walled miniature fantasy landscape makes you feel most calm as you stare at it. Prices vary, quality does not.
12 - ACCESSORIES Looking for an over-door hook that will add function AND form? This three-swivel hook with faceted tops is big on bling, but perfect for small spaces. $12; UrbanOutfitters.com.
13 - BEDDING And while youre cruising their website, cuddle up to the Assembly Home Between The Lines duvet cover finished with a zigzag geo-triangle motif and reversible. Also available in hot pink/turquoise. $79-$89; UrbanOutfitters.com.
14 - LIGHTING The biggest piece of furniture youll probably be adding to your already furnished dorm room is a lamp (we dont consider mini fridges furniture, although they are sure to act as extra storage). We love these romantic, iron Industrial Task Table Lamps for evoking the feel of a long-ago era. Picture your school when it was first built: who passed through its high arches? What great theories were posited there? Then sit at your desk and do your work as the glow of distant ghosts fades to the harsh reality of deadlines. $86-107; West Elm.
WIN A MINI FRIDGE
Speaking of mini fridges, were giving away a Danby Designer (1.8 cu. ft.) to one lucky student. Click here to enter.
Follow style reporter Kelsey Klassen on Twitter @kelseyklassen.
