Friday, May 11, 2012

Meet Max, a junior at Georgetown and all-star tennis player who took a chance on cherry red furniture when decking out his campus crib this year.

While opting for the bold desk, dresser, side table combo might have seemed daring at the time, and ladies, Max is quite a daring fella with his punch colored vespa, actually resulted in pure genius as a decorating call.

The vibrant colored metal furniture from CB2 offers an upbeat and modern feel to the tired wooden framework of the room, which otherwise would be dull and brown. Perhaps the spunky furniture works because the complimenting pieces are muted tones. (more…)

Tags: CB2, Georgetown, red furniture

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Meet Elizabeth, a junior at Marquette who cleverly revitalized her parents throw away furniture with preppy pastel fabrics to decorate her classic American dorm room.

The Cleveland native and JFK Jackie-O lover explains, “I wanted to have things that were unique to my tastes so I did a lot of going through stuff at home to find older objects instead of going for the mass-produced posters and such. The pastels/whites are calming to me so I can relax in my room and the monograms bring a ‘me’ touch to the room!” Her clean classic look has spurts of Ralph Lauren, antique items, and black and white photos to create the aesthetic.

Fix-Ups? E: I found chairs which I reupholstered with Ralph Lauren fabric and painted to create my own twist. I revitalized the frame on my wall by painting it white this summer.

Cool Finds? E: The inauguration poster was from when my dad worked on the campaign. The boot poster was designed and created by my Uncle Tim Althauser. The Cleveland Indians signed frame was from when I worked there for the past 4 years. Antique “E” from a screen door that my mom found.

Paintings and Pictures? E: Chevron painting inspired by Uscoop! (more…)

Tags: Marquette, monograms, Ralph Lauren Bedding

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Meet Bo, a junior at Lehigh and outgoing president at Fiji fraternity. Living on the top level in his two room suite, Mr. Pres. pimps out his pad in a series of “foto real fo flor” area rugs which he deems from time to time as “frat mats”.

We caught up with the architecture and civil engineering major to learn about his usage of  the washable and customizable fo flor wonder mats in his room and fraternity spaces.

So are those fo flor area rugs covering your entire living room? Bo: I worked out the area of the living room and figured it would take 9 of the fo flor area rugs to fit the entire space. It turned out I had to cut down a few to make the mats fit perfectly, which was really easy using regular scissors. It took me about 1 hour to put it all in place.

Can you wash those? B: Absolutely. The best part about the rugs is that whenever I spill anything, I just have to take the individual mat and throw it in the washing machine, wait for it to dry and put it right back down.

Any other selling points? B: The alumni love to see that mats every time they come up to the house. The other advantage was that I was able to customize them to my individual chapter and fraternity which makes them a great asset to have. They look great in the entrances and enhance the overall look and pride in the house for everyone.  The ability to wash them is a huge advantage to other options because they get heavily used.

(more…)

Tags: fo flor area rugs, Lehigh

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Have another glimpse into the gorgeous Delta Gamma house at Cornell, where you’ll get a taste of the latest initial pillow craze. Thanks to Jonathan Adler, sorority sisters are finishing off their bedding collections with classic needlepoint pillows in red, blue and cream.

Summed up by our rep-star Lilly on the overall feel of the patriotic room, “These girls decided to combine their affinity for red, white, and blue, and their love for Ralph Lauren and everything horse. This room turned into a very Hampton’s-esque space.” (more…)

Tags: Cornell, initial pillow, Jonathan Adler, needlepoint

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

When it comes to wooing the ladies, a little Marvin Gaye, wine, and of course candlelight work every time. Thanks to Flipo flameless candles, sophomore casanovas Nick, Chris and Scott can set the romantic mood for lady friends without even lighting a match.

In their Bucknell apartment, the guys test out the battery operated candles on the living room coffee table and TV stand, the bathroom sink, and most fittingly, the bedroom. Best thing about them? The timer setting makes it so you don’t have to get up when things get heated. Afterall, who wants to worry about fire safety at a time like that?

Have an empty mantlepiece? Line up four to five candles to create a soothing look and perfect environment for post-workday relaxation. (more…)

Tags: Bucknell, flameless candles, Flipo

Friday, April 6, 2012

Meet Jack, a Stanford junior and renaissance man who can make a clock from scratch, cut waves on the weekend and reign as president of his fraternity without a sweat. Take a peak in his Cali crib, decked out in wooden accessories, surf gear, and touches of neon here and there to get you thinking like a west coast kid.

How would you describe your room’s style? Jack: I’d say it’s got a little bit of my mom and sister in it…since they guide me in my purchases. And it has a Cali flair.

What gives it its “cali flair”? J: The bamboo, the waves, the ukalalee… there’s definitely a lot of beach influence

So, you surf? J: (points to surfboard hung on ceiling) I try…

Where did you get the wave lamp? J: It was a project I made for a Product Design class. The bowl and surfer clock too. (more…)

Tags: Fraternity, iFrogz iPhone case, Stanford, surfing gear, We Wood watch

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

There’s nothing like going off to school or moving to a new city to get your adrenaline going. With being in unknown territory comes excitement and independence… at first. But once reality sets in, so does homesickness.

What better way to dodge the lonely bullet then surround yourself with pictures of friends and family in cheerful home accessories?

At Bucknell, Elizabeth decks out her dorm room shelves in colorful frames, trays and desk accessories with photos of Pi Phi sorority sisters in Mexico and childhood images in Cape Cod along with her immediate family at a wedding in Cleveland.

Thanks to Tara Wilson designs, the selection is endless to frame her great memories. To complement her Catalina printed Serena and Lily bedding in navy, Elizabeth opts for the neutral colored camel diamond lucite frame and white pen holder and cream photo tray.

(more…)

Tags: John Derian tray, Serena and Lily, Tara Wilson frames

Friday, March 30, 2012

Trending in campus cribs and recent grad apartments… Chandler 4 Corners hand-hooked pillows, rugs and blankets.

From classic American stars and stripes in NYC and mountain themed moose pillows in DC, to collegiate St. Lawrence pillows in the dorm room of the founder’s son, Chandler 4 Corners has home accents for every lifestyle.

Megan’s stars and stripes studio: There’s nothing like the classic American pride look. Megan got her first Chandler 4 Corners pillow, the American flag, while at Trinity. The Rye, NY native added to her collection when moving to the city with a welcome mat and two large end pillows.  (Welcome Flags, White Star on Blue, Stars and Stripes)

Cara’s Colorado crib: “My mom got the moose pillow in Beaver Creek, and I snuck it in my suitcase so I could bring a little piece of Colorado with me to DC. Moose are my favorite animals and the pillow added a warm cabin-y touch to the urban apartment. Plus, it matched the big vintage ski posters that I have hanging on the walls.” (Cinnamon Moose Pillow)

James’s collegiate pad: The son of one of the founders, freshman James makes his upstate New York St. Lawrence pad nice and cozy with his outdoorsy themed accents. “Having grown up with the designs of C4C I have come to really love the outdoor woody/lodge look that the products have and I figured it was the best way to decorate my room. I love the outdoors and spend all the time I can hiking, fishing, biking, skiing, etc. People always tell me how homey my room feels.  I think that can be attributed to the all of the decoration I have including the rugs, pillows, blanket, and photographs… the ‘woods’ scent reed diffuser from Hill House Naturals helps too.” (more…)

Tags: Chandler 4 Corners, preppy pillows, rugs, St. Lawrence, Yale

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Meet James, a sophomore mechanical engineering student and hockey stud at the University of Florida. James is an actively involved member of his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, currently living in the house. Originally from Ft. Myers, FL, you can spot the beach inspired design, earth-toned colors, and southern feel making for a “chill” room in the frat castle.

How would you describe your layout with limited space? James: I designed my room to accommodate a lot of people in a way that would keep my room relaxing but not cluttered.

Are there any stories behind the road signs? J: The speed humps sign mysterious was placed outside my room when I woke up. I found the speed limit sign hidden above a ceiling tile on the third floor of the house during a workday.

Where are all of the koozies and coolers from? J: Some were purchased, some were taken, some were free, but most of the koozies were given on date functions or at local bars from promoters. The coolers are from our spring formal this year and last. (more…)

Tags: Florida, Frat Castle, Southern

Sunday, March 25, 2012

“Hi! I’m Sarah, a sophomore at Bucknell University. I recently declared my major to be International Relations with a minor in Spanish. I definitely like to keep busy, so I’m also a member of Pi Beta Phi and I’m currently the community service chair. In addition to school and sorority life, I’m a photographer for our school newspaper “The Bucknellian”, the manager of the women’s lacrosse team, a member of Legacy Links and I help with the dining committee.

I’m from Vermont and I absolutely love the outdoors. Vermont is a little bit different then Pennsylvania so I try and make my room as Vermonty as I can. Florescent lighting is definitely not my thing so I typically just use my candles, lamp, and white Christmas lights I have hanging from my ceiling. Whenever people walk in they always tell me how homey and peaceful my room is which is something I love to hear!

The tapestries and the rug are my two favorite things in my room – they both really remind me of home. The tapestries automatically bring me back to VT and all of my hippie friends while the rug was made by a family business, “Shehadi Rugs”. (more…)

Tags: Bucknell, Tapestries, Vermont