College students, here’s a pop quiz. Question: What do a beanbag chair, a lava lamp and a poster of “Animal House” have in common? Answer: None of them will make your dorm room unique. This year, skip the expected and make a statement with unique dorm decor.
– Most dorm closets are unfairly small. Add a bit of organization with the Grab Wall-Mounted Hand Hook, designed by Harry Allen. This polyester resin cast is made to look like an outstretched hand. Mount it to the wall and it can hold keys, a jacket or loose change. Hardware included, $75 at elsewares.com or call 866-491-5156.
– Most students think the top bunk is the inconvenient option. But the bottom bunk means visitors — including strangers — are going to treat your bed as a couch. Gross. Give them a better place to sit with the Casbah Accent Pillows. These colorful pillows are 16 inches wide so they can be tossed on the floor and used as additional seating. Round, oblong or square, they’re $24.99 each at J.C. Penney stores or jcpenney.com.
– Paint those walls and Res Life may make you paint ’em back at the end of the year. Give those cinder-block walls a decorative, temporary lift with Decorama (top of page) by Bored Inc. These adhesive vinyl decals are made to look as though a design was painted on the wall. They also stick to floors and furniture. More than 25 available styles start at $20 at boredinc.net.
– No need to bring a stereo to school. The SoundMaster 360 Sphere Speaker System is an MP3 player docking station. It also plays music from a CD player or computer. And it has a cool blue light that glows in the dock. Available in white or black, $49.99 at Bed, Bath & Beyond stores or at bedbathandbeyond.com.
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