What do you expect when your friend puts the key in the lock and begins to open the door of their dorm room?
Most rooms reveal a mess of clothes on the floor that beg for washing, while others, a museum-like tidiness that feels surreal.
How about this for a change: walking into a room after a busy day of classes and finding relaxation in the calming colors and Zen-like decor of your surroundings? Want this room? Take some tips from our friend, Morgan Biggs. A psychology major with a leadership minor and a transfer student, Biggs is currently a junior at the University of Tampa from Palm Beach, Fla. She lives in an inspiring and cozy single room in Urso Hall.
The Minaret (M): I see that you have a lot of “far East” inspired decor. Buddha, candles and other items. What inspired you to decorate your room in this way?
Morgan Biggs (MB): I knew that college life would be hectic sometimes. I felt that I just needed a place to relax. I like to call my room the “Zen den,” because I just come in here and I feel instantly relaxed. I feel at home.
M: What is your favorite item in the room?
MB: I have a few. I like the candles I have above my desk and around my room. They’re electric candles, so I don’t have to worry about them and they look so real. Also, one of my favorites is the bamboo stickers I put on the wall. They pulled the theme of the room together.
M: What item do you have that does not belong in this room?
MB: I don’t have any items that don’t belong, but there are some things about the room that are strange. The tiles [on the floor] are awful. I managed to make it work by mostly covering them up with area rugs. Another thing is the concrete slab over there [on the wall]. I just put another bamboo sticker on it to help it blend in. Finally, the chair that they gave us is kind of weird. It’s not very comfortable.
M: Was there anything else about your room that you did not like?
MB: Another thing I did was change my shower head. I like my new shower head because, again, I like to be comfortable. It’s the little things that make you comfortable, even a little thing such as changing my shower head.
M: Describe your room in one word.
MB: Serenity. I feel so relaxed here and I feel like this is my home now. I still go home to visit my parents, but I find myself saying, “I’m going home [to Tampa,]” and it’s like, did I just say that?
M: You have awesome stuff in here, yet there is no clutter. How do you utilize your limited space?
MB: I utilize all of my space by having storage containers under my bed, under my desk, everywhere. When I first came here, I had way too much stuff. I took some of it home, but everything else is in organizing bins under my bed and around my room.
M: How does your room reflect your personality?
MB: I’m a pretty relaxed, laid-back person. I think that my room brings a sense of tranquility to not only me, but to people who hang in here also.
M: Is your style affordable?
MB: I think that my style is affordable. Most of my stuff I got for $20, like the area rugs. IKEA is the place to go. Of course, I like to splurge on nice things. I splurged a lot on my bed — I think it was around $350. That includes the comforter and sheets. I got something to cover my mattress to make it more comfortable and I have a lot of pillows.
My room is place for me, it’s all mine, a place to do whatever I want. Also, I think my whole floor is like a “mini family.”
My floor is a non-traditional floor. My ResHall is my home and my dorm room is my room.
As I said before, my dorm is becoming my home more than my home down in Palm Beach.
Laurel Sanchez can be reached at laurel.sanchez@gmail.com.
This room is bumpin’