dormsofuchicago

[dormsofuchicago]

Any UChicago people wanna take over this blog? dm me !

[dormsofuchicago]

Kelton / 2nd Year / Public Policy

Max-Palevsky

“I think I just crammed everything I could that I liked into my room. I consider myself a homebody so I like to come in my room and stay in my room, so have everything I need. I have my xbox, my computer, my fridge, microwave, tv.”

Kelton really does have everything, but what’s really impressive is the level of technology in this room. Cool lights, xbox, multiple computer screens, huge tv - this room is full of gadgets. “I like to keep it hi-tech. I can control everything form my phone: I can turn my xbox on, change the music, change the lights, control the apple tv, turn the tv on, the only thing I can’t do is control the fan, but I’m sure I’ll figure that out.” 

I think the lights are the coolest part of his room. He has an app on his phone where he can change the colors of them to customize the atmosphere of the room. Much better than the gross fluorescent lights we are so used to in dorm rooms! “The lights are great because when I'm studying I turn them on bright. When I’m partying I make then do strobe-light type things. When I'm relaxing I set it to chill lighting. I have timers so I can set it to go off at a certain time.” 

[dormsofuchicago]

☀️ It's spring quarter! ☀️ If you go to uchicago and want to be featured this quarter just let me know and we can work out arrangements (:

[dormsofuchicago]

Mark / 2nd Year / English & Minor in Environmental Studies

South Campus

"I have probably like 70-75% of my stuff here. I wanted my room to kind of reflect who I am and a bit of who I was I guess"

There is certainly a lot of stuff in this room but it doesn't look cluttered. It seems like everything has its own section of the room. "I did like family and friendship from back home over there"(he points to the wall above the head of his bed), "my favorite art thing I have is this- my little sister drew it"(points to purple crayon drawing).

 So it's pretty obvious form looking at his room that Mark is a musician. "A big part of it was to just have all my music stuff. That's all stuff from touring with my band--different lineups for festivals that we played and stuff we found on tour. Show flyers are everywhere." The flyers are all super cool and the row of set-lists and tickets gives a lot of personality to the area above his desk.

 Comics are also a huge part of the room; "I got into comic books like two or three years ago, spiderman's obviously my favorite." 

Music, video games, and comics: that's what this room is about. Also, speaking of video games, I don't want to end this post without mentioning the TV- he got it off of marketplace for super cheap. Having a TV in your room is a great way to make if feel more homey. "it feels more like home than my room at home ever did."

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Spencer / 2nd Year / International Studies and Economics

South Campus

"When I was thinking about putting my room together I wanted it to be a space that I could really call mine, so most of the stuff in here asperity much stuff that I've made. I also wanted to be able to bring people in here and talk about the room and every single item--to have the whole room as a conversation piece."

There are so many cool things in this room, I don't even know where to begin. I think the ceramics are probably the most notable- he has them on every shelf and there are even some on his floor that aren't pictured. I love the idea of making ceramic sets because not only do they look cool, they are also totally functional pieces of art. They look much better than my plastic cups from target!

"The moose head is my favorite item, I call it my vegan moose head. I'll lay in bed and look at it and it feels like it's watching over me"

I like the way that the moose head sticks out into the room, it activates the empty space above the shelves in a really neat way.

The posters are all incredible as well, especially all of the collages he made (like the ones above the shelf and on the closet door). "To have walls that say things I think is really nice"

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Emma / 1st Year / Political Science

Maclean

Crafts. Crafts everywhere. I love it.

"It’s a way to unwind after a long day, to just create something, and I don’t have anywhere to put it except on my walls, so that’s usually what happens."

All of the handmade trinkets and decorations add a personal touch to the room. There are so many pretty little objects! 

"A lot of the stuff I have on that first shelf is stuff that my family has sent me in care packages. Every once in a while they’ll send me a candle or a picture or something like that."  A beautifully busy shelf is a hard thing to achieve- Emma’s looks fantastic. 

"I wanted my room to be a relaxing and calm place where I can still be creative."

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Luke / 2nd Year / Public Policy & Cinema and Media Studies

South Campus

I want to start this post by saying that if you're lucky enough to have a spacious single, you should get a couch. 

"The couch is funny. I looked on UChicago Marketplace for a while and found this really good couch. It was on 52nd and Dorchester, so some friends and I had to walk over there and carry this thing for two miles in the 80 degree weather. It was an absolute nightmare." Yeah, that's dedication, and it was definitely worth it!

That's not the only statement item in the room though- I've been searching for a rug since the beginning of the quarter so I was majorly jealous of his. 

"The rug is my kitchen rug from home that got too dirty so my parents gave it to me to take to college." 

If only my parents had cool rugs to let me take to school...

"The tapestry is there because sometimes I can check out a projector form Logan and project up there, and when I'm not projecting it's just a big empty space, So I bought the tapestry. I got it shipped from india from Etsy for $10"

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Maggi / 1st Year / Biology Pre-Med

South Campus

One of the most notable parts about this cheery, cozy room is the amount of pictures on the walls. "I get really homesick even though I live an hour away, but that explains the many pictures", Maggi points out as she gestures to the clothesline that she positioned above her shelf. "I really like my picture clothesline, especially when the heater is on and it makes it move." 

Her use of the space above her bed, especially putting three shelves on one side to make more room by the top of the bed, makes a warm, cozy looking corner. The wall space is really well utilized. "My room at home is really full- every single wall is covered by paintings or lights or pictures or whatever, so I don't like having empty space. I love christmas, it's one of my favorite holidays, so I love christmas lights." 

Maybe one of my favorite parts of this room is the hot cocoa and tea station- prefect for a chill day like today (It's currently 7 degrees)! 

Hot drinks, fuzzy pillows, christmas lights and pictures from home... this room couldn't get more comfortable.

[dormsofuchicago]

I hope everyone has a great break! If you're interested in being featured next quarter you can contact me via email, my info is under the 'about' tab :) Happy Holidays!

[dormsofuchicago]

Theresa / 3rd Year / Political Science & History

Snell-Hitchcock

Theresa's room hardly looks like a dorm room. This single is extremely warm and inviting, If I lived here I don't think I'd ever leave!

One of my favorite parts about this room is the collection poems on the wall above her bed. She told me she typed them out on an electronic typewriter that her parents gave her. "Having poems in a book or something, you kind of just read it once and you don't get to see it a lot but having it on the wall is very nice because you can keep going over it and you can find something new every time." I might steal this idea... what a pleasant way of decorating a blank wall.

Another aspect to point out is the plants. I've always wanted plants in my room but never actually ended up doing it, so I was really happy to walk in here and see all the plants that Theresa has around hers. "It's really nice to have something living and growing by itself. It's also really nice to take a break and water them and move them around"

Moral of the story: if you're looking to make your dorm more homey, poems and plants will do the trick.

[dormsofuchicago]

Zach / 1st Year / English with a focus in Creative Writing

South Campus

Zach’s room doesn’t feel like your average dorm room—the lighting turns it into a completely different atmosphere. My lens couldn’t capture it very well, but I tried my best! 

"When I’m in my room I want to feel nestled. I want to feel like it’s something totally removed from the academic and social environments outside of this space."

With the skulls, the gong, the spider, and the posters, there’s a definite sense of personality in this room. Zach affirms, ”I’ve tried very clumsily to have it reflect whatever it is about me that I want people to know when they come in here.”

And of course, I had to ask about the reasoning behind the lights: "They’re gentle and very comforting. Normal and natural light, like outside and in classrooms, I find to be harsh and overwhelming. This helps create an atmosphere that is soft and welcoming that I don’t find anywhere else."

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Lexi / 1st Year / Chemistry & Art History

South Campus

“I’ve collected post cards since I was really young. My mom was a docent at the Phillips Collection in DC so we just always had a lot of art post cards in the house. Also, my parents wouldn’t give me the nice art they collect!”

Lexi’s room just oozes coolness to me. The closer I looked the more interesting things I found, like the sheep and bird trinkets and the creepy doll on her bed. There’s so much to look at!

You can definitely tell she’s an artist. Also please notice her amazing record collection- it’s pretty impressive for a dorm room. “I like music in general so that’s why I have so many records. Also  Louisville, where I’m from, is a very analog culture-oriented place.”

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Elise / 1st Year / International Studies

Juliette / 1st Year / Undecided

Burton-Judson

These two girls coordinated so well, I just had to make their double one post instead of splitting it up.

E: "I really like that our rooms turned out well together." J:"Elise's is the softer introduction to my more grungy room." There is definitely a lot that sets both of the rooms apart though there's also a really cohesive style between them. I have to point out the stuffed elephants on each of their beds: they didn't plan that- they both had them before they came to school!

E:"We went to Ikea the first week to get rugs and lights." J:"That was probably one of my best memories here!" Rugs are definitely a great choice. They make dorm rooms seem much more homey, especially for rooms like these that don't have carpet. Speaking of homey--their little UChicago sitting area is fantastic. BJ kids are so lucky that they get those nice chairs! 

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Lily / 1st Year / Undecided~Environmental Science

Burton-Judson

Okay, the drapes around the bed are sooooo amazing!

"I'd wanted a canopy bed forever so when the ceilings here were finally tall enough I made my parents do it for me. I really like that it separates my sleeping space form my working space." 

"I really wanted it to feel like a home away from home so I tried to include a little bit of everyone that meant something to me, that's why I have a lot of pictures." She definitely nailed it- this room is super cozy!

I love the school spirit and the halloween decorations as well. And who doesn't like lava lamps? 

[dormsofuchicago]

Nick / 1st Year / Econ

South Campus

"I carried over what my room at home looked like. I tried to sample a little bit of everything that I'm into."

I've never seen shelves used for only display purposes but I love it- the room looks so neat and organized because of it.  I also love all of the posters! There's definitely a lot of pop culture going on here, there's even DVDs lining the windowsill. 

"That shoe setup is something I've been building for a few years. The hats.. are just hats" 

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Molly / 2nd Year / Cinema and Media Studies

South Campus

After walking into the room I immediately saw the media studies major coming out in the decorations: Molly emphasized this as she told me "I love pop culture and neat graphic design so I tried to organize my room in a crowded yet organized way."

This room is full of cuteness. Her bubble chair was a gift from a friend in 4th grade! How cute is that?! Also, I have to point out her window display with the “Friendly Confines” sign. Apparently that’s a name for Wrigley Field but I just love those words displayed next to the two adorable stuffed animals and the hello kitty stickers.

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Meghana / 1st Year / English and Pre-Med

I-House

"I wanted my room to be a peaceful place where I could relax" Meghana says as we enjoy chia tea in her pleasant and naturally-lit room. She got her decorating inspiration from places like pinterest and dorm tumblrs; "All summer I had been curating pictures of the stuff I liked the most."

I'm soo jealous of her amazing bird/string light wall- major props to anyone who can decorate that tastefully! 

(try and spot the two sets of matching items in the room!)