The Red and Black

Issue date: 11/6/08 Section: Athens Living

Media Credit: COURTESY KELLY RIDENHOUR Sophomore Kelly Ridenhour painted this tree on her living room wall, and gave her home a surreal, earthy feel. [Click to enlarge]

What to do with a blank house? It can be more challenging than a canvas. However, a look into some local student endeavors couldn't offer better insight on creative living.

Create an illusion of space with mirrors. Jessica Lee, a sophomore from Atlanta, and Emily Randall, a sophomore from Lindale, both art majors, have mastered this craft- They recommend many mirrors.

"I was at this thrift store in Atlanta, on Memorial, and I got this sweet mirror clock for like $9, and couch pillows. They're really colorful - about $3 each," Lee said. The best place to start is with color. Both girls believe picking favorite colors is the solution for bedroom decor, and that mix-matched color "brought our rooms together even though they are both so different." Colors create moods.

Lee agrees "lighting is key - there's a certain level of light for every comfort level. I like doing my homework in a bright area, so we have 60 watt bulbs right above the dining table, and 40 watt bulbs that go in the lamps, which are already muted because of the lamp shades," she said. "Then we've got these colorful lights for a different feel."

Wall decals have gained popularity for filling blank space.

"The stickers definitely make the walls seem less empty. Rather than big blank color, there's a bunch of character. They're actually part of the walls, so there isn't very much clutter, like with posters and picture frames," Randall said.

This is a great idea for those who live in dorms who have only jail-cell-chic cinder block walls at their disposal. Both girls recommend whatisblik.com and threadless.com as a variety of art work for wall decals.

"We've got these weeds that are stuck on the wall between our rooms, and they really bring our rooms together because some of the weeds are the color of my room and some are the color of Emily's room. Then there are a bunch of mixed colors," Lee said. "For Emily's room, I got her these sheep and tally marks that can be easily removed and applied. They're restickable. I thought she'd have a bunch of fun with those since she doesn't sleep. And I've got 99 black balloons that are going in my room," Lee said.

Continued...

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