Tufts Blogs

When one of my cohort-mates walked into my room for the first time a couple of weeks ago, the first thing he said was “Is this an Anthropologie?” He later went on to tell me that I should teach an Ex College class on interior design, a prospect which I laughed out loud at (seeing as I am supremely unqualified to do that). But he wasn’t incorrect in his original assertion—my room does give off Anthropologie vibes, a choice that my roommate and I made deliberately when we moved in. We were determined to make this 215 square foot space a home, one which we would be comfortable to sleep, read, work out, attend class, and scroll for hours on TikTok in. During a semester in which the majority of our lives are virtual and isolated, we felt it was imperative that we made our sole maskless space as cozy and warm as possible. While I won’t be teaching an Ex College class anytime soon, I can offer my best tips for turning a cold, blank room into a space you’ll never want to leave. 

1. The first tip is the most important: PLANTS. Get as many plants as possible—preferably alive ones. Not only do they serve as easy and gorgeous room decor, but they make the whole space feel happier. It’s really lovely to have the constancy of a plant’s watering schedule in your life, even if they’re a cactus or succulent and only get watered once a month. Even if the rest of your life (classes, extracurriculars, jobs, etc.) feels like it’s slipping out of your grasp, you can always rely on your plants to support you and love you unconditionally. They can also become a great bonding experience with your roommate(s)—you can water them together, repot them together, name them together, etc. My roommate Maddy and I have gotten all twenty-eight (yes, twenty-eight. Are we insane? Probably.) of our plants from Pemberton Farms, a lovely independent nursery on Massachusetts Avenue that’s just a twenty-minute walk from Tufts. We’ve had a great time naming them, caring for them, and even crafting full personalities and star charts for them. There are literally no cons of owning multitudes of plants. If you don’t have one, go out and buy one right now. It’ll make your life better.
2. Second tip: get some supplemental lighting! The overhead lighting that’s built into every on-campus room is very fluorescent and cold—completely unconducive to the warm, homey atmosphere that we’re trying to cultivate. We got three strings of outdoor patio lights and strung them up all around the room. The great thing about these is that they have full light bulbs instead of those that come with typical Christmas-esque fairy lights, so they light up the room beautifully. They give off an incredible, honey-toned glow that instantly makes the room cozier, especially when coupled with the daily sunlight streaming into our west-facing window during golden hour. We never turn on our overhead lighting—no need, when our string lights are so superior!
3. Third tip: stock up on food. While the on-campus dining at Tufts is next level, it’s always nice to have at least some snacks if not full meals available to eat in your room. That way, on a blustery winter’s day, you won’t have to venture out into the cold for a warm meal. This semester, the Office of Residential Life gave every room a mini-fridge and microwave set—Maddy and I have since mastered the art of the microwave boxed mac-n-cheese. We’ve also been cooking a lot in our residential hall’s kitchen; whether it’s a full Rosh Hashanah dinner or pesto pasta courtesy of my basil plant, there’s nothing like a warm, home-cooked meal to make your room feel like a home.
4. Fourth tip: get a rug! Or two! It seems super simple, but you’d be amazed how the addition of a rug brings the room together. It also serves as semi-seating—guests are much more likely to sit on your floor if there’s a cozy rug to bolster them. My only warning is to shy away from long-haired, shaggy rugs (they’re impossible to clean). 
5. Speaking of cleaning, my fifth tip is to clean your room often! Maddy and I have instituted a rule that we do a deep clean of our room every Saturday. This includes vacuuming, wiping down desks and chairs, straightening out our belongings, and swiffering the parts of our floor that aren’t covered by rugs. Although it may seem excessive, making time to clean your room every week helps the space feel so much more accessible and can really clear the clutter out of your mind as well.
6. The sixth and final tip is pretty intuitive, but it’s important nonetheless: fill your space with things that make you happy. I’ve filled mine with books, cards from loved ones, pictures of my friends and family, and postcards I’ve collected from art museums around Boston. It’s impossible to hate the room you’re in when you’ve filled it with everything that brings you joy.

That’s all I’ve got for now, but if anything else comes to mind, I may revisit the idea of teaching that Ex College class. Keep an eye on the Ex College course offerings in the next few semesters ;).