This Duke University Senior Has the Smartest Tip for What You Need to Do *Before* You Start Decorating Your Dorm
Apartment (on-campus)
Duke University
Glam
Parisian
Durham, North Carolina
Pale pinks, soft textures, and floral touches define the vibe of Savanna Ware’s (@savanna.ware on TikTok) on-campus studio apartment at Duke University. Ware, a college senior, has built a space that can shift easily, from a calm and cozy sanctuary during the week, to the go-to hangout spot when friends roll through.
Savanna’s Space
What is your space best known for? My space is best known for movie nights with friends and having friends over before we all go out together. It is definitely both a safe space and a fun place at once.
Savanna’s Style
Define your personal home style: My home style is very “coquette”‘ with lots of pastel/blush pinks complemented by white.
What’s your favorite element of your space? I love the way I decorated my bed to have a “princess” feel with the plush white duvet cover, white pillows, and pink accent pillow shaped like a flower.
What’s your proudest DIY or product hack? Create your own paintings to decorate your room! One of my favorite aspects of my room is my painting of my Bengal cat, Prince.
Savanna’s Budget
To remove the stigma associated with talking about money in college, we’re asking students to share how they plan and budget for their space.
How much does your housing cost per semester? $6,677
Do you pay for your living expenses? Partially.
How do you earn your income? Paid internship.
How much did it cost to decorate your space? I would say around $800-$1,000 if we are counting everything I’ve accumulated over the past three years.
Do you have anyone helping to fund your decor? My parents graciously helped me with the funds.
What was your biggest splurge for this space? Definitely my TV, which cost around $400.
Savanna’s Advice
What are your best tips before starting to decorate? Clean before you start decorating! This may seem obvious, but many people I know forget to do this and then procrastinate their cleaning, as some places are now difficult to access. Get a Swiffer Power Mop to clean the floors and use it once or twice a week (I like to use mine on Sundays). Also, Create a Pinterest board for inspiration before decorating.
What was your biggest challenge in decorating your space? The most difficult aspect was definitely move-in day, considering I had to move all of my stuff into the second floor from storage. Additionally, there were a lot of repairs I needed done, including flaking paint, lack of air conditioning, and a faulty kitchen sink drain. It all got fixed, though!
This submission’s responses were edited for length and clarity.
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