Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005

No more sleepy decor

Decorating lessons for back-to-college crowd

By CHARLYNE VARKONYI SCHAUB
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Decorating for back to college used to be a no-brainer. All you had to do was buy a new bedspread, sheets, pillows and a plastic bucket to take to the communal bathroom.

Not anymore, dude.

This is huge. Everyone is competing for your back-to-dorm dollar — from Ty Pennington’s TYU Back to Campus Collection at Sears to Room Solutions at design-savvy Target. Even Kmart is trying to generate hipster hype with the 0-60 Collection, a brand kicked off just in time for back to school.

These collections join the offerings from typical spots you shop for dorm decor such as Linens ’n Things, Bed, Bath & Beyond and The Container Store.

So what’s really happening here?

“We are seeing part of a broader trend that has to do with kids having more input into their home furnishings and caring more about them,” Michelle Lamb, publisher of the Trend Curve newsletter, said in a telephone interview from her office in Eden Prairie, Minn.

Years ago, Lamb said, college students lived with whatever their moms suggested. Folks “made do” with what they had or what they were given.

“People don’t ‘make do’ anymore,” she said. “College kids don’t want used stuff. That’s politically incorrect. If it’s used, it’s vintage. And even that’s not about making do, it’s about making a statement.”

You’ve got a lot of choices to make that statement. And retailers are trying harder to entice you with their offerings.

At Sears, there’s the celeb hook of hunky Ty Pennington, host of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Pennington’s TYU Back to Campus Collection emphasizes casual living, comfort and color. Each of the three new looks — Horizon, Lagoon and Loft — includes bedding and mix-and-match accessories. Some capitalize on Pennington’s fave expressions such as pillows with “Love This” or “Kick It.”

Jon Gieselman, Kmart’s vice president of advertising and public relations, agrees that individual style is an important ingredient in dorm design.

“Kids want to make a personal expression of style,” he said. “They can do it with apparel. They can do it with accessories. They can do it with a backpack and notebooks. It translates into home decor. You can create a personal sense of style in how your dorm room looks. The days of bringing the hand-me-down comforter from home are gone. People want to differentiate themselves from the crowd.”

Kmart, Sears’ new sibling company, is appearing more edgy in its back-to-school launch of the 0-60 Collection, a new brand that will continue throughout the year with products geared to different seasons. The youth-driven collection, which evokes a fast-paced lifestyle, also includes bedding, decorative pillows, furniture, storage and lighting.

“We are injecting a great deal more of design into the product,” Gieselman said. “Take a storage bin. Just because it has a utilitarian need doesn’t mean it can’t look great.”

The pioneer in bringing good design to the masses is Target, and this year’s Room Solutions doesn’t disappoint. It includes exclusive products from California Closets to help organize tight spaces, funky furniture such as foam lounge chairs, retro-style clocks and bright bedding and bath stuff in blue, green and orange stripes and waves. There are also decorative file boxes with matching folders and chrome Memorex radios.

One of the best ways to show who you are is to put your personal stamp on your dorm room with color.

“Students want things that are fun, not staid,” Bed, Bath & Beyond spokeswoman Noemi Villani said in a telephone interview. “You are going into a dorm with white walls and accessories are a great way to make it your own. And, if after a year you are sick of your pink shower tote, you can get one in another color.”

Although getting the right bedding to express your personality is still important, Anne Evans of Linens ’n Things said over time the emphasis has moved to other parts of the room.

“We realize that kids do a lot of living in small spaces,” she said. “We try to cater to their multifaceted lifestyle of sleeping, socializing and studying in their room. The emphasis has moved dramatically to extra seating and fabulous chairs. Technology has driven the need for additional furnishings. We take into consideration that the kids may be using laptops and have things like the computer lap desk with a wrist rest. Kids want to be comfortable.”