After Sherry bravely unveiled her “deep, dark design secrets” last week – a collection of truly cringeworthy yet endearing photos from her childhood and college bedrooms – I knew it was only fair to confess some of my own. While I made a valiant effort to unearth photographic evidence of my formative decorating years, I had little luck. My childhood bedroom, a realm dominated by royal blue carpet that served as the vast “ocean” for my intricate Lego islands, remains a vivid, albeit unphotographed, memory. Similarly, my high school room, a study in monochrome with a color scheme best described as “gray on gray on gray,” eluded the lens of any camera I possessed back then.
However, the past has a funny way of catching up, especially when it comes to college. Far from dodging the bullet of a past decor reveal, it seems I practically fired it at myself point-blank. The truth is, I meticulously documented my dorm rooms with an almost obsessive dedication, making it impossible to escape this trip down memory lane. As you’ll soon discover, my freshman year wasn’t just about taking a few casual snapshots; I took the art of documentation to an entirely new level, transforming my room into a bizarre, makeshift panorama art piece by collaging multiple photos together. It was my early attempt at a 360-degree view, long before smartphones and easy digital stitches existed.
This particular corner captures a slice of life from my freshman dorm room, a space I shared with a roommate. For my fellow UVA alums, yes, I lived in Dunglison, and I acknowledge I should technically say “first year” instead of “freshman,” but I’m translating for a broader audience! Stepping into this image, you can immediately spot certain hallmarks of early 2000s college living, beyond my clearly adolescent obsession with taping pictures to every available surface. Let’s take a closer look at the elements that defined my inaugural venture into independent decorating:
- **A Gray Obsession:** My unwavering devotion to the color gray, which began in high school, faithfully followed me to college. This early preference for muted tones might have been a subconscious precursor to our current love for neutral palettes in home design. Back then, it simply felt safe and, in my mind, sophisticated.
- **Eclectic Music Tastes:** My choice of music posters provides a fascinating glimpse into my developing (and somewhat confused) identity. You’ll spot Third Eye Blind, the ever-popular Dave Matthews Band, and then, a rather distinct outlier: Lauren Hill. One of these things, as they say, is certainly not like the other, showcasing a blend of mainstream alternative and soulful hip-hop that perhaps hinted at a broader appreciation for diverse art forms.
- **Sentimental Keepsakes:** Above the Lauren Hill poster, you can see the license plate from my recently-deceased first car – a beloved Dodge Caravan with wood paneling. This cherished relic from my past still exists today, carefully preserved in case Sherry ever finds an “amazing home decor project” for it. (Her current stance, however, remains a resounding “not likely,” much to my chagrin.) This early display of personal artifacts foreshadowed my belief that decor should tell a story.
- **Dorm Room Staples:** No self-respecting college dorm room was complete without certain essential accouterments. For me, these included a set of twinkling string lights, casting a cozy glow over late-night study sessions (or more likely, late-night video game marathons), and a classic lava lamp. There was a prevailing theory among college guys that “ladies love them,” a charmingly naive belief about the allure of psychedelic lighting.
- **The Calendar Conundrum:** Not one, not two, but three page-a-day calendars adorned my wall. It’s safe to say I had a problem – perhaps an overly ambitious desire for organization, or simply a penchant for tearing off a new quote or fact each morning.
- **Hidden Storage & Repurposing (Pre-Blog Era):** And then there was my silver trunk, repurposed as a nightstand. This subtle detail was perhaps the very first indication that I would someday develop a fondness for hidden storage solutions and clever repurposing. Necessity, after all, is the mother of invention, especially in cramped dorm rooms, and this early inclination would eventually become a cornerstone of our design philosophy.
But as if one peculiar photo collage wasn’t sufficient to encapsulate my undergraduate design sensibilities, I apparently felt compelled to repeat this elaborate process to forever memorialize my senior year apartment as well. This time, however, I had advanced to the digital age, armed with a digital camera and rudimentary Photoshop skills. This technological upgrade meant I could assemble an even more ambitious visual masterpiece – a complete 360-degree view of the room. Yes, I know, I was quite fancy, meticulously stitching together every angle to create a comprehensive digital panorama.
Again, you can click to enlarge this immersive view of my senior year sanctuary. This particular apartment was nestled within an old house, a charming but slightly dilapidated structure that had been creatively converted for college students. The conversion process was straightforward: essentially, any room with a door (barring the bathrooms, of course) was designated a bedroom. The result was a lively, often chaotic, household of ten students living under one roof. In a word, it was awesome – a quintessential communal living experience that defined my senior year. My specific room held a unique history; it was the former mudroom of the house, which explains its distinct characteristics: long, narrow proportions, existing exhaust hookups for a washer/dryer (a rare luxury for a college student!), and a door that opened directly to the outside world. This direct access was a huge perk, offering both convenience and a sense of independence. Despite the change in venue, you’ll observe that my personal style, while perhaps a touch more refined, hadn’t dramatically evolved from my freshman dorm room days:
- **The Enduring Reign of Gray:** Gray remained my color of choice, and this time I even extended my DIY prowess to “custom” curtains, fashioned ingeniously from sheets and pillowcases. This resourceful approach wasn’t unlike Sherry’s own childhood sleepwear-turned-pillow project – a delightful, early indication that we were indeed meant to be, sharing a common spirit of creative, budget-friendly design.
- **Pop Culture Icons:** Music posters still dominated my wall art, though the musical landscape had shifted slightly. Britney Spears now graced my walls, a new “lady of choice” whose presence was obviously more for her pop culture icon status than her vocal talents. This transition reflects the evolving trends and personal preferences of a twenty-something on the cusp of adulthood.
- **A Curated Collection of Curiosities:** My trusty license plate continued its tenure as “creative art,” now joined by an authentic NYC subway map – a nod to urban adventures and future aspirations. Illustrations meticulously torn from playbills added an artistic touch, showcasing an early appreciation for graphic design. And, in a meta-moment, my previous dorm room photo collage actually made an appearance, taped up in a corner – you’d truly have to squint to spot it, but its inclusion speaks volumes about my nostalgic tendencies and perhaps an unconscious desire to document my own documentation.
- **Advanced Hidden Storage Solutions:** My love for hidden storage continued to deepen. My bed, which was the top half of my childhood bunk bed from Ikea, sat significantly high off the ground, providing about two feet of invaluable storage space underneath. Sadly, this ingenious setup later fell victim to a rather unpleasant bed bug infestation – a harsh but memorable reality of college living. Furthermore, I acquired an Ikea bookcase, which I shrewdly laid on its side and positioned under my bed. This served as a discreet housing unit for all my schoolbooks and computer equipment. The genius part? A long bedspread draped over the entire setup meant I never had to worry about keeping it tidy, a perfect, no-fuss solution for a messy 21-year-old guy. This pragmatic approach to concealing clutter laid the groundwork for our future design principles focused on functional beauty.
Looking back at these snapshots from my past, I can now discern subtle hints – very, very subtle hints, I must emphasize – that I would someday actually enjoy the intricacies of space planning and interior design. Perhaps my consistent preference for gray, year after year, unconsciously paved the way for our eventual love affair with versatile neutrals, which form the serene backdrop of our current home. Maybe that humble trunk-turned-bedside table in my freshman dorm was an early omen, foreshadowing the plethora of storage ottomans and multi-functional furniture pieces that would someday fill our abode, optimizing every inch of space. And perhaps, my obsessive, panoramic documentation of every angle of my college rooms was more than just a quirky habit; it was a premonition, a clear foreshadowing of a future dedicated to meticulously documenting our home for the world to see through a blog. It’s a little-known fact that I was actually the one who initially conceived and started this blog to chronicle our house’s transformation, and Sherry, bless her heart, was initially less than thrilled at the idea. It’s truly funny how things work out, isn’t it? From humble, gray-laden dorm rooms to a shared passion for home design, the journey has been quite the unexpected adventure.
Oh, and since I miraculously managed not to snap any photos of myself in my rooms while sporting airbrushed winking jeans, it’s only fair to share this Flickr group, which is brimming with some decidedly less-than-flattering photos of me from that era. As an added bonus, you’ll even get to see Sherry in all of her previously-blonde glory!