An earring rack adds function and style to an otherwise boring wall at Jayne Aiken's home. (CU Independent/Mary Rochelle)
Every year in late August, students cram all of their personal belongings into small, pasty white cubes.
These cubes, whether they are apartments, dorms or houses on the Hill, are often times too small and bland for many students’ decorative tastes.
Fortunately, students at CU draw upon their budding intellect to invigorate their cubes.
“I made this earring rack that also looks pretty cool on my wall,” said Jayne Aiken, a 19-year-old sophomore majoring chemical and biochemical engineering.
Aiken balances art with functionality in her house on the Hill. Her earring rack, made of a bamboo mat, displays her earrings as art, adding an interesting dimension to her walls.
While initially created to conserve space in her dorm room, Aiken continues to use it because she says it is an appealing way to store her jewelry.
Other students rely on more traditional forms of wall decor.
“I have lots of posters on my walls” said Norahlyza Tung, a 19-year-old sophomore psychology major.
Tung said her posters depict her favorite movies and bands.
“I’d say my room portrays me pretty well,” Tung said.
Carol Nafie, a writer for About.com, says that hanging art is one of the easiest ways to defeat the boring white walls so commonly found in college abodes.
“As one of the elements that can bring a room together, art brings interest and color to the wall spaces, provides a focal point, and generally livens up the place,” said Nafie in her article.
In addition to pieces of art, students say they rely on fabric, wall tapestries, paint, and even their own artwork to spice up their walls.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Mary Rochelle at Mary.rochelle@colorado.edu.
