Moving into a dorm room means a blank canvas — a fresh opportunity to decorate. Most people will bring a few throw pillows, pictures from home and posters to fix up the room and call it good. But things are a bit different in Hardy Hall. Girls in Hardy do dorm decorations with emphasis, carrying out what seems like full-scale renovations that completely change the atmosphere in the room and leave visitors saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?!”

Hardy dorms already have an interesting layout. Instead of traditional furniture, girls in Hardy have their beds on tracks that can push into a cubby space and become a couch. All of the furniture in Hardy Hall is fixed in place, so there isn’t any opportunity to re-arrange furniture. Instead of being discouraged by this fact, Hardy girls compensate by thinking outside of the box when it comes to room decor.

Lots of ledge and desk space makes a great opportunity for custom furniture. It isn’t uncommon for Hardy girls to have family members build them custom shelving units for their desk or the ledge along their bed. This makes the space more interesting and organized. Residents of Hardy have also been known to bring in coffee tables to put between beds. While a little tight in space, it adds a cozy feel to the couch-like beds that can be pulled out.

For the tiled floors of Hardy dorms, rugs are a must. Some girls will straight-up purchase carpet remnants and cut them according to the room size. Others will layer large area rugs across the room to make have a carpeted-floor look. Girls will also get creative with curtains for their extra-long windows, choosing to hide the blinds that come with the room.

For anyone who walks past Hardy at night, you know that Christmas lights are a must. Hardy girls have been known to hang string lights on just about every surface of their rooms. Paper clips have proved to be handy when attaching lights to the ceiling. Girls just unfold the paper clip and then shove it into the ceiling to hold up light cords — it doesn’t leave a mark, and the room looks super cute and cozy.

“Sometimes I forget that I’m even in a dorm room because of the way [my roommate and I] have it decorated,” says Hardy second resident Ani Weitzel, a freshman. “I love it.”

If you ever get the chance to walk down the halls of Hardy, glance into dorms with the doors open — you’ll be amazed by how each room is transformed into a cozy, fun space.