College and living out on your own, how cool is that? Going away to school is such an exciting time, and even more exciting is the prospect of living out on your own. I have distant memories of the first time I lived out on my own, but I do remember how excited I was of thought of rooming with friends my own age and having the freedom, as well as being able to decorate the place.

Times have changed over the years but many students are enjoying the opportunity when away at school to live in an apartment with friends. Most young people choose their roommates when moving into an apartment. The excitement builds and then you realize, how am I going to decorate and what decor are we going to have? This page will give you some simple ideas of taking all of your personalities and blending them together to make a comfortable and enjoyable living environment.

There are a few things to think about before you plan to decorate the apartment. Some landlords or apartment owners are set in not letting you paint or change the color of the walls. Others will allow you to paint. I want to take a look at both of these scenarios and offer you a few suggestions. Lets look at the option of having the freedom to paint each room. Here are some ideas for you.

1. Make the main living areas neutral colors



2. Give your bedroom a touch of your own personality



3. Create an entire theme base living space or just in your own space



4. Consider doing a room, even the bathroom in your college colors



5. Coordinate colors throughout the apartment so they blend together

If you are able to paint the walls, plan in advance your color scheme. Allowing each member of the apartment to create their own personality, will add harmony to everyday living. Apartment sizes vary in many geographic locations. If your apartment is small, paint warm and light colors that will create a larger look and feel.

Coordinate your accents and accessories to blend in with then entire color scheme. You can also go the opposite route and have each room unique in color and style. Don't get off the beaten path of balancing each room out. Take a look in the color wheel section and get some ideas of different color combinations that may work for each person living in the apartment.

Lets now take a look at the other scenario, you can't paint the walls so what to do? I have lived in a college apartment where we couldn't paint the walls. This is where you can get a little creative into making your apartment a fun place to live for everyone. Here are a few ideas for you when you can't paint the walls.

1. Consider doing all of your college majors as a theme in the main living area. This can be done with pictures, books, and other accessories.



2. Create an atmosphere inside that reflects your outside environment. Think about your geographic location. Bring some live plants into your apartment that reflect the environmental climate that your college is located in.



3. Create a fun room for all of you to relax, away from studying and laptops. This can be a great room to blend in all of your personalities.



4. If you share a bedroom with a roommate, blend your ideas of colors and themes together. Respect each others ideas and compromise to give the room a complimentary look of both personalities.



5. Use your accents such as furniture, lighting, etc.. to create an atmosphere that each apartment member can feel comfortable.

One of the biggest challenges college students have is the budget issue. So many of you are on a fixed budget. So, how do you create a wonderful living space on a budget that may not be large? There are many big chain stores around that you can get good deals on bedding, curtains and furniture. Look around at other discount places in your area. Work together as a team when planning your decorating scheme for the apartment. I like to recommend taking a theme and create your college apartment off one or two themes.

I remember when my husband and I went to college. Being college sweethearts, many ages ago, we did some crazy things. I know you some of you can relate to that. One of the things my husband did in his freshmen year was to decorate his room with pizza boxes. The one corner of the room was stacked with empty boxes of pizza all done in a geometric design. I remember visiting him on weekends and seeing the stack grow in size. Maybe a silly way of decorating, but at the time, he took his own personality and that crazy memory is still with us today. However you plan on decorating your college apartment, respect others that are living with you.

Blend in your personalities with interests that each of you have. Bring in those college colors in a room or two. Choose colors and textures that will compliment each other. The most important aspect of decorating your apartment, is enjoy the process of planning and decorating. Once you have graduated, you will never get those years back, but the memories you make now can live on for years to come. Create your apartment for all of you and your friends to enjoy!