Most people bound for college can't wait to get away from home and start the heady -- and scary -- process of living on their own. Turning a cramped, sterile dorm room into a cool and comfy space where you and your friends will want to hang out, though, can be a daunting task.

Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette Bamboo beads create a stylish entrance to the Asian-inspired room that Art Institute students Ruth Hartman and Jessica Redman put together at Allegheny Center. The room recently won the school's "coolest dorm room" contest. Click photo for larger image. Related coverage Dorm decorating tips

Which is why Ruth Hartman, a game art and design major at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, didn't take any chances. Before she arrived at Allegheny Center on the North Side, the Virginia native downloaded a blueprint of the 600-square-foot studio apartment that she'd be sharing with childhood friend Jessica Redman.

Having spent her first year of college at West Virginia University, she knew that many dorm rooms are stark, cell-like places where none of the furniture matches and no particular style predominates. Or as Hartman, 19, puts it, "it's like something exploded in them."

So she got busy plotting out a design inspired by a colorful quilt she'd handcrafted in high school and the principles of feng shui. The result is a bright, Asian-themed space that's both warm and sophisticated. A string of bamboo door beads provides a stylish entrance from the hallway.

"I wanted a comfortable room to bring my parents and family to, something more homelike," says Hartman, who spent more than an hour just on candle placement.

Grant and Jordan Bartlow, twin brothers from South Carolina who are sharing a dorm room at Carnegie Mellon University, also planned ahead. Self-professed movie buffs, they decided to center their room's decor around their 80-inch front-projection TV. So they studied the school's dorm blueprints online to determine which building had the largest rooms. They requested, and got, Donner House.

	Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette Tiffany Martin, left, of Buffalo, N.Y., and Nicole Antenori of Cleveland relax in their dormitory at Allegheny Center, North Side. Click photo for larger image.

Size wasn't their only concern. Because the university doesn't allow students to drill holes in the walls or ceiling, the 18-year-old freshmen needed to figure out a way to mount the projector. The solution: a shelf made from black PVC pipe that rests on top of the light fixtures illuminating their desks. Celluloid from old movie trailers taped to the lights supplies mood, while an ultra-contemporary Todd Oldham Snap sofa from La-Z-Boy gives visitors a nice seat to watch some of the twins' 150 or so DVDs. Because snacking is a major part of dorm life, they also bought a 4.5-cubic-foot fridge, which this week was completely stocked with diet soda.

Adding to the movie-house ambience will be paintings of their favorite movie stars by Nathan Castle, a contemporary British artist they discovered on eBay. Jordan, who like his brother is majoring in computer science, calls it "the ultimate guys' room."

As both rooms demonstrate, you don't have to hire a decorator to give that bland double some style, or even mirror the trends publicized on TV and in magazines. You don't even need to spend tons of money. You and your roommate simply need to give the space some thought beforehand, figure out what makes you feel good and allow yourself to be creative.

One of the easiest ways to give a room personality is with color. Most schools don't allow students to paint those bland walls. So make your room sizzle with bold-colored comforters, pillows, curtains, rugs and other accessories. Don't be afraid to mix and match (pairing a warm color like red with a cool color like green will intensify both hues), but be careful not to go overboard; too many different shades can make a room feel cluttered.

Wall art -- posters, pennants, personal photos or metal road signs -- will also infuse a dorm room with personality. For instance, Krystle Bradley, a culinary arts student at the Art Institute, brightened the dining area of the one-bedroom apartment she shares with Tiffany Martin and Nicole Antenori with a collage of postcards from her travels to the Bahamas, Hawaii and New York.

Hartman, meanwhile, decorated the wall above her bed with several matted manga-influenced ink drawings she made that echo the colors of the quilt.

	Bill Wade, Post-Gazette Twin brothers and movie buffs Grant, left, and Jordan Bartlow figured out a way to fit their 80-inch projection TV in their dorm room at Carnegie Mellon University. Click photo for larger image.

A mix of textures will also give your room visual interest. Play rough against smooth, fuzzy against silky, coarse against fine. For instance, dress the linoleum floor with a shaggy throw rug or top a glass coffee table with some wicker baskets.

And don't forget lighting. While you need a good overhead light to hit the books, make sure you also have a few table lamps with low-watt bulbs and, if your school permits it, perhaps even a few candles. Above all, don't be afraid to display the things that are important to you and help explain what makes you tick.

Take the Art Institute students' Asian-flavored decor, which recently won the school's "coolest dorm room" contest. The quilt that serves as the room's focal point also is one of Hartman's most beloved possessions. The red dragons embroidered on top were cut from a Hawaiian T-shirt she wore "all the time" in high school; the patches with hand-drawn ink pictures on them were clipped from her mom's old flour sacks. The project took her four years.

"My mom and grandma all make quilts, so I looked at it as a test of womanhood," she says, laughing. "I felt they couldn't respect me as a member of the clan until I made one."

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Dorm Sources

Bed Bath & Beyond , (www.bedbathandbeyond.com Foam-filled Planet folding chairs in red and black ($40).
Did You Say?, (www.didyousay.com) -- A great selection of wooden and plastic door beads and beaded curtains ($25).
Furniture Emeritus, 101 26th St., Strip District (www.furnitureemeritus.com) -- Cheap desks, desk chairs, dressers and sofas and some fun things -- "Easy Rider" album lamp ($80) and aquarium made from a vintage TV ($600-$1,200).
HoMedics, (www.homedics.com) -- If your lava lamp seems too high school, try a Color Cube ($90) -- 48 changing colors that move to your music and can be set to three speeds. Also, MoodWave ($50) displays 10 colors and plays four soothing sounds.
Linens 'n Things , (www.lnt.com Get organized with mesh stacking baskets, crates and cubes ($5-$20).
Target , (www.target.com) -- Vinyl beanbag chairs in rose, lime green and royal blue ($17).
Wal-Mart, (www.walmart. com) -- Reversible comforters with coordinating fleece throws ($14-$30), "Kitchen In A Box" ($30) -- 83 essentials for campus cooking. Also, Metro Lounge Set includes chair, love seat and coffee table and requires no assembly ($160).