UNION, N.J., July 14, 2005 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- You're finally on your way to college. After months of planning, you are about to be in home sweet dorm. But how are you going to fit all those clothes, books and memories into the 3 drawer dresser and poor excuse of a closet in your room? Nothing to fear, all you have to do is be as creative about using space as you were with your essay.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050714/NYFNSJ05 )
Before you start thinking about space management, here are some important tips from the college shopping experts at Bed Bath & Beyond:
Work with a shopping checklist. It will help you organize your priorities, keep track of what you're taking from home and what you need to purchase. Make a copy in case you lose the original. This is the most important piece of paper you'll have until your first transcript. At Bed Bath & Beyond, a college checklist is available in all stores and online at http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com to help you get started.
Check the size of the bed in your room. Is it twin or extra long twin? It would be a shame to buy the perfect sheets and then find out they are too small.
Call your roommate. No need to have double of everything -- dorm rooms are small enough without trying to fit in two of the things you have in common. To avoid duplication, shop at http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com, where you can email your roommate links to what you're thinking of buying and your online checklist. This is also a great feature that allows you to see each others bedding and color choices to coordinate the look of your new home.
Now for space management, the experts at Bed Bath & Beyond suggest using each nook and cranny of your new found living space to its fullest potential. The key phases are over, under and above, multi-use and then decorate!
Over - There's an over-the-door for everything: shoe bags, hooks, mirrors, ironing boards, towel holders, multi-pocket organizer and more. Don't leave a door -- front or back untouched.
Under - The higher the bed is off the floor, the more extra storage space underneath. Use bed elevators you can purchase to gain some extra inches and maximize under the bed storage. Here's a tip: if you move into a room with bunk beds and you decide to separate them, flip the frame over so the longer legs are on the floor -- you'll raise the bed way off the floor and gain even more space underneath. And ABOVE -- don't forget to use colorful storage boxes on top of the dresser and other furniture.
Multi-use - Remember for a small space to work, everything has to do more than one thing. No nightstand? A folding bookcase next to a bed holds an alarm clock, a reading light and books. Not enough shelves? Hanging sweater bags can hold class papers, magazines and sweaters. Use a trunk to move and store your shoes and boots, but cover it with a tapestry and you'll have a great table.
Decorate - When decorating you new home, don't confine yourself to the same rules your mother had when she was re-doing the dining room. Print plastic shower curtains can turn into window curtains with just a pair of scissors, some hooks and a tension rod, colorful patterned sheets can turn into wall hangings and match your bedding, solid sheets can turn into slip covers and string lights can even make cinderblock walls look good.
Remember to take a stepladder, tool kit and duck tape with you to college! The more creative you are with using space, the harder it is to reach.
Now that you're ready to equip your space, visit Bed Bath & Beyond stores nationwide or online at http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com. They are the definitive one-stop shop-for-college resource for students and their parents. Whether shopping in stores or online, you will find all the products you'll need and the services they offer to help you navigate through this process as easily and as stress-free as possible. Getting into college was the hard part, shopping for it is the fun part!
SOURCE Bed Bath & Beyond
Bari Fagin of Bed Bath & Beyond,
+1-631-420-7050 x5371, bari.fagin@bedbath.com