Hotel OMG: The best dorm room on campus

Dorm appearance at Notre Dame is something unlike many other colleges and universities. As we are all randomly sorted Harry Potter-style, you never really know what you’ll end up with.

With dorms ranging in age from St. Eds being built in 1882, to Ryan Hall in 2009, you can either get a tiny, broom closet-esque double (sorry, Morrissey), or something a bit larger. But, regardless of the size of the room, it’s really all in how you decorate it.

While we all can’t be put in “Hotel Ryan,” so let’s take a look at a room in Pdub that friends refer to as “The Hotel.” 

Freshmen Olivia and Mary Grace (MG) were randomly assigned roommates, as all at Notre Dame are, and decided to make their dorm room the place to be.

First off, how did you decide to decorate the room?

MG: Olivia and I got in touch before school started and asked what our favorite colors and styles were since we wanted to coordinate bedding. We decided we would both do our own shopping and send each other pictures of what we liked. Coincidentally, we actually ended up sending a picture of the same exact bedding! So, decided to coordinate the room based off of those colors.

Olivia: Since blue matches well with a lot of colors, we were able to play really well off of that. The navy blue, in particular, adds an excellent contrast.

What was your overall goal for the room?

MG: We wanted it to be comfortable and welcoming. In fact, it became such a welcome place for people to come through that it was dubbed “The Hotel”, or “Hotel OMG” (Olivia & Mary Grace)  and is still commonly referred to as such.

Olivia: Everyone calls our room the hotel because it’s comfortable and accommodating! People always stop by after a long day to just lie on our beds or the carpet (it’s really soft!). The way our room is colored, too, gives it a lot of light. I think it makes it feel more homey or hotel-ish!

Where did you buy most of the things you have in here?

Olivia: Urban Outfitters for the bedding, Target, and various other stores for blankets and pillows, overstock.com for the rug.

What advice do you have for others going into their room-decorating process for next year?

MG: Make it a place that is comfortable for you! You’ll be spending a lot of time in there so it should be a place you’ll enjoy. Have a simple color scheme including 3 colors and maybe a fourth as an accent. Then choose an aura you’ll like such as bohemian or preppy or something entirely unique. 

Olivia: Make it neat, but not so neat that it feels uncomfortable. Adding pictures of your family and friends helps, too! Especially if you get homesick really easily. Just let it be a reflection of you and what you like and it will be the best home you can make it.