WELCOME to Nest by Tamara blog

WELCOME to Nest by Tamara blog
Hi- It's Tamara. I'm happy you've stopped by, and since 2010 I've been sharing my passion for interior design, history, art, entertaining, travel & fashion. I am an interior designer, textile designer and writer living and working in New York City and East Hampton, Long Island. My musings have taken me to international design, art, antique and epicurean events and I have lots to share. I'm grateful to have been listed as the #1 top design blog, blogs to watch, top design blogs and named and awarded Rising Star of Design by the IFDA NY industry organization. Please feel free to reach out to our team for an interior design consultation at NestbyTamara.com -Tamara

Dorm Decorating RoundUp Part 2-curtains, furniture & accessories



photograph via Dorm Decorating Pinterest Board
 Happy Fall, now let's get busy 
with decorating that dorm...
wrapping up last minute buys at Bed, Bath & Beyond
in Ithaca, New York
 Now that you read my 
Dorm Decorating post Part I 
on the bedding and linens 
for my daughter's dormitory,
what's next in order to outfit 
a college dorm?  
Take a look at Part 2: the furniture, curtains  & finishing touches 
 
Ithaca is "gorgeous", 
and we quickly learned this local joke around the Cornell University campus because it certainly is beautiful and the many natural gorges, waterfalls and natural wonders in the area 
help create a breathtaking landscape.  
Filled with natural beauty at every turn, 
it became apparent it would be a fun and appropriate inspiration for Gabby's 
dorm decorating project. 
we found nature-inspired accessories in our travels, and picked up an entire collection of raw-edged wood accessories for desk and vanity to hold makeup and toiletries at HomeGoods.  The nubby throw (Cynthia Rowley by HomeGoods) acts as a stylish cover on the desk. The grey color worked with our brown, grey, lavender and green colors.   The ceramic sea urchin lamps, the bark bucket and the tiny bark bowls 
add practicality and style to the space.
each item we chose serves more than one purpose in order to equip the dorm room with both style and practicality.  Storage is a big issue when providing enough provisions for a college kid and with small dorm spaces you need places to store everything from bed linens to winter clothing.  
we picked up this large wood mirror, vanity mirror, 
two upholstered chests, two ceramic sea urchin lamps, a throw and a ceramic, garden seat
all on our shopping trip at HomeGoods.  
Thank You Homegoods for the gift certificate, 
and please check out our shared Pinterest Board called 
where, along with 10 other designers, I pin my Homegoods finds!
I have written this before, but it is truly amazing how a room transforms when you dress a window.  These bargain priced curtain panels (at 29.99 a pair) added the creamy luxury needed in the sparse dorm. Made by fashion designer, Tahari Home I bought two pair for the windows.  Because we were not sure of the window's measurements, I bought two chrome tension rods for easy no-hammering no-nail hanging.
years ago while on a trip to Italy, 
Gabby and I bought this tray.  
It was added to the collection of items 
headed off to college.  
we stacked these two trunks on top of one another 
(which also offers extra storage space for towels and bed linens) 
in between the two beds,
and now acts as another bedside table.
collages, shelving, storage jars....
these are the necessities of a college kid in order to feel comfortable away from home.
I love Mason jars and they seem to have a million uses.  Each summer I pick up a large case of them for my summer entertaining.
With plenty to spare, I sent Gabby off to college with her own collection
One of the first creative projects Gabby put together as she prepared for her new dorm life, was to create a photo collage of her friends and family back home out of this framed cork board (we found at Bed, Bath & Beyond).  I picked up a collection of Mason jars with tops and lined them on the shelf, giving the girls a place to keep daily provisions.
I am a fan of ceramic garden seats for extra tables and seating in a home.  They are small, portable and can be stacked in front of other tables for an easy lower space to set a drink.  Tucked in a small corner next to the bed it is a perfect place to charge a cell phone.  
Stay tuned for Part III:
Wall Art and temporary wallpaper for dorm applications
to complete this dorm decorating series.
Also, please check out my Dorm Decorating board

for more 
ideas and sources

Happy Nesting XO