SU roommates deck out dorms with merged aesthetics, tokens from home
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UPDATE: This story was updated at 3:46 a.m. on August 27, 2026.
When Syracuse University freshmen Emma Paris and Cori Messinger decided to be roommates in January, they cycled through varying options for their dorm aesthetic. Red decor might’ve been too grim, while cheetah print felt busy. Eventually, the Day Hall roommates settled on a fashion editorial theme accompanied by navy blue and pops of color.
Vogue prints and matching neon signs of their first names line the walls of their open double. Paris has a piece of wall art with Ralph Lauren’s signature Polo Bear, while Messinger has a framed print that displays a bottle of Tom Ford’s F—ing Fabulous perfume.
The navy-and-white print not only fit with the roommates’ decor, but served as a reminder of Messinger’s mom’s signature perfume scent.
“If you’re just sitting in a dorm with bare everything, I feel so out of my comfort zone, and coming to college is already putting you out of your comfort zone,” Messinger said. “Having things from home or (things that) feel like home, allows me to be myself more.”
Every fall, SU students travel across the world and arrive in their dorm rooms. The standard-issue drywall or white-painted cinder blocks don’t present the most welcoming environment, but they provide a blank canvas to paint a slice of your life. From posters to trinkets, several SU students go above and beyond to decorate their rooms — without hiring an interior designer.
In Emma Paris’ Day Hall room, prints of the Ralph Lauren Polo Bear and Vogue line her walls. The freshman and her roommate, Cori Messinger, decorated their rooms from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to make their room a homey place. Cole Christopher | Contributing Photographer
Paris and Messinger, both from New Jersey, knew of each other through their counterpart summer camps in Greeley, Pennsylvania. But they became roommates after their moms — who were also friends at SU — reconnected on Facebook when they learned their daughters would both be attending SU in the fall.
Two floors above them, in another Day open double room, SU freshmen Addison Lauer and Grace Mik opted for a coastal theme, using whites and lighter shades of blue to spruce up their home for the next few months.
“Coming in as a freshman, it’s definitely scary to move a little bit far away from home, and I think obviously you’re going to get a little bit homesick sometimes,” Mik said. “Having a place that you feel comfortable in just makes you happy to be in the room. I think it really helps with the homesick part.”
Mik and Lauer each bought the larger items — headboards, desk hutches and storage bins — online, purchasing most of their other decorations in person.
The pair collaborated on some decor by sending each other Pinterest ideas after they connected on Instagram in April. In tandem with their theme, prints of sailboats and coastlines hang above each bed. Below their headboards sit matching monogram pillows featuring Lauer and Mik’s initials.
One of Lauer’s favorite pieces is a framed photo of her hometown friends back in Erie, Pennsylvania, that stands next to a vase of flowers atop her white desk hutch. She also highlighted her homemade bulletin board. Lauer said her room feels like her bedroom at home, which keeps her productive.
“(The coastal theme) makes it organized and more homey,” Lauer said. “Some dorms don’t really feel like your bedroom at home, and this kind of felt like my bedroom at home.”
Mik pointed out a framed picture board that hangs above her desk. Featuring flicks of her family and friends, the board keeps her grounded.
“When I’m sitting at my desk, if I ever get sad or I’m doing schoolwork, they just kind of remind me why I’m here,” Mik said.
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A short walk from Day, down the Mount steps and past the JMA Wireless Dome, brings you to Lawrinson Hall, where SU freshmen April Milewski and Violet Smith coordinated their split double dorm room together.
Like the other pairs of roommates, Milewski and Smith — who met on Instagram in May — used Pinterest to execute their dorm decor ideas.
Before entering their split double, handmade pennants on the door highlight their names. The pennants, purple for Smith and pink for Milewski, reflect the primary colors on either side of the room. Smith fittingly loves the color purple — remember, her first name is Violet.
“I texted her. I was like, ‘OK, I’m making pennants. You can’t say no. What color felt do you want?’” Milewski said. “(Smith) said purple and green, but the color green that they had was like this neon ugly booger green, and I was like, ‘OK, we’re not doing this.’”
Nestled inside Lawrinson Hall is April Milewski and Violet Smith’s dorm, as indicated by their colored pennants. The pennants aren’t the only personal charms in their rooms, as the pair both have posters of their favorite movies and musicians. Tara Deluca | Photo Editor
Besides the color theme, Milewski and Smith hung up prints of their favorite artists: Clairo for Milewski and Phoebe Bridgers for Smith, among others.
The roommates also included movie memorabilia. Near Milewski’s bed, she hung a “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and a “Secretary” poster — two films in her Letterboxd top four. On Smith’s dresser sits Sofia Coppola’s book “Archive.” Coppola is Smith’s favorite director, and as a history major with an interest in film, Smith has a soft spot for Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette.”
Across from Coppola’s pink-covered book, Smith keeps a memorial card for her best friend that died during high school. Next to the card is a piece of rose quartz and a knitted Totoro from “My Neighbor Totoro” — two things that Smith’s friend loved. Smith said keeping those pieces is like bringing her friend with her.
“My room is always my pride and joy,” Smith said. “That’s my space, especially because I’m a really big sleeper.”
Milewski and Smith wanted to make their pad cozy for visitors, so they added carpet and warm lighting.
“I always knew I wanted our dorm to kind of be the hangout dorm because we love having people over,” Milewski said. “Our door is always open, so I was like, ‘OK, if we have a cute little dorm that’s cohesive and cute, then people want to come in.’”
For Paris and Messinger, they said their portable air conditioner has been a huge hit on their Day floor to fight the sweltering heat in the unairconditioned dorms. They also aimed for a homey space fit for hosting guests.
They decorated from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on move-in day and said the final product couldn’t have been achieved without help from their parents. But after many hours, Paris and Messinger made the room their own, with pillows of their dogs and Sonny Angels on display.
“You want to make it you. You’re coming to a new place,” Paris said. “People don’t really know you, so this is kind of a way to show people a little bit more into who you are.”
