Hey! I’m Emily, the author of the blog “Standout Spaces,” where we’ll dive into the unique ways students turn their dorms into their own personalized havens. From the peaceful minimalism of one student’s calm oasis, to another’s loud and artistic vibe of a space no two rooms are the same and I’m here to show you that! Many students have tips on how to make their space usable by reshaping and remodeling, so let’s explore! 

The way Zoe Ukasik and Desiree Mendez became roommates is a funny story. And in fact, they didn’t start off as roommates.  

Mendez had been paired with a different roommate during the summer. But due to a mix-up involving a gender-neutral name, her roommate turned out to be a male football player, not the female student she had anticipated.  

Once the mixup became clear to Mendez, the football playing roommate asked her, “so do you still wanna be roommates or naw?”  

She chose “naw” and that’s when Ukasik took the open position. 

When you walk into Ukasik’s and Mendez’s dorm room, you’re met with a whimsical wonderland that reflects both of their quirky tastes. It felt like walking into a concrete jungle of lush greenery and a small art gallery of vibrant posters.  

The walls are plastered with collections of art; retro band posters, and a few funny pictures of friends and family. But, their pride and joy, however, is their windowsill. It’s lined with an explosion of succulents that are different shades of green and multiple shapes and sizes draping over the sill.  

When asked what they like best about their room, both of them note the two-toned baby blue and cream walls, the high ceilings, the perfect view of the sunset each night, and how they are able to watch “the sports channel” whenever they want. 

Hoff Hall, and their room specifically, overlooks all of the sport fields. Just from their window, in non-winter months of course, they are able to watch soccer, football, baseball and softball seemingly at any time, any day of the week.  

There is always something going on directly next to them, which is almost always entertaining. Because of this, they don’t mind the whistles and scoreboard buzzer that much.  

When asked if they had any tips or ways they were able to maximize their dorm space, Mendez shared how she was able to push her drawers under her bed with the perfect amount of space to put her shoes on top.  

Ukasik loved the idea saying,  “No, honestly when I moved in and you had that shit done, I was like ‘holy shit, she’s got it together.”  

​​These roommates are a perfect pair and their room compliments both of them perfectly.