Evie

Evie spends a lot of time in her room, using it to do work, host friends, and watch movies. She sees the dorm as a solace from the outside world, as well as “an extension of [her] and [her] interests.” The arrangement of pictures and trinkets within the room reflects her eclectic indie aesthetic. “You come into the dorm at first, and it feels like a prison,” she explains. “I want people to come in, and be able to tell a lot about me based on what I have on the walls.” Some of the personal items arranged on the walls include an Argus article for a play she was in, setlists from performances in her band, and a takeout menu from a restaurant she enjoys (fig. 3). She also hung dried flowers gifted to her from her wardrobe (fig. 2) as decor. The clutter in her closet is “due to her ADHD,” but also because she is very interested in secondhand fashion, and has a large volume of clothes. Evie likes to accumulate items, and her dorm clearly displays this proclivity.

Evie’s dorm can be described as “maximalist,” a design practice which embraces bold colors, patterns, and layering to create a space of carefully curated excess. Evie is neurodivergent, and uses maximalism to create a stimulating and rich “sensory” space. “I like to have everything where I can see it,” she explains. She also has a lot of fidget toys, trinkets, and posters that reflect her sensory needs and unique hobbies. She has many trinkets that relate to magic, which is one of her interests (fig. 1). She likes arranging them on the bookshelf, not only because the items bring her joy, but because she looks back fondly on the thrifting excursions with friends that she bought them during. Evie's use of personal items, such as setlists from performances in her band and dried flowers gifted to her, underscores the emotional significance of the dorm as a repository of memories and experiences. These artifacts serve as tangible reminders of her past and contribute to the sense of continuity and belonging within the space.

Evie enjoys hosting horror movie nights with friends in her dorm. She is a film major, and often watches movies for homework. This area thus demonstrates the dorm's function as a workspace tailored to her academic pursuits, showcasing the integration of her educational requirements into her living environment. She has a space on the wall that she cleared so she can project movies onto it, and she invites friends to come watch the assigned movies with her (fig. 4). By repurposing a section of her wall for movie screenings, she transforms her dorm room into a mini-cinema, enhancing its functionality while also creating opportunities for social connection.