Today, creating a dorm-away-from-home requires little more than a simple college try. Many university dormitories are often more akin to collegiate cells, with white walls and institutional furniture design that doesn't always make the grade.

But now, manufacturers, designers and retailers are making it easier to adorn a dorm, despite residential rules that often forbid painting or nailing walls. Students can bring a bit of home into the dorms, says Stephanie Hayman, spokeswoman for Dormify, an online store that offers dorm accessories and design advice with offices in New York City and Washington, D.C.

"College is usually the first time an individual lives away from home, and a person's dorm room should be a personalized place to relax, study and hang out with friends," Hayman says. "A dorm room can really be a person's first home-away-from-home, and its look often gives an initial impression that reflects who you are."

The key to room-and-board bliss starts with communication between roommates before move-in weekend. Even if your roommate's style is a bit country, while you're a little bit rock 'n' roll, Hayman says you should be able to agree on the most elemental level.

"If nothing else, pick a single unifying color for your room, so it can look cohesive and put-together," she says. "On the other end of the spectrum, roommates sometimes purchase decorative items together: two reversible comforters, each bed with a different side showing and coordinated pillows."

Style doesn't have to be costly, but you need to have a plan to make a space come together. Hayman also says to coordinate who will bring the futon, minifridge and television. "Don't bring in large items unless they can be used by roommates and have a place in the space," Hayman says. "Most dorm rooms come with furniture, so you don't need to overthink that. It's what you do with the existing furniture that transforms a room."

When it comes to dorm rooms, bringing in bigger items isn't better. While the floor's square footage doesn't change, you can maximize the space you have by thinking vertically. "Use Dormify's bed risers (set of four, $19.99), to create storage space underneath the bed," Hayman says. "Or, loft your beds to put seating or a storage unit below the beds."

Good dorm design begins from the ground up. "A rug unifies a color theme and sets the stage for what's happening in the room," Hayman says. "It also helps to warm the space underfoot and absorbs sound, which is important when living in the dorms."

Many bath and bedding retailers are offering coordinated collections for the school set with free shipping or delivery directly to a dorm room. Coeds can choose from themed room collections that range from nautical to bohemian with metallic to floral accents. "While most girls are focused on how the room looks, we find that most boys are about comfort first," Hayman says.

Achieve both a good look and a good nook by placing the long side of standard-issue bed against the wall, so it can also be used as seating when piled with pillows. Solve storage problems and gain more living space by stowing the standard stand-alone dresser inside the closet.

While furniture and walls are in neutral tones, the colors of pillows and draperies enliven and soften the space. Use washi tape -- brightly colored paper tape that removes without residue -- to hang posters or artwork. Large graphic decals or temporary peel-and-stick wallpaper that adheres to walls like contact paper can become an instant focal point Also, bring life into the space by having small pots of flowers.

Shed real light on homework by not relying on an overhead fluorescent for reading. Use desk lamps to not only illuminate your work surface, but to also add a personalized, stylish accent that dresses up any dorm room.

Although it may be difficult to initially transform a dorm room into a home for the next school year, this "rented" space also offers a new lease on life. "Moving into a dorm room has never been easier, with the help of online design boards and social media contacts," Hayman says. "But nothing is a substitute for the human experience of leaving home and going to college. The friendships you make during your college years can last a lifetime -- and often those first meetings happen in dorm rooms."

Dormitory Design

-- Dormify.com, Call or Text: 413-DORMIFY (367-6439)

-- DIY Dorm Decor: Pinterest, search "dorm"

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Make waves inside your home. Having waterfront property need not be a prerequisite to create a home with beach appeal.

"People want the calm and peace they feel at the beach inside their homes," says Ashley DeLeon, interior designer and co-owner of Sirene Coastal Interiors in Venice, Florida. "Your home should be a sanctuary, and for many, that means bringing natural colors and textures into the spaces they live."

If a trip to the beach isn't on your vacation itinerary, you can still surround yourself year-round with sea colors and motifs without spending all of your traveler's checks. Whether a homeowner's design aesthetic is contemporary or cottage, bringing nature's color and shapes into a home soften a modern edge.

"People respond to natural colors and organic shapes, such as shells, rocks and driftwood," DeLeon says. "The blues, greens and natural colors found at the beach make for an inviting indoor environment."

A light, bright and white color palette is the backdrop for refreshing nature themes, says Kendra Stewart, spokeswoman for Pottery Barn, based in San Francisco. Stewart also says to ditch the kitschy beach signs and opt for a more natural beach-scene approach in home design.

"Incorporate organic elements like textural nautical rope, faux coral and seashells to evoke a peaceful beach scene and create a serene and relaxing space," she says. "The key to making neutral beach decor stand out is to incorporate a pop of color to create a focal point in the room and add contrast."

Sea colors and natural motifs can swimmingly accentuate every room in the home. While furniture and walls can be in neutral tones, accessorizing with pillows, linens and draperies that mimic coral oranges and sea-glass blues make a seaside statement.

Linen pillow covers in the colors of sea and sand, as well as embroidered pillow covers with oceanic motifs of sea stars and shells range from $25 to under $50 at Pottery Barn. Bedding in soothing blue tones becomes a quiet respite when coupled with an all-white headboard and bedroom furniture, whether it's purchased new or is a repurposed and repainted flea market find.

DeLeon actually brings water elements into her house with fountains that make a big splash in her modern home. "There's something very soothing about running water," she says. "The sound a fountain makes while water is circulating is as important as the look of the water feature itself."

When making a bubbly buy for your home, there are a number of fountain types from which to choose, depending on the space in which you want to create a Zen-like zone. Pedestal and cascade fountains are the most typical freestanding water features that can either be comprised of a series of bowls or mimic nature with a steady stream to create a waterfall effect. A wall fountain can add life to a room, mounted as a piece of artwork, while a tabletop fountain fluidly works on a family room sofa table, bedroom night stand or bathroom vanity.

To balance out the beachside decor, DeLeon likes to bring the element of fire into a space as well. "While the water in a home is cool, the fire brings warmth to a space," she says. "Candles not only are elemental, they also make the space smell inviting."

But a beach aesthetic doesn't have to be watered down into an all-or-nothing endeavor in your home. Sometimes, a contemporary coastal look can come from a need to extend a vacation experience. Start small -- by creating small tabletop vignettes -- or limit the space -- by creating a reeflike refuge in your home office.

Use shells and rocks gathered beachside for inspiration, but Pottery Barn also sells faux coral display pieces that start around $20. "Decorating with organic elements works well for beach decor because it brings beauty and a sense of balance found in nature into your home," Stewart says.

A well-designed watery respite should be a sensual and multi-sensory experience, says DeLeon. "Your home should not only feel good to you, but also be pleasing to the eyes, the ears and the nose," she says. "A home that brings a beach vibe inside is very soothing and should make you feel like you're not surrounded by four walls."

Make a Splash

-- Search "shell" at PotteryBarn.com, 888-779-5176

-- SireneInteriors.com, 941-488-3830

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Move over "man cave" -- and make room for momma! The "mom cave" is catching on as the place in the home for the lady of the house. This space is one where a woman can put her feet up, or work on projects in solitude, surrounded by her own sense of style, says Kristie Barnett, a Nashville-based interior designer and blogger known as The Decorologist.

"A mom cave is meant to be a restorative place, not like the man cave, which is usually a social center that is tricked out with a big screen TV and electronics," Barnett says. "A mom cave can be a sewing center, a wrapping station, a place to write, scrapbook, craft, host a book club or just sit and read. Or all of the above."

Women can spelunk through their light and airy mom cave into self-exploration and creativity, says Barnett. "The man cave generally embodies all things we think of as masculine with dark, rugged decor and overstuffed leather furniture, gaming table, bar and media center," she says. "The mom cave, on the other hand, is filled with light and things that make her happy. It is meant to be a place of peace and privacy."

Before caving in to create a mom cave, you must first have a plan in place, otherwise there is the potential for the space to become a catch-all, says Barnett. A mom cave doesn't have to be large to be functional, but you need to find a space -- preferably a room with a door -- to claim as your own.

The space for a mom cave can range from a walk-in closet to a spare bedroom. You can also claim a space in the attic or basement, but it should feel light and bright. "If you don't have access to a window or natural light, have light fixtures -- such as a chandelier -- that sparkle and illuminate the space," Barnett says. "Also, mirrors reflect existing light and make a space feel larger."

A shared space -- such as a master bedroom -- can also be the place to fulfill your mom cave dreams. Partition off privacy by using a room screen or a two-sided bookshelf, which can also double as decorative storage.

A psychologist by training, Barnett believes the color of a room not only sets the mood in a space, but is also meant to resonate with its inhabitants. "The colors used in a mom cave are very personal, and don't have to match the decor of the rest of the home," she says. "It's OK to use pinks and purples in the female's quarters: Prettify the space, so it actually becomes a respite."

Barnett's personal mom cave is an extra bedroom with white walls featuring light green and pink accents throughout. "Choose a piece that serves as inspiration for the entire space," she says. "It can be a rug, artwork or object that speaks to you, then take color cues from that item to pull the room together."

After deciding upon a color palette, the mom cave dweller must then determine how the room will be used. Every mom should make a list of activities and interests to pursue and map out where furniture items will go.

"No two mom caves are the same because they are so personal. Ideally, you want at least one comfy chair to sit and read, with a table or desk on which to do paperwork," Barnett says. "If a mom cave is going to be used for sewing, you need to find a place to put the machine. If it's going to be used as a wrapping station or scrapbooking place, you need to have a work surface and place to store the supplies."

Channeling the inner artist in your mom cave's inner sanctum means having the proper work surfaces to maximize productivity. But that doesn't necessarily mean buying brand new furniture.

Instead, scour flea markets, garage sales or your own home to find solidly constructed pieces that can be repainted and repurposed. Usually, the smaller scale of older furniture works better in a modest mom cave.

"You can add shelving to an old television armoire, repaint it and have a great storage piece for not a lot of money," Barnett says. "Also, have a place for everything, so that everything can go back in its place when you're finished with it. You want your mom cave to remain a productive place, not become cluttered chaos."

Barnett likes to store items in pretty containers that have been labeled with their specific contents. She also likes to be able to move furniture around to keep the space fresh to create a Zen-like zone in which she can retreat.

"A mom cave is much more than a multipurpose room: It's a space that is meant to feed the very soul of the one person who is often the heart of a family," Barnett says. "But maybe the most important part of a mom cave -- whether it's real or implied -- is the 'Do Not Disturb' sign posted outside the door."

Mom-tastic cave dwelling:

TheDecorologist.com

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com or the Universal Uclick Editorial Department at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)