Drop that Belushi poster. Trash the Marley, too. And, whatever you do, step away from the lava lamp. When decorating a dorm, it's easy to fall into the same traps as every other student with $10 to burn and a gift shop down the block. "A room's design says a lot about the person who lives there," says William Scroggie, interior designer and owner of Studio Scroggie, a New York-based interior design business. "Like the clothes we wear, it's a way of expressing our style, interests, and projecting an image to the world." If you want to make your closet-size space truly stand out, you'll need to be more creative. Start with these six basic strategies to make the most of your first on-campus abode. Pack Light It's tempting to bring every game console, pair of jeans, and family photo, but resist the urge. "Think of college as a fresh start," says Dominic Vitalone, an interior designer at Miami's renowned Jorge Castillo Design firm. "Start with the bare essentials and add more later."

Enter your email address You may unsubscribe at any time. Does your XBox 360 count as a bare essential? How about that trove of WWF action figures? The more minimalist you can go, the better. "Stick with a bed, desk, pillow, school books, and a laptop," he says. best paint to use for exterior"You can always bring back what you really miss."best paint for exterior home Embrace Symmetry As long as you can convince your roommate to follow your lead, mirroring each other's arrangements will make it seem like you've magically earned more real estate. home decor inspiration 2014That doesn't mean you need an aquarium to match hisjust make sure the desks, beds, and other essentials are properly aligned.

"Symmetry will make a space appear larger, more organized, and visually appealing," says Vitalone. "Both sides of the room should mirror each other to maximize space." Another way to make your room look larger? Reduce clutter with a cheap storage bin like this one from IKEA that you can hide under the bed. Choose Patterns Most colleges maintain strict policies forbidding paint jobs, so you'll have to depend on bedding and rugs to give your room a much-needed hit of color. Check stores like Urban Outfitters, Target, and West Elm for the widest variety of options. Aim for something like this comforter from Target, or consider placing this duvet cover from West Elm over your old one. Just avoid anything with too many colors at the same time. "This will make the space look smaller and more cluttered," says Scroggie. "Try multiple shades of the same color, instead." Don't Depend on Bins You can only fit so many giant plastic Tupperware containers under your bedand they should never be visible.

Need more storage space? "Consider colored cloth bins instead," says Scroggie. "They look better than plastic and you can buy them at many chain stores." Check out these options from Bed, Bath, and Beyond or these from IKEA. You could also look into vintage suitcases or old milk crates for a retro look, he suggests. Personalize Your Posters Save the Victoria's Secret models for your desktop background. "Print and frame meaningful pictures instead," Scroggie says. "Pictures of friends will be more personal, and photos of places you've been will give your space a more artistic vibe." Frame them and they'll look even more refined. You can pull it off cheaply with these frames from Bed Bath and Beyond. Keep in mind, photos have more of an impact in larger sizes, he says. Add Layers Start with a bolster-style pillow along the wall and add smaller pillows for additional layers—so it's more of a sofa bed," says Scroggie. "It's the easiest way to liven up the room." Then, add two layers of sheets, or another light blanket for a bed that's comfortable, dynamic, and inviting to the opposite sex.

for pillows that won't remind you of your little sis's room.Everyone has their own Christmas traditions, but few are as spectacular as the one practiced by Waconia man Bob Zajac and his family, who host a synchronized, musical light show in their yard each year.Each Yuletide has seen the display becoming more and more complex, with strobe lights, glowing statues and LEDs aplenty - delighting everyone in the local community.Well almost everyone: Zajac has been in a battle of wills with one of his neighbors, who hates the annual extravagana, for years. And now, at last, he's pulling the plug on the spectacle, CBS Local reported. Winter lights: The house of Bob Zajac and his family had become famous for its elaborate Christmas decorations, which included synchronized lights and music Silent night: This year, after a feud with one of his neighbors, Zajac has decided to tone it down - much to his own disappointment, and that of others in Waconia, Wisconsin Xmas spirit: Zajac says he could have forced the issue, but he didn't believe lighting up the house out of spite was in the Christmas spirit, so decided to tone it down this year'Seeing these lights dark for the first time since we've moved here is really hard,' said Zajac. 

'My kids are disappointed and our community is disappointed and I struggle with that every day.'Neighbor Kari Cedersund, who lives across from the dazzling display, was one of those who loved Zajac's displays.'Lot of people out here and they’d have their stereos cranked to the channel, kids sitting on top the cars through the sunroof with blankets and pajamas on,' Kari said. 'It was very exciting for me to watch that and watch Bob's faith grow through his light show.' But now that light show has been dimmed - and to hear him tell it, Zajac had little choice. The neighbor had been complaining for years about the cars attracted to the street - more than 3,000 last year, Zajac estimated - as well as the noise and trash created by spectators.But the feud reached breaking point this year, Zajac said on his website, when the neighbor 'went out of his way to bully my wife, scare my children, and had a failed attempt at turning our other neighbors against us.'The neighbor declined to speak to CBS.

Snow joke: The decorations attracted as many as 3,000 cars down Zajac's road last year, he estimates - but he claims his neighbor, who always hated the lights, was making life difficultZajac is confident he would have won any court case the neighbor might have brought.But he says to take the battle to that extreme would have ruined the Christmas spirit.'Everybody has their own belief systems, everyone has their own way of celebrating Christmas and I want to credit to that,' Zajac said.'I have 300,000 lights in the garage I can pull out here. I can make this the biggest display ever to prove a point, but that’s not the right message of Christmas.' Dim view: The neighbor, who didn't want to speak to the press, won. But Zajac and family are moving next year, and will begin their tradition anew in a brand new locationThe Zajacs will move home this year so they can bring their light show back to life in their new neighborhood next year - and they've promised to invite (almost) all their old neighbors.