Claudia Mcintosh

SDSU’s own version of the hit TV show “Trading Spaces” transformed two rooms on campus Oct. 23.

Four girls from Hansen Hall and a male RA from Young Hall got to “trade spaces” and redo each other’s rooms, spending only the $500 they were given. Interior design students helped with the room makeover.

The girls’ room

What they wanted:

As the girls painted homemade coasters, they talked about what they hoped was going on in their room. They said that they wanted a stereo and bookshelves so there would be more room on their desks. Overall, they hoped for a functional space with extra seating for guests.

“We need more space because we are so disorganized. It gets crazy with four people,” says roommate Trisha Huus, 19, an wildlife fisheries major from Watertown.

What they got:

Chris Couglin, a 19-year-old pharmacy sophomore from Huron, “traded” his room at Young Hall and went to work on the girls’ Hansen Hall home.

Interior design majors Ashley Kemink, Jessica Smit, Megan Jamrozek and Angie Boersma oversaw Couglin and the Hansen Hall work.

To create a fun and inviting space, the designers bought rugs, a TV, a stereo with speakers shaped like car headlights, burgundy pillows and round, purple glass lamps. They chose to use bold blocks of color to make the room stand out.

“I like bringing everything together and making the room feel unified – like it belongs to one group, not four individuals,”says Boersma, 20, a junior from Pipestone, Minn.

The boy’s room

What he wanted:

As Couglin painted curtains for the girls’ quad room, he described why he applied to have his room redecorated.

“My room was boring, and people had to sit on my bed because I didn’t have a futon. It creeped me out. It kind of creeped them out [too]. I basically wanted a futon because people are in my room all the time,” he says.

What he got:

Meanwhile in Young Hall, roommates Candy Rebstock, Beth Iverson and Huus worked to create a peaceful setting for Couglin to live in. Roommate Kayla Wright wasn’t available to help renovate the room. Interior design students Leigh Raderschadt and Kari Berg helped out.

The inspiration for the new room design came from Couglin’s favorite painting, Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” The designers decided to create a continuous, peaceful feel in the room by incorporating wooden wind chimes, a Buddha statue and neutral tones. They also purchased a DVD/VCR player, painted wall hangings and put together a futon and a microwave stand.

“I love the rug and especially the vase with bamboo. The futon was the best deal — it was $140,” says Berg, 19, a freshman from Sioux Falls.

Raderschadt agrees, saying the futon was especially comfortable and a great addition to the room.

The aftermath

By the time the finishing touches were put on the rooms, everyone was excited to see the results. The girls loved their functional new room, which included a bead wall. Couglin simply commented that his relaxing room was “hot.”

All of the “traders” thought the designers did an impressive job of creating stylish rooms while abiding by the Residence Handbook rules. Each group of designers also succeeded at staying within the budget by finding decor deals at Pier 1 Imports, Shopko, Target, and Hobby Lobby.

The TV Club was on hand to film the day’s events, so highlights from the first-ever SDSU Trading Spaces will be shown before one of the upcoming free movies.

UPC organizers say they plan to do “Trading Spaces” again next year.

#1.885757:839164617.jpg:tradingspaces2.jpg:It´s clean-up time for Megan Jamrozek and Jessica Smit.:Claudia McIntosh