The common room of the top floor of Townhouse 9B, home to seniors Natalie Barkus, Molly Connors, Ingrid Eicher, Courtney Phillips, Caitie Barrett and Rebecca Hathaway, is a fantastic shared space that features contributions from the many ladies who call it theirs. The room features a window seat with a cushion covered in fabric that Connors brought back from her semester abroad in India last spring, as well as another swatch of fabric that hangs over one of the chairs in the room. Multi-colored Christmas lights are draped over the window seat; like the fabrics, they add color to the otherwise white and barren walls that are one of the major downsides to the Townhouse aesthetic. Eicher contributed a funky round wicker chair with a beige cushion that lends the space an eccentric, unconventional touch. The ladies created a centerpiece for a small table in the middle of the room out of an empty vase filled with corks and glass tiled candleholders in soft, neutral colors surround it. These small touches show the care with which this room has been personalized. The ladies have used empty wine bottles as decorations: they are displayed in a straight, uniform line on various surfaces encircling the room and serve as memories of all the time they have spent together over the last three and a half years. Old photos of the group of friends from their first year act as a similar reminder as they enter their final semesters at Colgate. Their common room is an accumulation of items that reflect not only each of their own personal Colgate journeys, but also their collective one. This group of friends has created a comfortable and intimate space in which they spend a great deal of time. This warmth is derived not only from the creative design choices, but also from this sense of shared experience.

1) How does your room reflect your personal style?

We wanted a cozy space to all relax and hang out together in. We also wanted it to be chic and inviting.

2) Tell me about one particularly important item in your room.

The TV! And the big chair: it’s really comfortable 

3) Where/from whom did you get your inspiration?

We all brought different elements to the room; its pretty eclectic. Molly brought the tapestries back from her semester abroad in India. We hung Christmas lights to brighten it up for the winter and to add some color!

Contact Eliza Graham at [email protected].