University of Hawai'i-Manoa economics student Tsehaitu Abye knows the importance of dressing up an empty, drab dorm room.

"It makes a difference in how it feels. You don't feel like you're in some weird institution," said Abye, 20.

A creatively decorated space helps her study, she said.

Whether students live in a dorm room or an apartment, Abye recommends students "just spruce it up a little. It makes it feel a lot more comfortable."

With a little bit of "random" fabric and a staple gun, Abye was able to transform a shabby couch in her summer-session apartment-style dorm into chic furniture.

And that ugly light fixture on the wall? No problem. She used a psychedelic pareu to drape over it, creating instant mood lighting.

With her basic sewing knowledge, she even whipped up some throw pillows using extra fabric.

Many students don't have the know-how or lots of cash to spruce up their temporary space. So local designers have decided to offer advice on how to create a comfortable, livable dorm atmosphere without spending a whole lot of money.

Decorator Nancy Peacock, president of the local chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, advises that you think theme and colors before you set off for K-Mart or City Mill.

For guys, Peacock recommends shades of blue or green, but girls can do just about anything, she said.

"Once a color palette is chosen, plan a fun field trip," she said.

where to start?

When buying items for a dorm room, Peacock recommends starting first with bedding — sheets, pillowcases, comforters.

"In those small dorm rooms, the bed is the biggest surface other than the floor," she said.

Keep in mind that in addition to being a place to sleep, the bed also does double duty as a sofa when friends come over, and serves as a study spot, she said.

"The bedding itself is a wonderful way to express yourself," she said.

She suggests buying colorful or patterned sheets and comforters that are coordinated. Many stores, including Wal-Mart and Ross Dress for Less, offer a wide selection of good-quality sheet sets that are cheap, she said. Or feel free to buy pillowcases, sheets and comforter covers — aka duvets — separately.

"Don't be afraid to mix and match," she said.

And then there is the issue of what type of fabric and thread count to consider. While many interior designers will suggest buying high-thread-count sheets, Peacock says a better strategy is to choose sheets based on the makeup of the fiber — cotton versus synthetic.

"Thread count is kind of misleading," she said. "Stick with cotton and avoid synthetic fibers, like polyester. The feel of the fabric is more important."

AVOID CRAMMING

Too often, dorm students lug too much stuff off to their new rooms, said Joan Riggs, an interior-design instructor at Chaminade University of Honolulu.

Ambika Subramony, an anthropology and linguistics major at UH-Manoa, said one of the tough parts about moving into a dorm is leaving a lot of belongings behind.

"A lot of living in the dorms is about keeping the clutter down," said Subramony, who originally is from the Boston area. "You have to let things go and live with only the things you need. Especially for girls, you can't bring all of your clothes with you. There just isn't enough space."

That doesn't mean leaving behind all of your personal mementos. Riggs says to bring a few items which have meaning and express who you are.

These mementos could include a sports jersey for an athlete to display on the wall, or music posters for the punk-rocker. Then design the rest of your room around that "inspiration object," Riggs said.

Use the colors from a photograph or painting to inspire the bedding, area rugs, even storage containers that you choose, she said.

As with any small space, Riggs says, the key is to stay organized.

An inexpensive way to organize is with colorful bins or milk crates, which can be bought at most discount or hardware stores, she said.

"Anything stackable works best, because there is limited space," she said.

In traditional dorms, where a student shares a room with someone else, Subramony suggest bunking the beds to create more open space.

"A lot of students have no idea that it is possible to create bunk beds with the two separate beds in the dorm," she said. Check with your university about bunk- bed capabilities.

Students will be spending a lot of time at their desks in front of computers. So Peacock suggests accessories to organize the desk, as well as task lighting.

Large lamps aren't necessary in dorm rooms, so instead, she suggests desk and reading lamps.

DECORATE WALLS

And what about those drab white walls?

It is unlikely that students will be allowed to paint their rooms, so Riggs suggests dressing up walls with posters, photographs and mounted art.

Posters easily can be pinned to wood walls or taped to concrete using double-stick foam tape, said Riggs.

While mounting frames to the wall with nails is normally out of the question, some lightweight frames also can be mounted with double-stick foam tape, she said.

Also consider purchasing a cork board to hold photographs, artwork and memos.

Abye dresses up the walls of her UH-Manoa dorm with a Bob Marley poster, Japanese woodblock art and even artwork she's created herself.

As artwork, she uses pareus she's collected over the years from numerous trips to the swap meet, she said.

"Hang them up on the wall. They look great when they flow against the wall with the wind," she said.

She also suggest using pareus or other "pretty cloth" to cover windows and the closet.

In all, Abye says, her decorating techniques are generally easy to do and don't require much shopping.

"Making your room fun and interesting doesn't have to be expensive," she said.