This weekend, 75 Black Hills State University rooms may get a fresh coat of paint as part of Resident Life's efforts to create a homey environment for students. To get some decorating tips, the students may even want to tour the "Flip That Room" contest winner in Thomas Hall.

Last semester, two BHSU sophomores entered Resident Life's first-ever decorating contest about a week before finals. Along with cramming for their tests, roommates Lexie Barrett and LaDawn Hespe, both 20, were looking at paint chips and drawing up floor plans for a room makeover in Thomas Hall's Room 105.

"We had to have a complete budget sheet and we had $500 to spend on everything," Barrett said.

After several days of planning, the two Belle Fourche women gave a 15-minute presentation, wowing resident hall directors Amanda Tucker and Jen Tifone, along with others, to win the "Flip That Room" contest. "It was very realistic," Tucker said.

"We just tried to make sure it wasn't too girly or macho," Barrett said of the design.

The room's turquoise accent wall matched the black and turquoise bedspreads, which were accented by a black TV, black futon, black and white geometrical designed floor rug, black window and closet curtains, as well as towels. Other accents included a turquoise lap blanket, pink cushions, a pink and silver clock, brushed silver photo frames and white dinnerware with silver flatware.

The white refrigerator, microwave and a mobile storage cart popped nicely against the dark furnishings, and they also blended well with the light-colored walls.

Then the decorating began. With several trips to a local retail store, Tucker, Tifone, Barrett and Hespe began transforming the institutionally bland cinder-block room into a comfortable space. With her own power drill, Tucker attached curtain rods to the upper storage space over the closets and above the room's central window.

It proved to be a lot of work with a few snags along the way.

"We were supposed to use tension rods, but we got the wrong kind," Tifone said.

The storage curtain rods required several screws on each side, creating some interesting maneuvering to keep the power drill at the right spot and the curtain rods level.

The women pushed the furnishings into the center of the room, then began a marathon eight-hour painting session to paint the entire room using about two gallons of paint.

"It was the closets that took a lot of the time," Tifone said.

Stacking the beds into lofts and moving one of the bureaus beneath a bed opened up the central part of the room for the area rug. They placed the futon next to the window, creating a comfortable TV viewing area and extra sleeping space for friends staying on the weekends.

Barrett likes the baskets and white plastic portable storage chest rolled next to the room's sink. It's a great place to store students' shower caddy, shower flip flops and dish soaps and towels.

Both women wanted a room that was comfortable and livable, but also had a classic look. The extra storage space and baskets help, Barrett said, especially when living with a neat freak. She described her own side of the room as a mess.

"You can never have enough drawers," she said.

Admissions staff is showing off the "flipped" room to perspective students and parents who are touring the campus. "I don't think any other college is doing this," Tucker said.

Beginning this weekend, BHSU students can paint their own rooms. Tucker and Tifone said that students can choose from a selection of 14 colors. Picking from an interesting color palette, from baby carrot to taupe, students can fill out an order form and submit it to the resident hall director. By Friday afternoon, paints, rollers, trays and tape will arrive at their room so that the students can begin the transformation. All painting must be completed by 8 p.m. Sunday of the same weekend.

"Hopefully, they'll all get together in small groups to do this," Tucker said.

"They can tear through a whole wing," Tifone said.

Asked if Barrett and Hespe will "flip" their own room, they shook their heads. The showroom was enough for them.

"With only a couple months until the end of semester, probably not," Hespe said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.