What to do with a blank house? It can be more challenging than a canvas. However, a look into some local student endeavors couldn’t offer better insight on creative living.

Create an illusion of space with mirrors. Jessica Lee, a sophomore from Atlanta, and Emily Randall, a sophomore from Lindale, both art majors, have mastered this craft- They recommend many mirrors.

“I was at this thrift store in Atlanta, on Memorial, and I got this sweet mirror clock for like $9, and couch pillows. They’re really colorful – about $3 each,” Lee said. The best place to start is with color. Both girls believe picking favorite colors is the solution for bedroom decor, and that mix-matched color “brought our rooms together even though they are both so different.” Colors create moods.

Lee agrees “lighting is key – there’s a certain level of light for every comfort level. I like doing my homework in a bright area, so we have 60 watt bulbs right above the dining table, and 40 watt bulbs that go in the lamps, which are already muted because of the lamp shades,” she said. “Then we’ve got these colorful lights for a different feel.”

Wall decals have gained popularity for filling blank space.

“The stickers definitely make the walls seem less empty. Rather than big blank color, there’s a bunch of character. They’re actually part of the walls, so there isn’t very much clutter, like with posters and picture frames,” Randall said.

This is a great idea for those who live in dorms who have only jail-cell-chic cinder block walls at their disposal. Both girls recommend whatisblik.com and threadless.com as a variety of art work for wall decals.

“We’ve got these weeds that are stuck on the wall between our rooms, and they really bring our rooms together because some of the weeds are the color of my room and some are the color of Emily’s room. Then there are a bunch of mixed colors,” Lee said. “For Emily’s room, I got her these sheep and tally marks that can be easily removed and applied. They’re restickable. I thought she’d have a bunch of fun with those since she doesn’t sleep. And I’ve got 99 black balloons that are going in my room,” Lee said.

There also has been a growing trend toward eco-living. Nature is a reoccurring theme, and it’s a perfect way to “get outside” while still being inside.

Kelly Ridenhour, a sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., has given a surreal, earthy feel to her living space. As a landscape architecture major, Ridenhour has taken to the walls. She has painted a dream-like tree on her living room wall. Ridenhour painted a poem from “Alice In Wonderland” on the walls upstairs. She also has taken one of her old childhood drawings of a landscape, placed it on the wall, and put an old wooden window frame over it to create the illusion of a scenic view of the outside.

“I think my place is pretty unique because it is pretty cheerful with a lot of warm, earth-tone colors. I also have lots of plants and a great patio. It helps everything feel alive,” Ridenhour said.

The townhouse also came with its on personal touch of creativity prior to Ridenhour moving in. This lends itself to the idea to check out what previous owners have done or where they were going with the place. Ridenhour bought the place from a girl who was an English major at the University, and she had “already painted people along the stairway, which is the first things that caught my attention about the place.” Ridenhour said.

At the top of the stairs is a boy holding one piece of a chord-cup phone talking into it. The chord spirals and tumbles all the way down to the bottom of the staircase where there is a girl holding the other end, listening to what the boy is saying,” Ridenhour said.

Finally, the last step to conquer is the outside. Fortunately, José Buitrago, assistant professor at the School of Environmental Design, has a cure for what to do with all that concrete and how to make a garden from a space no bigger than four feet by four feet.

Once a college student and a renter, Buitrago said the cheapest solution is outdoor carpets. If willing to go a bit more extravagant, he suggested a new series of what he calls “a mix between wood and plastic square tiles. The plastic holds wooden planks together. It is a cheap way to make the appearance of a nice patio and gets rid of the sterile concrete.”

As for gardens, Buitrago stressed the use of “container gardens.” This design consists of a plants placed in a collection of containers. The idea is that they move with you – whether it is winter, summer, or you are actually moving. Another reason is because so many people rent. “Anything has to be something you can carry,” Buitrago said. “You should select a style of container. It could be anything, like a takeoff of things that are not really meant to hold plants, such as pitchers or things with spouts.”

He also recommended, when beginning a garden, one should mix different types of plants. “Try mixing tall, short, plants, vines – it creates a different feel. The container gardens can also create a luscious, green privacy wall if done right, which is why you should make sure they can grown in a restricted environment,” Buitrago said. Lastly, he encouraged students to grow herb gardens such as rosemary. It is an easy way to save money, and they can be brought inside when temperatures get too cold.

A word from the wise:

The biggest question is where to begin. Athens is home to some of the most noteworthy antique vintage stores where design can be inexpensive and one-of-a-kind. Both Lee and Randall say stick to the hidden thrift stores and small businesses, there are tons in Athens and Atlanta.

If that doesn’t work out, “There’s nothing wrong with just shopping around. I did a lot of just random driving and browsing,” Lee said.

Ridenhour agreed and said, “I also searched around at salvage places, old thrift shops, Habitat for Humanity, Good Will … even an old barn yard, and I found a lot of great furniture for pretty cheap. It looked very rustic and cozy.”

Should all else fail, look to Athens as the most fruitful source of inspiration. Eco-friendly and artistically inclined, the community, people and homes lend themselves well to human imagination.