What an odd policy! I could understand if NYU didn't want you to REMOVE furniture that came with the room, but this doesn't make a lot of sense.

How about floor cushions around a coffee table? I'm not sure what your budget is, but Target has this:

http://www.target.com/p/sure-fit-ikat-floor-cushion/-/A-14114806#?lnk=sc_qi_detailbutton

You might want to check with someone in your student services office, though, and make sure that you're not interpreting the policy.

Sorry, that should have been "misinterpreting the policy."

I think that the reason they don't want you bringing in furniture is that a lot of people leave it at the end of the year, and then facilities has to remove it.

Ask them if Kilim pillows, floor cushions, inflatable furniture, and/or beanbags are allowed.

With the bed bug problem in NY I'm sure Eric has the rule right.

i agree some floor cushions could be great, you could stash them in your room when not in use. also think about folding camping chairs maybe with a pillow or two on them. Maybe not stylish but Im sure anything compact and portable cant be objected to.

With the bedbug problem in NYC, this rule makes absolute sense to me.

If you're bent on breaking it, however, head to IKEA.

That is a gorgeous space! I second the comment about getting a clarification on the policy.

How about rugs, mats, cushions and using the space "Indian style"?

I'll be another voice to recommend floor cushions, I don't think that you could possibly get in trouble for that. Rock it Moroccan style! Folding, director or outdoor chairs with cushions might work?

check out pbteen. they have some great "portable" loung-seating. the price tag could be a little steep, but you can get some great ideas.

Floor cushions, camp chairs, hammock...

I am sure they don't want students to find furniture on the street and bring it in... and infect the building with bedbugs.

I had a similar situation with apartment-style dorms in Boston. In our case, the no-upholstered-stuff requirement also had something to do with flammability/fire hazards.

Maison des Vacances has great pouffs -- there is a huge, hairy, Tibetan goat pouff that would be fantastic to lounge on...

http://www.design-byproxy.com/2011/01/11/masion-de-vacances/

http://www.maisondevacances.com/pdf/Catalogue_MDV_W13.pdf

Very sensual, soft and comforting.

You could also go the route of kilims, but they are very scratchy...

What a cruel and bizarre policy...

You should try to fight it -- for example, get dorm dwellers to provide a deposit for furniture removal so that the school is not stuck with paying for the removal of furniture left behind by irresponsible students.

If the issue is bedbugs, why not specify that no USED furniture is allowed to be brought in to the dorms?

I have a hard time understanding how tptb could subject students to live with bare rooms and a couple of hard chairs; that's inhuman.

you can get floor poufs/cushions! and i think soft lighting and some nice, warm, lively tapestries/wall decor and mirrors (target has those cheap $5 dorm mirrors) will go a very long way for a small bill.

If you're feeling crafty, try putting these together:

http://www.designboom.com/cardboard3.html
http://www.brandonliew.com/17911/221723/work/rocking-chair

resize these for adults:
http://www.foldschool.com/_objects/objects_stool/objects_stool.html

Giant bean bag sofa!
http://www.instructables.com/id/bean-bag-sofa--bed/

Butterfly chairs... metal frame, and the fabric covers are easily removable (machine washable) in case there was a question about bug infestation.

I was an RA at NYU, and the policy isn't being misinterpreted. Technically, no furniture at all, upholstered or not, is allowed to be brought in the rooms. It's a combination of things- bed bugs, problems with students just leaving large things at the end of the year, fire hazards and liability, and, once, a few drunk students set their couch on fire, thought they would get in trouble if they called the fire dept, and so they pushed the burning couch out a seventh story window onto a courtyard below.
However, I always brought in a bookshelf and two of those round fold up chairs. The chairs can be stored if your RA does a room check. Folding them up is enough that any RA won't care. As long as you take them with you or put them in the donation bins at the end of the year, you'll be fine!

Twister! (the game) , or raquet ball court. But seriously, a rug would be the first thing i would buy for this room. If you can't have furniture, you can at least sit on a comfy floor.

Butterfly chair as described above... http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Butterfly-Replacement-Cover-Natural/dp/B000C1U9J4/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_7

NYU alum here, and Historybee is right -- the policy was always no outside furniture _at all_. So if you want to bring in outside stuff, don't bring in anything you can't fold up and hide for inspections. Back when I was in the dorms we also made makeshift furniture out of storage tubs draped with fabric.

It's surprising they didn't give you anything beyond that table though, and I wouldn't be shocked if there's supposed to be more furniture there than you got. It's worth asking housing for a couch!

Is that a large snake on the back of your chair?

I agree with asking them to furnish a couch or something! Especially since they don't want you bringing anything of your own in.

otherwise, I totally vote for a hammock!

If you need to be discrete and be able to stow it, a bed roll or inflatable couch could be hidden away.

Camping chairs may not be the most aesthetic thing, but would also work well and be inexpensive. If you want a little more style get some wood folding chairs and sew on custom cushions.

Yeah, go with the floor pillows, they certainly don't count as "furniture" and if there's any gray area you can just insist they're for your bed and you just happen to be sitting on them. And don't ask permission ahead of time, college administrators love to say no (even when they don't really have grounds to).

How about blow up furniture... maybe something like this?

http://www.amazon.com/Blow-Inflatable-Furniture-Sized-Couch/dp/B00245MIAY

Ah, perfect opportunity to go all Moroccan style! Big, patterned/shaggy rug on the ground, floor cushions scattered about, and since you're not allowed any furniture, get a couple of round metal/enamel/deco trays and pop them on top of an Ottoman - voila!
Instant coffee table. Cosy conversation slash social area. And it would be amazing to relax there too if those big windows get sunshine...

Ha, that made me laugh out loud re the burning couch. Go NYU.

...so because of a few irresponsible students, NYU dorm dwellers are only allowed the same creature comforts as felons?

Wow.

Some of these would be stowable. There are also camping versions available elsewhere.
http://www.plowhearth.com/fully-adjustable-five-position-multiangle-chair_p400935.html

I am going to pull out the whole "when I was in college in the 1980s" thing --

we didn't have additional furniture (want a sofa...sit in a common area), TVs, fridges....and we shared one large bathroom on each floor. There was only one meal offering -- no choices...

When did college get so cushy?

A pair of *NEW* Fatboy bean bag chairs! I doubt those would be considered furniture (giant pillows, really) and they would arrive wrapped in plastic so shouldn't carry bedbugs (if that's the school's concern). If those are too pricey, how about those Thai triangle cushions that fold out? Add some zabutons and get your prana sorted out with some meditation sessions between classes.

I think furniture abandonment (not to mention leaving garbage and damage) is an issue for all schools' housing -- and that's why deposits exist, NYU. When you can keep the deposits of the dummies who mess up their rooms, there's just no reason to for draconian rules that punish all students. The bedbug concerns make sense, but I just can't believe that a university would enact such extreme housing rules based on the drunk antics of one student.

All of these ideas aside, at the very least you can use this space way better. Pull your table and chairs away from the wall; either sit it in the center or perhaps a little closer to that breathtaking view you have with the windows! Take that bookcase rammed in the corner and put it on the outdent between your window panels. You also have this long bare bleak wall (far right in photo)... have you considered shelving? That's not furniture, but will definitely add storage and interest. OR, you could even cantilever a wider piece of wood about table height on that wall and have a buffet or a desk or a entertaining/serving food and cocktails space. At least up north, home depot will cut wood to size for you and with a little spraypaint- voila! - even crap wood is decent for a couple semesters. Just make sure to fill those screw holes with putty before you go.

The carpet and one piece of interesting flea market art would be the best investment here. Add some color and some interest and the rest won't seem so sterile. Good luck!

Furniture is no more likely to house bedbugs than bedding, pillows, etc.

There are tons of tutorials online about how to make an indoor teepee. That is clearly what this room needs.

hm...we had a couch in and desk in our LR in third north. why not tote in a couple of flame resistant mattresses, double them up for a couch. slip 'em under your beds before you go home for breaks. you can cover them with any blanket/fabric you like. add some IKEA euro pillows for back support. cheap side tables from kmart or target.

The first thing I thought of was a bean bag - what about a lovesac http://www.lovesac.com/

Yes butterfly chairs and blow up furniture. Don't ask just do. Bean bags are too hard to hide, too bad though. I agree that large pillows are great and you can place them behind your back while laying on a thick covered piece of foam that can be rolled up and placed in your closet later.

No outside furniture? This is truly the oddest thing I've ever heard of.

How about some nice flokati rugs? They come in all price ranges either new or on ebay; you can go classic white or get some retro shag rug thing. You can layer them for more thickness or easily roll and stow them in the closet if need be. (the only downside is that you can't vaccuum them - you have to shake out any dirt, etc.)

There are also flokati bean bag chairs! I bought one for my 2 cats to lounge on. Got it on sale at Pottery Barn Teen, which I also recommend for some classic things at a reduced price.

(and I second the idea of other rugs, poufs -- which anyone and everyone sells now -- and pillows. I bought unfilled kilim pillow covers from a Turkish dealer on eBay and unfilled pouf covers cheap on etsy and stuffed them with odds and ends -- worn T-shirts, old pantyhose, Amazon "airbag" shipping materials, etc. -- when I realized how expensive new fiberfill could be)

This is most certainly about bedbugs. My daughter bought a futon from an NYU student and in a matter of weeks was infested. It is a NIGHTMARE. But, leaving students with so much empty space is asking for the rules to be broken. Also, NYU should explain the rule. I think you should go with new floor cushions, but also get a group together to speak to housing. They should be responsible for purchasing and providing bedbug free furniture of some kind. But beware, IKEA products can have bedbugs in them. Movie theaters are now a prime place to pick them up. I would be diligent and google how to look for them so you can give your own space periodic checks. It's not as big a deal if you catch them early.

Where's the BED in the current dorm?

If you have basic hand tools or have friends in the city who have them, you can very easily get countless plans and ideas for furniture made out of pallets. You can very easily get them for free, and simply sand them, cut them to any size, stain (if wanted) seal, and put together very quickly and easily. Then you can pick up glide feet that won't mar the floors. They just tap or screw into the bottom side of the furniture & come ready to attach.Simply have inflatable cushions wrapped in whatever you choose. You can pick up heavy duty inflatables in the city at surplus stores. Students should chip in together since it's a shared space.

ASK IF YOU YOU COULD GET A AFEW BEAN BAGS THERE FUN AND COMFY AND MAYBE A FEW THROUGH PILLOWS

Fold up camping furniture! I had a much, much cheaper version of this type of chair when I lived in the dorms: http://www.rei.com/product/812276/rei-camp-chair

Surprisingly comfortable, and easy to carry out into the woods for bonfires (I went to school in the sticks) or into town for parades. When moving to/from campus my goal was to always get the move accomplished in one trip in my 20 year old corolla, so stuff that compacted down nicely was definitely a plus.

I have a hard time imagining that there could be any serious objection to things that would read as "picnic furniture" or "camping gear", since that would involve the school objecting to things that are designed for "off campus" use. They are definitely a low-risk for being left and providing a hassle for facilities at the end of the year.

And furniture being left is definitely a huge issue, even when there are donation pods. I imagine that this is especially a problem for schools like NYU that draw lots of students who fly home at the end of the year.

I, too, would position that small dresser (bookcase?) between the windows. Use the top as a bar, or plug in a cheap and cool lamp and iHome or something. Hang a print/art above using those damn 3M Command hooks everyone raves about.

Pull the table from the wall. It may be utilitarian, but it's not horrific--repositioning it towards a window will go a long way to creating a more dynamic space. Depending on your aesthetic and the rules, use a window ledge for tchotchkes or empty beer cans. ;)

I've found my local Home Depot selling 3" thick foam pads for cheap ($22!) --they advertise them as camping pads, but who the heck wants to hike in a 6 foot piece of very firm foam that is impossible to roll, I'd like to know-- toss it on the floor, cover it (with a rug, a tapestry, hell, just throw a sheet on it if you must), and throw some pillows down to create a loose back-style sofa. Put a light in the corner where the dresser/bookcase originally was placed. Add more prints on that long wall, and you've got a more comfortable area in which to hang out. (as an aside, I used one of those camp pads when I made my headboard--the price of foam is ridiculous, and it worked really well)

Butterfly chairs can be a little spendy on a budget, but they've got more style and comfort than a lot of other folding chairs, you can toss a fake flokati (Ikea) or a pillow on one, and you can remove the covers easily for washing.

It's a nice little space. Kind of sucks you can't use it to its fullest potential.

I like the idea of inflatable chairs. They're plastic so bedbugs can't infest them right?

First things first, you need a rug or simple floor cloth. Some poofs and floor cushions would offer some seating. You could also warm up the walls with a tapestry. Pick up a couple of shelves from target and you have an easy bar and display area. What about those fold up chairs they have for dorms. They're actually really comfortable and aren't too bad on the eyes!Some of those little covered ottomans might be perfect too! hopefully that helps!

Check out these seats for $50.00 and under:
http://www.shelterpop.com/2011/02/01/extra-seat/
Or create your own sofa with multiple cushions inspired by "the brick sofa":
http://www.blessthisstuff.com/stuff/living/seating/brick-sofa-by-kibisi/
Good luck!

Butterfly chairs, especially folding ones, are easy to move at the end of the year, and you can wash and/or replace the covers easily and cheaply. No bedbug problems. The link shows them in white, but they're available in other colors and with a black frame:
http://www.amazon.com/Algoma-4052-00-Butterfly-Chair-Natural/dp/B002LAR9TC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1347133271&sr=8-3&keywords=folding+butterfly+chairs

Or folding Adirondack chairs, bulkier than butterfly chairs, but also easy to move and stow. These are unpainted and cheap, but there are many many $$$ variations:
http://www.amazon.com/Merry-Garden-Adirondack-Folding-Chair/dp/B004TM6004/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1347133570&sr=1-1&keywords=folding+adirondack+chair

I'd love to see a flokati rug in that space - and they are nice because you can wash them in cool water at the laundromat. And put it on your bed as a throw for room checks.

Sublet the space! It's bigger than most NYC apts. Just kidding.

I've seen inflatable couches and chairs. Cover with a throw for comfort.

Add bean bags, big floor cushions, overturned buckets with pillows on top.

OK- as a RA at a college in NYC, I feel you. First, get a hold of the residence life policies and read them carefully. I know in my dorm they don't allow wood or upholstery because of bedbug concerns- but that means you can get plastic and metal things. To make a hang out space in my room right now I'm going to get a nylon butterfly chair and a floor pouf- technically, it's just a big pillow? I've also seen inflatable couches and chairs. Just read your Res Life policies carefully and you might be surprised at how much you can get away with- for example, this year in my dorm they're breaking down and letting people have storage ottomans. On the flip side, if you have a lamp with multiple heads, it's outta here.

IKEA area rug and cheap couch cushions. Small "gamer" chairs. Small trays from Target for beverages and snacks. Hang a cheap IKEA pendant in the corner from a small hook in the wall or ceiling OR hang one off of a branch and fasten that to the wall. (I think that was from the Nester- can't remember!).

The simplest answer to actually replacing the standard couch-and-chair seating convention is to string a full sleeping hammock as a couch and hang a couple hammock chairs. Keep a few throw pillows in each to hold them open and make them look approachable and inviting. For the couch-hammock, you want to be sure and get one that doesn't have the helpful bars at each end - the bar keeps it flat for sleeping end-to-end, but without that bar the hammock will form a backrest for people sitting on it.
The sturdiest way to hang a hammock indoors is to find two wall studs at each end (I would suggest, from the photo, stringing it from the mid-window pillar on camera left to the corner of the room up camera right), drive eye bolts into each stud, and then
run a cable from one eye bolt, through the loop at the end of the hammock, and back to the other eye bolt. For the hammock chairs you will do the same with two load bearing points on the ceiling. That way your friends can goof around and sit in each other's laps and pile on the hammock-couch without worry.
For a more dramatic aesthetic, add Thai cushion mats and Moroccan poofs on the floor, Indian sari fabric and Indonesian batik bedspreads on the ceiling and walls, and populate the space with some Balinese opium tables and Tunisian pierced-metal lamps.

This all sounds price-intensive, but seriously, craigslist is your friend.

Images of suggestions:
http://img3.etsystatic.com/000/0/6898294/il_570xN.345969263.jpg
http://www.hawaiiansunchairs.com/Hammock%20chair%20mesh%2008.jpg
http://kitty.narak.com/pillow/maroon1.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kIP_ZxM9aoI/S7IKXSPotlI/AAAAAAAABnA/-fwCsgc-yiE/s1600/poufs.jpg
http://data.whicdn.com/images/32431804/84020349267737644_85npWJdI_c_large.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uCO-hw7s6v4/TKcX101CBDI/AAAAAAAAAGc/N9pte03rx8o/s1600/traditional-batik-indonesia.jpg
http://www.nongnit.net/furnitureset/table2.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iekdZh5KS40/TfKIE4Ei5AI/AAAAAAAAFLA/tAQ-Sxm7K1w/s1600/tunis-lanterns-silver.jpg

Also, It's not just a problem of bringing bed bugs into the space with furniture, it's that if they happen to come in - with used clothing, whatever - students put up a big fuss about having to give up their pottery barn couch that cost a fortune or their priceless vintage piece. It's about limiting liability and headaches.

Urban Outfitters is really a go-to if you want the floor cushion, layered rug feel. Their stuff is inexpensive and stylish and it's not a tragedy if you have to get rid of something down the line.

I love their brightly colored rugs - the Magical Thinking line is particularly fun this season

They often have floor cushions like these: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=18428151&parentid=A_DEC_PILLOWS

They're pretty comfy - I have another one which is longer and patterned and more of a bed roll, but I don't see it now.

I would get a big tapestry and hang it on the wall, then get some rugs and floor pillows - some poofs and maybe some trays that you can set on top of them for setting drinks, etc. I use my antique silver trays for everything in my apartment and they'd really be handy if you couldn't bring in tables. The idea of using storage bins for seating, covered in fabric, is cleaver, but I'd be sure there was something sturdy inside supporting your weight.

I don't know what the policy is on bringing in lumber, but if you really wanted an elevated seating area, you could just stack pieces of mdf or a few 2x4s together, duct tape , put some fabric over them with floor cushions and you'd have a couch that you can deconstruct - put in a closet, under the bed, or rest the planks against the wall under a tapestry for inspection. Smaller cut pieces could form tables, etc.

i think pillows and rugs fall under the upholstery category and wouldn't be allowed. How about a foldable patio lounge chair? It would be good if you want to relax and read a book - maybe bring a pillow and a blanket. You can easily fold it up and put it away when necessary.

You could always try a cot or memory foam mattress pad to sit on. They're not the most attractive thing, but it might be better than nothing.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Folding-Cot-With-Airbed-and-Pump/745199.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dcot%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=cot&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

They sell inflatable couches and chairs, like a pool float, but a couch. Easy to sneak in, easy to carry. Just google it. Dont know how good they are.

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ainflatable%20sofa

@37RUBYDOG: When did college get so cushy? I'd say when tuition prices more than tripled in a couple of decades.

You know, maybe you could just deal with the fact that it's a dorm with rules, and cope for the semester. Work on your studies. Spend leisure time in some other spot that's more to your liking. Graduate. Get any damned furniture you want, then.

It's a pretty swanky dorm room, if you ask me! (Mine had cinder block walls, brown vinyl tiles on the floor, bunk beds, a built in desk, and one "comfortable" chair -- sort of a office supply store version of a Danish modern unit with vinyl seat and back and wooden arms... )