Oh that yellow lamp in picture #1.... :o}

Here is a link for the lamp...

http://kennethwingard.com/yellowtruffaultlamps.html

Hoooo-lee crap, that's an expensive lamp. But gorgeous, though... that was my first thought upon seeing that post. Someone fulfill my dreams and tell me it's DIY-able?

VIOLET & VIOLET. That was really sweet of you to research that lamp. I truly thought it was a vintage thrift store find. Man, oh man...As much as I like it, I can't see paying that amount of money for it.
I'll go w/the DIY version that MASSJENNOCIDE has requested.
Jeez...

I've been drooling over that lamp for years! It has popped up several times on The Rachel Zoe Project - I just love it. I've been looking for a similar, less expensive version for a loooong time to no avail. :( Masha has great taste!

ugh, this should be titled "rich student spaces". Lame. With the exception of the last picture none of these look like there was much of a budget...

Yeah, I don't need students to teach me how to buy everything from craigslist or whatever in order to save money. Also, haven't, if not most, a significant proportion of us been (college) students at some point? Is this that same nostalgia/amnesia that makes ppl forget that when they were kids just about all they wanted was to be adults already?

(... oh right... I am still a student.... orz)

Just as a note, Masha said in her house call that she found the lamp on mega-clearance at a going-out-of-business sale. If only we could all be so lucky. I've got some serious lamp lust too.

Yawn. Another AT post pretending that grad student apartments have the same challenges that students living in dorms do. If you want good examples of dorms, try fuckyeahcooldormrooms.tumblr.com They may not always be the eclectic wabi-sabi minimalist modern thrifty white-walled wonders that AT features (with few $400) lamps, but at least they're something to shoot for. And heck, some of them, somehow, are.

Please no one take tips from #10.

Excellent timing for me. I'm an incoming grad student, I just moved into a new place, and reading AT makes my heart ache to see so much design that I feel is out of my financial reach. Thank you for the inspiration!

I agree that with LAURACORE- What kind of students are these? There's certainly no designer furniture or decorating in my studio, and if my parents weren't currently downsizing I wouldn't have furniture at all!

Actually not I item in my place (#5) (except my couch which was still only $150) cost more than $70! It's just a LOT of patience with craigslist, goodwill and some DIY!

Hm... I am guessing, (grad) students with stipends and no debt. Or maybe stipends and debts they are not worrying about at this current point in time because loans are deferred and (federal) interest rates are low and why let that keep you from having a nice lamp or whatever. It is believable to me that these rooms could be attained thriftily, given enough time and patience (and good CL/thrift stores/Homegoods in your area).

@KJMWRITES, Thanks for the "fuckyeahcooldorm..." link. Lots of fun! And totally real.

Thanks for the tumblr link. My rising freshman will spend hours there!

@annie-o and @limes You're welcome! Just searching the dorms or cool dorms tag on tumblr might find you some other blogs to follow.

I think that those who are so fast on stating that such apartments must be owned by spoiled kids underestimate the power of craigslist and kijiji. I am a grad student, but my apartment is fairly well furnished. Most visitors think that I spent a lot of money on what I own, but actually nothing cost me over 100$ except for the new mattress. It just took a lot of patience and a lot of research to slowly build my dream apartment on a budget. It is a long process, but it is possible.