Rice Cribs gets cozy inside Duncan's most comfortable suite

By Alex Bisberg     3/13/12 7:00pm

The lovely ladies of Duncan's 4D suite pleasantly invited me into their common room to have a look around. Junior Mecklin Ragan walked me in, where we found seniors Christina Coravos and Amber Makhani.  I was immediately immersed in a homey, comforting atmosphere. The room is filled with comfortable couches crammed with pillows, assorted types of chairs and multiple ottomans.

The windows are occupied by empty bottles of wine, and countless shelves and boxes compartmentalized the nooks of the common room. A large patterned rug is spread over the concrete floor and topped by some useful sitting pillows. Three glass tables stand around the room; the main table is used as a centerpiece of the common room. Usually, fresh flowers occupy the table, Coravos said.

Large lamps stand totem on the surrounding glass tables. All surrounded a large CRT TV, its bulbous backside protruding onto the table. It is not used much, apparently; in this suite, board games including Jenga and Disney's "Scene It" are much more common than video games.  

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A cabinet filled with wine glasses and other assorted cups stands to the side of the room. Last semester, Elizabeth Casey, another suitemate, hosted "Wine Wednesdays," a classy social gathering that provided a mid-week break. The 4D suite also hosts other, less-regular social events, such as wine and cheese parties and game nights.

In addition to the main common room, many little things make this room special. One of the bathrooms is completely adorned with zebra-print mats and organizers. These women pride themselves on their coordination.

I walked into Ragan's single and saw a gigantic set of shelves and drawers occupying the entire right wall. Everything from books to clothes to trinkets of all shapes and sizes fill every section of this colossal conglomeration of drawers. It was as if The Container Store had moved into her room and created a model room for advertising. Even a specially modified file cabinet flipped out and stored shoes.

Overall, this room was a contrast to the past few seen in this column. "We like to keep organized," Makhani said. The comfortable and welcoming atmosphere is unmatched. It seems very easy to just huddle up and take a luxurious nap on one of these couches or sit down to a nice glass of wine. Even though this room isn't flashy, it has a wonderful atmosphere and is filled with friendly suitemates.

Rice Cribs explores various dorm designs around campus. If you would like to suggest a room to be featured, email Alex Bisberg at ajb7@rice.edu.

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