“[I walked in] and there was a hole in that wall, scratches on this wall,” he recounted. “And I said to myself, ‘No, I am not going to live with this.’”
So Chang got two king-sized sheet sets, one burgundy and one yellow, and converted them into a sort of cloth wallpaper. Held up by pushpins around the edges, the sheets cover almost all of his wall-space. For the wall with windows, he cut up along the edge of the window and tied the resulting piece in the middle, creating a makeshift curtain. Chang even made a simple design on one wall, mixing a burgundy background with a yellow strip. He says these are his favorite features of the room because they create a more welcoming feeling. “The burgundy and mango yellow color really makes me feel comfortable when I’m in my room,” said Chang.
Walls are easy to cover up, but how do you hide pipes that jut out and run along the ceiling? Chang simply put a strip of cloth along the pipe to use as a Nalgene holder and hung two flags, one Korean and one Californian, along the pipes. These effectively took attention away from the unattractive pipes and directed it towards symbols of his origin.
Chang may have chosen to develop a nice, low-tech solution for his walls and pipes, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a feel for technology. A 38” TV screen sits to the right of the door, equipped with speakers and an HDMI connection for his laptop. Using a wireless Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, Chang browses his computer from across the room, sometimes even from his bed. He has a Playstation with Mortal Combat parked underneath the big TV, iPod dock and refrigerator on top of his desk. When he isn’t using the TV as a giant screen, he even has two sets of external speakers, one for the TV and one for his desk.
That’s not the end of it. Though it’s a very wired room, there are many quirky things scattered about. A large stop sign sits behind the TV, accompanied by a hockey stick. The shelves hold a cactus, a water boiler and various picture frames. A Rubik’s Cube takes its place on top of his dresser. The walls are adorned with posters for various events, from the Luau TAP to Route 9 shows.
Chang admits that the room isn’t very big. Having two closets helps, but that’s not all that goes into maintaining the room. “I somewhat have OCD, and I clean my room compulsively. I need my living space to be organized and clean, otherwise my mind will not be at peace,” said Chang.
Overall, Chang has effectively created a room that is appealing, high-tech and personable. “That’s exactly how home should be,” he said. “Clean, safe and relaxing.”