The State News: Who had a bigger influence in the design of your apartment?

Kelly Alflen: Well, she liked red a lot and I had things that were red so it just worked. We didn’t plan it.

SN: What influenced your design taste?

KA: I was inspired by a pattern I found, so I made it into a pair of pillows.

Kylie Diem: My red was inspired by old Hollywood glamour.

KA: Yeah, my red things are little and yours are big.

SN: Since you’re not allowed to paint the walls and they’re white, did that affect your color scheme?

KD: I already liked red and black together.

KA: Yeah, it went well with the white.

SN: You’re both interior design majors. Did any of your classes influence your design?

KD: It’s a misconception that interior design majors are decorators. We do more architecture, so the biggest influence would be our color theory class and design class.

SN: Is there anything in your apartment that’s special to you?

KA: The kitchen table – it’s an antique and it was just sitting in my parents’ basement so I painted and re-upholstered it.

KD: My trunk – I have an old hope chest that was also my parents’. I took it and decoupaged it with pictures from magazines during my old Hollywood phase.

KA: It’s the old saying that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

SN: What advice do you have for people looking to decorate their places?

KA: Pick something you’re in love with and run with that. It could be small, and you can go from there.

KD: Don’t be afraid to buy something that’s not brand new and fix it up, especially as a college student. It’ll be beautiful.

_To show off your uniquely decorated home, e-mail features@statenews.com to be in next week’s SN Decor.