19 February 2024 Newsweek Features Gillespie’s Room

Newsweek profiled Lucas Gillespie ’24 after his antique room décor went viral on Reddit.

Lucas Gillespie’s ’24 unique residence hall décor is going viral. Gillespie posted photos of his room in Carid Hall on Reddit and received more than 11,000 upvotes and 1,000 comments. His space is decorated with antiques he found at thrift shops in Geneva, N.Y. and the surrounding region.

On Friday, Feb. 16, Newsweek featured Gillespie in the article, “Student’s Parents Say Dorm Room Feels like an Antiques Shop – Internet Agrees.” Read the article here. 

An outpouring of positive comments filled the Reddit thread, from “It looks like time stood still here. Really cool if you ask me though,” to one user comparing the room to a Van Gogh painting and dubbing it “Antique Chic.”

Gillespie's Antique Items


The oldest object in Gillespie’s room is a pewter cup that dates back to the mid 1700s. Other interesting items include an old-fashioned coffee-grinder, stoneware jugs and bright glassware.

The article includes an interview with Gillespie who says, “My dorm is filled with antiques, but I also think that I can be and act like a modern 22-year-old, even if I like things from the past.”

A history major and museum studies minor, Gillespie is conducting an Honors project on the history of the Erie canal.