diff --git a/src/core/chatRoom.js b/src/core/chatRoom.js
index 2d842bd1..87cc227a 100644
--- a/src/core/chatRoom.js
+++ b/src/core/chatRoom.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  * Authors:
  *   - Patrick Stadler <patrick.stadler@gmail.com>
  *   - Michael Weibel <michael.weibel@gmail.com>
+ *   - Melissa Noelle <madamei@mojolingo.com>
  *
  * Copyright:
  *   (c) 2011 Amiado Group AG. All rights reserved.
@@ -19,24 +20,91 @@
  * Parameters:
  *   (String) roomJid - Room jid
  */
-Candy.Core.ChatRoom = function(roomJid) {
-	/** Object: room
-	 * Object containing roomJid and name.
-	 */
-	this.room = {
-		jid: roomJid,
-		name: Strophe.getNodeFromJid(roomJid)
-	};
-
-	/** Variable: user
-	 * Current local user of this room.
-	 */
-	this.user = null;
-
-	/** Variable: Roster
-	 * Candy.Core.ChatRoster instance
-	 */
-	this.roster = new Candy.Core.ChatRoster();
+Candy.Core.ChatRoom = function(options) {
+  /** Object: room
+   * (String) jid
+   * (String) name
+   * (String) type (chat|groupchat)
+   * (String) topic
+   * (Integer) messageCount
+   */
+  this.room = {
+    jid: options.roomJid,
+    name: options.roomName || Strophe.getNodeFromJid(options.roomJid),
+    type: options.roomType,
+    topic: null,
+    messageCount: 0
+  };
+
+  /** Variable: user
+   * Current local user of this room.
+   */
+  this.user = null;
+
+  /** Variable: Roster
+   * Candy.Core.ChatRoster instance
+   */
+  this.roster = new Candy.Core.ChatRoster();
+
+  // DOM-related information for this room.
+  this.dom = {
+    id: options.domId,
+    scrollPosition: options.scrollPosition || -1,
+    tab: null,
+    form: null
+  }
+};
+
+Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.setTopic = function(topic) {
+  this.room.topic = topic;
+};
+
+Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.getType = function() {
+  return this.room.type;
+};
+
+Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.incrementMessageCount = function() {
+  this.room.messageCount += 1;
+  return this.room.messageCount;
+};
+
+Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.getUserCount = function() {
+  return Object.keys(this.roster.items).length;
+};
+
+Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.getDomElement = function() {
+  return this.Room.getPane(this.room.jid);
+};
+
+Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.getDomTab = function() {
+  return this.Chat.getTab(roomJid);
+};
+
+Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.getDomForm = function() {
+  return this.Room.getPane(roomJid, '.message-form');
+};
+
+Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.addRoomDom = function(chatRoomContainerSelector) {
+  $(chatRoomContainerSelector).append(Mustache.to_html(Candy.View.Template.Room.pane, {
+    roomId: this.dom.id,
+    roomJid: this.room.jid,
+    roomType: this.room.type,
+    form: {
+      _messageSubmit: $.i18n._('messageSubmit')
+    },
+    roster: {
+      _userOnline: $.i18n._('userOnline')
+    }
+  }, {
+    roster: Candy.View.Template.Roster.pane,
+    messages: Candy.View.Template.Message.pane,
+    form: Candy.View.Template.Room.form
+  }));
+
+  this.Chat.addTab(this.room.jid, roomName, roomType);
+  this.Room.getPane(this.room.jid, '.message-form').submit(Candy.View.Pane.Message.submit);
+
+  return this.getDomElement();
 };
 
 /** Function: setUser
@@ -46,7 +114,7 @@ Candy.Core.ChatRoom = function(roomJid) {
  *   (Candy.Core.ChatUser) user - Chat user
  */
 Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.setUser = function(user) {
-	this.user = user;
+  this.user = user;
 };
 
 /** Function: getUser
@@ -56,7 +124,7 @@ Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.setUser = function(user) {
  *   (Object) - Candy.Core.ChatUser instance or null
  */
 Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.getUser = function() {
-	return this.user;
+  return this.user;
 };
 
 /** Function: getJid
@@ -66,7 +134,7 @@ Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.getUser = function() {
  *   (String) - Room jid
  */
 Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.getJid = function() {
-	return this.room.jid;
+  return this.room.jid;
 };
 
 /** Function: setName
@@ -76,7 +144,7 @@ Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.getJid = function() {
  *   (String) name - Room name
  */
 Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.setName = function(name) {
-	this.room.name = name;
+  this.room.name = name;
 };
 
 /** Function: getName
@@ -86,7 +154,7 @@ Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.setName = function(name) {
  *   (String) - Room name
  */
 Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.getName = function() {
-	return this.room.name;
+  return this.room.name;
 };
 
 /** Function: setRoster
@@ -96,7 +164,7 @@ Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.getName = function() {
  *   (Candy.Core.ChatRoster) roster - Chat roster
  */
 Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.setRoster = function(roster) {
-	this.roster = roster;
+  this.roster = roster;
 };
 
 /** Function: getRoster
@@ -106,5 +174,5 @@ Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.setRoster = function(roster) {
  *   (Candy.Core.ChatRoster) - instance
  */
 Candy.Core.ChatRoom.prototype.getRoster = function() {
-	return this.roster;
+  return this.roster;
 };
diff --git a/src/view/pane/room.js b/src/view/pane/room.js
index d4d4148d..4f1f4a6b 100644
--- a/src/view/pane/room.js
+++ b/src/view/pane/room.js
@@ -73,27 +73,17 @@ Candy.View.Pane = (function(self, $) {
       }
 
       var roomId = Candy.Util.jidToId(roomJid);
-      self.Chat.rooms[roomJid] = {id: roomId, usercount: 0, name: roomName, type: roomType, messageCount: 0, scrollPosition: -1, targetJid: roomJid};
 
-      $('#chat-rooms').append(Mustache.to_html(Candy.View.Template.Room.pane, {
-        roomId: roomId,
+      var roomObject = new Candy.Core.ChatRoom({
         roomJid: roomJid,
+        roomName: roomName,
         roomType: roomType,
-        form: {
-          _messageSubmit: $.i18n._('messageSubmit')
-        },
-        roster: {
-          _userOnline: $.i18n._('userOnline')
-        }
-      }, {
-        roster: Candy.View.Template.Roster.pane,
-        messages: Candy.View.Template.Message.pane,
-        form: Candy.View.Template.Room.form
-      }));
-      self.Chat.addTab(roomJid, roomName, roomType);
-      self.Room.getPane(roomJid, '.message-form').submit(self.Message.submit);
-
-      evtData.element = self.Room.getPane(roomJid);
+        domId: roomId,
+      });
+
+      self.Chat.rooms[roomJid] = roomObject;
+
+      roomObject.addRoomDom('#chat-rooms');
 
       /** Event: candy:view.room.after-add
        * After initialising a room