Why is my room filled with plants, books, coffee and food? Why is there a guitar and a coffee machine on the same desk? Why does your rug look like grass? Because it’s MY ROOM. Living in Zimbabwe taught me a lot about ownership, in a way that the UK could never…
I was born and raised in London. Thanks to my grandparents, I had access to a garden where raspberries, gooseberries, grapes, kale, corn, and tomatoes grew. I thought that was the biggest thing ever. There was so much going on in what I had thought was a massive space. When I got to Zimbabwe and I realised I would be staying for longer than 6 weeks, my eyes opened. My grandparents’ farm wasn’t just a location for my summer holidays anymore. It wasn’t just a big house surrounded by beautiful pieces of land glued together by a stream. It was more than just an endless supply of road runners and spinach. It was home.
I had the privilege of living with my grandparents in the mountains or “kuGomo,” as we call it. Gomo is the most perfect place on Earth. My grandparents can do whatever they like with their land. Over the years, I’ve watched them choose to plant different crops, rear different animals, experiment with different seeds and improvise with what nature has to offer. And the beauty of living on a farm is that even when we try to arrange nature how we’d like it to appear, it has a way of taking its own course.
My grandparents draw from their own experiences, but the difference is that they don’t do it with the complexities of conforming to any particular aesthetic, or a particular audience. To me, they just are. Being able to witness this changed my perspective of the one physical space I was able to FULLY take up: my room.
Before deciding to write this article, I hadn’t fully realised what makes my room my room. I just saw it as putting the things I like together in a way that looks good but also allows me to function. I knew there were common elements like plants, posters and books but I never knew why. I simply thought it looked good. Whilst appearance plays a big part in what makes my room my room: it’s a lot more than just visual which comes into play. Let’s get into it.
Touch
Last month I got a rug. I bought it because I thought it resembled grass, and green is my favourite colour and I love the outdoors… but my rug does more than that. My rug appeals to my sense of touch. I lie on it, I sit on it, I walk on it, I’ve passed out on it. Regular stuff. I’m no rug expert, but I’ve noticed that my rug gives my room some character whilst also speaking to mine. My plants also add tactile variation to my room. I use artificial vines and real potted plants. Occasionally, I have flowers which brighten up the space and remind me that I’m just a girl.
When I first got to Gomo my room was carpeted. After some careful persuasion, I convinced Mbuya to allow me to remove it. My life changed. My room was brighter and felt more spacious. It was freeing. This is your sign to experiment with texture in your room and see how it affects your space visually AND stimulates your sense of touch. Thank me later.
Sound
My room is never quiet. Right now, it’s the sound of the keyboard, other times it’s the sound of a TV Show, occasionally my trumpet fills the space but most of the time music plays. I don’t think I need to say much about how music affects a mood, you’ve probably felt it before. Sound can transform my room from a rainforest to a mosh pit to a jazz club. When I’m on the phone catching up with my bestie it feels like a podcast studio. I’m sure we’ve all experienced how music can affect our emotions, so I won’t talk about that. I’ve recently noticed how different audio equipment can affect my space.
Where does your sound come from? Is it a speaker that allows you to get lost in the music? Is it a vinyl player that allows you to appreciate a full record? Is it a pair of headphones that allow you to disconnect for a while? Does everything play on full blast or is it quiet? Sound matters.
Smell
Every room has its own smell. Mine happens to smell good which in turn makes me feel good. No space smells like my space. I leave the smell of the dirty big bad world at the door and I am immediately greeted with the warmest of hugs. Everyone deserves that. Sometimes, my room smells like incense and when I’m getting ready, it smells like perfume. The smell of coffee fills my room after I’ve used my coffee machine (Nespresso please sponsor me) and I’m not complaining. I’ve also used candles and reed diffusers, do what works for you.
Taste
Can you taste a room? If I were you, I would NOT lick that chair. Let’s stick to actual food. You may not eat in your room, but I do. In addition to my coffee station, I have a shelf with coconut water, fruit and other snacks (myself not included). I think the food you have in your room says a lot about you. Maybe you have a collection of wine bottles, a supply of Coke, or a jar of cookies. Since I’ve had a fruit bowl, I’ve considered changing my name to Bella Hadid. Being able to SEE fruit has encouraged me to eat healthier. Now that I live alone, I don’t have to hide my snacks from my older brother. I feel liberated. Comment what edible elements make up your room below!!!
Sight
Smell, Sound, Taste and Touch: What does that look like? Feel free to hang your rug on your wall and stick your carafe on the ceiling. Do what works for you. I went to boarding school and now I’m in halls at university. The difference is MAJOR. I definitely have more freedom to customise my room now, but both are spaces I’ve lived in for long periods. A day of decorating for a few months of comfort sounds good to me.
Boarding school taught me the effect that organising objects can have in a space. I wasn’t able to purchase new books or add plants to my space, I had to learn to make do with what I had from the beginning of term, until the end of term. That would mean finding new ways to organise my locker: using size, colour, alphabetical order, etc. Sometimes arranging objects a certain way wasn’t functional so I had to learn to balance visually pleasing with functionality.
More recently, I’ve had to move coffee machine away from my workspace on my desk. It has allowed me to be more focused and made my desk area feel decluttered while giving the coffee machine a home where it can be used and appreciated more. I made space for something that interests me, which not only makes for a conversation starter, but works for me daily.
Make time to clean your space. Watching my grandparents on the farm has taught me that part of ownership is appreciation. When there was nothing to do in the garden growing up, there was always something to do: WEEDING. I hated it but grew to love it because I saw how the little things made a big impact visually. I wish it hadn’t taken me 10 years to relate this to my room. I’ve noticed how one dirty cup can change the appearance of a room and how that can affect my mood. It’s THAT deep.
The End
I’m currently learning how to take up space outside of the 4 walls I live in. If you’ve gotten this far, thank you for allowing me to take up space on the internet with my words. Tell me about your experiences with your rooms below!!!
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