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Welcome to my room. When I first moved here 11 months ago it was completely empty. I slept on the floor in the corner for two weeks, then I picked up a free couch on craigslist, slept on that for another few weeks, then got a very nice queen bed for you guessed it, zero dollars. As this process went on of continually checking out the free section on craigslist and yard sales, I managed to fully furnish this room for $70. Not too shabby! What I learned as I continued designing was that, for one, I love creating my own space. When the day comes that I move into another place or buy a home I never want it to be furnished. Where is the fun in that? So boring and unoriginal. I want to create my own space, just as I want to create my own life.
One day I had the idea of printing up one hundred of my favorite pictures from my Europe journey and made some good wall art, and this was the result. I love it, and it's fun to look at them and remember the great times. My roommate Anthony and I went cruising around some trails in our backyard and picked up a bunch of rocks. Easily entertained, I put on some music and set up a nice rock tower. The dresser and lamp I picked up for free at a yard sale, and replaced the white lightbulb with an orange l.e.d. light. It emits the perfect amount of an orange glow, like the sun setting.
For the last eight or so months I've been a host on the website couchsurfing.com. It's been so awesome to host people from all over the world. Essentially it's a website where you can either be a host or a couchsurfer anywhere in the world, and in this case, people message me that are passing through town or will be passing through, and then I agree to host them. In most cases, I give up my room so they can have their own private master bedroom and bathroom, and it's been an enriching experience every single time to get to know people, albeit for a short amount of time, from a different culture and area of the world. I started this tradition from the very first person I hosted, where they put a pin up where they are from. As of now I've hosted people from Alaska, California, Texas, Minnesota, Whales, Isle of Man, France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Australia, Japan, and Chile.
On the left some handmade pieces from Turkey I got from a friend. A diffuser & humidifier that changes colors and I can put a few drops of essential oils in to get some nice clean scents going. My favorite is blood orange, cinnamon bark, and ginger. Mmmmm. And well, gotta have Buddha's hand and more rocks for a nice aesthetic touch.
Easily my favorite setup with a bed I've ever had. Laugh if you want, but the couch against one side, and the wall on the other, with the bed low, creates the perfect amount of cozy-ness! I will never have my bed in the middle of my room ever again. On the ceiling is a scarf I got on the last farm I stayed at in Sicily. What's better to look at while daydreaming then little fish's swimming around and turtles hanging out on floating tubes ah ha. Had to throw up a nice yin/yang polar fleece blanket because to this day I'm still so passionate about Chinese tonic herbs and their ideas about the human energy system. Straight ahead is another scarf I got years ago at a meditation store in Salt Lake City, and of course it is purple with creatures on it.
Ear plugs and a sleeping mask placed ever so conveniently
I started sleeping with a mask on months ago and I really love it. The problem is in the morning when the light shines through the window and your brain picks up that it's morning time, it starts releasing certain hormones so your sleep is then disrupted even if you're not aware of it. Also, if you haven't noticed my light bulbs are orange and yellow, rather than the typical white, because at night any white or blue light (phones, computers, etc) disrupts your body's ability to produce melatonin which helps to regulate sleep patterns and circadian rhythms. Put simply, you spend 1/3 of your life sleeping, don't you think it'd be a good idea to optimize that area of your life?
One of my favorites in my room, the psychedelic elephant tree with some stars sprinkled on top for good measure. The light shining through the window creates an awesome effect!
On the right are some frames I made of some pictures I took when I lived up near Seattle, and also one I took in San Francisco.
Completely random ball of colored glass and a piece of a tree ha ha. Why not?
On the top right is a two gallon glass jar with my homemade Kombucha (fermented tea) brewing to blissful perfection.
Some of my favorite artwork ever. Every time I really look I can see something different, as it is with life.
Variety of different plants I've picked up from different hikes and road trips I've been on this year, along with my handmade piece of pottery I made in 10th grade.
Oh yes, the joker and some more joker. My old roommate found that little one randomly on someone's lawn and gave it to me, and the painting in the back my friend got for me in London. I think a part of me has always identified with the joker, maybe it's because he's so different and goes against the social norm. And some Japanese couchsurfers left that origami for me.
A dear friend drew this for me years back. It's perfect.
Two necklaces I bought from an unforgettable man named Nanga in Sicily, when I was on the east coast at a farmers market. The black feather I picked up while walking with a Sicilian family I stayed with in an ancient city literally on a mountain. Good spot for my keys!
Chunks of pure salt from central Utah that purify the air and add a nice energy to any room.
Well, gotta have some lights.
Great spot for my spring water that I collect myself from a local town. With an easy paint job the wood went from boring to forest green.
Some sweet pumpkins I got from the farm I work for, as well as two jars that I have for fermenting vegetables.
Red and green lights for some Christmas vibes all year round baby.
Quality essential oils
More joker, the color purple, and nature of course.
Last but not least, my shower curtain.
Damn, I have one hell of a room.
