By Ruby Sahota
Usually, the first emotion washing over students returning for another year of school is dread. That was definitely the case for me as the summer started to draw to an end and I knew going to school was inevitable. The only thing keeping me going was the fact that, during the school year, I don’t live at home and I can redecorate my room!
During my first year of living in downtown Toronto I was very unhappy, and part of that was my own fault. I didn’t make my apartment my home. My room was very basic; all I had was a bed, a desk and chair, and a makeshift vanity to do my hair and makeup. I didn’t have a closet and I was living out of baskets. I hated being away from home and my family, and I definitely didn’t make an effort to adjusting to Toronto living as I came home every weekend.
Going into second year, I knew that had to change. It was crazy that I didn’t make any effort despite living in downtown Toronto! The possibilities are endless here and I did not make the best of my situation.
Towards the end of the summer, I went shopping for my bedroom. My bedroom is a den in the apartment that I live in with my roommates, so unfortunately I don’t have any windows. I didn’t realize how depressing it can be not having a window. My dark room led to me listening to sad music and thinking about all the negative aspects of my life.
I recently read an article by Mental Floss explaining how good lighting in your room can influence your mood. The article opens by saying that “lighting is more important than it might seem,” and I couldn’t agree more. First year, all I had was a lamp and the main lights on my ceiling. Second year, I got candles, added fairy lights to the ceiling, and I added borders of lights to a picture I made and around my mirror. That definitely made me feel better. It made my bedroom look less plain and created mood lighting, which can improve your sleep make your home cozier, according to Mental Floss. I did just that! You can also add accent lighting to highlight your favourite parts of your room.
The pictures above are from my bedroom in Toronto. I added fairy lights to the ceiling and around my favourite art piece I made. I also added coloured lights to my mirror!
Adding posters can also help to make your room your own. Looking at things you like helps to boost your mind — that’s what I find at least. I put up a poster, The Kiss painted by Gustav Klimt, and a Freddie Mercury poster!
The last thing I did to make my room more pleasant to stay in was change my bedsheets. I also added a huge fluffy pillow with a matching throw, for a makeshift nook. I always found that buying new things makes me happy; as materialistic as it may sound, but it’s nice to buy things and do with it what you please. I bought my duvet set, pillow and throw from JYSK!
Another thing to keep in mind is feng shui: the Japanese philosophy that states that the arrangement of your furniture can impact your mood and emotions. According to Dig This Design, feng shui ensures that there’s “harmony in your rooms so that you are able to harmonize with your surrounding environment.” Changing around your room arrangement on a regular basis or whenever you seem to be in a funk with your surroundings can change the energy in your room, which leads to energizing and refreshing you.
Your room is your own personal space and it’s important that you feel comfortable in it. Next time you’re feeling down, keep these design tips in mind! Feeling better could be as simple as rearranging the pillows