Making Your Room Totally You

Eight years ago, I moved into the room I am currently sitting in. Since then, many things have changed — the posters on my wall, the light fixtures, art cabinets. But in many ways, this is the same old room. Flamingo pink walls with dents from all the thumbtacks I pushed through them. Oakwood floors with paint still splattered on top from when my dad painted my room. A cotton candy blue ceiling because eight-year-old me wanted to look up from bed each night and believe she was staring at the sky.

But now I am moving. Even though my family's new house is only a five-minute drive from where we currently live, I have to package the life I've known into cardboard boxes and stuff it down with bubble wrap.

I've traded my pink walls for a soothing sage green that reminds me of matcha tea. Although I complained to my parents for years about changing the paint color of my current room, I'm going to miss their sassy vibrance. These walls have been the background of my Snapchat streaks since I had my iPhone 5c and have been a reminder for me to keep my head as high as the blue sky above me. But as they say, the only constant thing about life is change. Change is good and fresh, like when you replace a sticky old band-aid with a new one. Change is a fresh start—soap over muddy bathroom tiles.

I’m hoping that my new room will still reflect the same old Sanai and all the updated versions of myself I will become until I eventually move out. In everyday life, society judges us on what we wear, what we eat, where we shop . . . It is so important to have a space where you can take a step back from the grueling weight of the world’s expectations. Everyone should feel like a badass in their bedroom. In a world where the gap of privilege widens every day, we must be grateful for the serenity, joy, and reassurance such a small space can bring.

So, as I pack my bags and head onto my new quaint home, I want to offer you four tips on making your room totally you. No matter how big or small your space is, or if you share it with a snotty-nosed brother or sister, we must never forget to water the seeds of love our rooms can provide.

A Spot on Paint Color

Picking out a paint color is arguably one of the most exciting parts of designing a new room. To guide my journey of landing on the perfect shade, I turned to feng shui. As The Spruce explains, “The philosophy of feng shui is a practice of arranging the pieces in living spaces in order to create balance with the natural world. The goal is to harness energy forces and establish harmony between an individual and their environment.” Deriving from the Chinese philosophy, Taoism, feng shui not only looks at the function of each room in your house but asks you what your intentions are in these spaces. The bedroom is the part of your home most energetically connected to you — from its privacy and intimate setting to the love and relationship it holds for you and your partner. We spend a lot of time resting and recharging in bed, making it easy to absorb the energy around us. Thus, you must be intentional with the colors you use for this area.

Before I get into the benefits of each color, the Five Elements system in Taoism is used to describe how certain aspects of nature interact with each other and seek to stay in balance. The elements — wood, fire, earth, water, and metal, each relate to specific colors, and you use them accordingly to bring each element’s qualities into your life. Use this visual guide for a deeper explanation.

From the wood element, which represents growth, vitality, and new beginnings, you should use blue, greens, and teals to enhance these ideals. We often witness these shades in nature, so they are naturally very healing and soothing. Yellow, brown, and orange are connected to the earth element and aid in grounding, stability, and nourishment. They are outstanding colors for a bedroom, especially if you are prone to anxiety.

If you want to attract wealth and prosperity in your life, use purple. Hailing from the Xun (Wealth) area of the feng shui Bagua map, variants of purple increase feelings of worthiness. Add soothing shades of lavender to your bedroom for even greater balance. Use pink for a nurturing, soft, and feminine vibe. Connected to the Kun (Relationships) area of the feng shui Bagua map, it is helpful for all aspects of the romance world. Peach, in particular, is known to be a pleasing color for attracting a partner. But once you’ve gotten into the relationship, you might want to change up the colors (unless you want your significant other to attract more partners)!

In terms of black and white, black is a part of the water element and is associated with wisdom, social life, and career. Black is an unrealistic choice for the primary paint color of your room, so try placing a piece of black tourmaline under each corner of your bed to help create a grid of protection and absorb any negative energy. White is the blankest of slates, and off-whites and ivories can be a more gentle and soothing way to incorporate white into your areas.

If you can’t re-paint your room, don’t fret. You can still implement the colors you need through pillows, bedsheets, artwork, furniture, and so much more.

You Need Some Posters

I know, I know. Aren’t posters dying? According to Digitalhub, only 7% of teenagers today still have posters on their walls compared to the whopping 79% in the 1990s. Posters are undoubtedly harder to come by — artists no longer sneak these oversized photos into their albums, we are in a post-mall age where trips to Newbury Comics and Hot Topic are rare, and of course, the internet has changed everything. “No one needs a poster on their wall when they are staring at their phone all day,” Chadwick Johnson, a member of the creative team at Manhead Merch, told Vox. “In 2019, your Instagram is your poster. It’s moving, interactive, and you can monetize it.”

Despite the shrug most people have given to the poster world; I say we keep it alive. Since the 1920s, teenagers have been cutting photos of celebrities out of magazines to stick to their walls. Posters are now a quintessential element to teenage rooms around the globe. Teen Bedrooms on Screen provides a gallery of teen bedrooms the movie gods have blessed us with (my favorite is Kat Stratford’s room from 10 Things I Hate About You). So many of us are in a rush to grow up too fast. Instead, why don’t we lean into adolescent stereotypes and fill our walls with oversized glossy photos?

There are still many online shops that sell posters — the obvious one is Amazon. But try to support independent artists who sell prints on Redbubble, Etsy, and Society6. If you have pictures of your own, you can print them out at your local Walgreens (so many photo coupons!). On Pinterest, there are hundreds of photos to download and use (though if the artist sells prints through their shop, consider buying directly from them). Another favorite print site of mine is FedEx. You can go to the flyers section to get posters for cheaper.

As Alexis Michelle writes, “Posters are inherently temporary, and they are also inherently gaudy expressions of fandom — a passion we are culturally expected to grow out of.” The greatest thing about posters is that you can always take them down. My Lilo & Stitch poster might get replaced with a Brokeback Mountain print, and my Blonde canvas art might need to make some room for my new framed Vogue photo of Harry Styles. But when we need these time capsules of childhood again, they will never be far.

A Comfortable Bed Space

As Paris Hilton said: “Every woman should have four pets in her life. A mink in her closet, a jaguar in her garage, a tiger in her bed, and a jackass who pays for everything.” Now, most of us probably don’t have a tiger to cuddle to sleep each night. Nevertheless, we should all feel fierce, comfortable, and confident on our beds.

There are many different types of foundations to sleep on — bunk beds, daybeds, divans, tents, loft beds, you name it. Ever since I was a “tweenager,” I’ve slept in my white twin-size IKEA loft bed. Its structure allows me to fit books, my remote control, pencils, and a bunch of other stuff in its crevices. I can also stack a dozen stuffed animals on the foot of the bed and still have room to breathe.

So, to make your room as comfortable as it can be, follow my homemade acronym: BTSJW — bed sheets, two pillows, stuffed animals, a journal, and water. No one wants to come home to ugly bedsheets! I usually get mine from Target or Urban Outfitters. Of course, you should get seasonal comforters for the holidays too. Now with pillows, I usually have two on my bed, maybe three if I’m feeling lavish. If you struggle with how to format your pillows, here’s a lovely chart to use.

I wrote an article on why everyone needs a stuffed animal in their life, no matter what age they are, and having a few on your bed will make the woes of your day fly away. To add on, everyone needs a journal (check out Unpublished staff writer Rachel Kloepfer’s piece about the power of these entries). I personally have a 5-Minute Journal at my bedside and always start the day with reflection.

Lastly, have a water bottle on your bed in case you get thirsty. I suggest buying a Hydro Flask. Your drinks will never be lukewarm again.

A Workable Desk Area

Last but not least, you should have a sturdy desk to work on in your room. In the previous year, most of us have done online school or worked from home. It's no surprise that we fell into the temptation to work from bed since we are stuck in our rooms all day. But this is highly unhelpful.

Psychotherapist and behavioral sleep medicine therapist Annie Miller explains the reason why we shouldn't work from bed: "When we use our bed for other activities, like working, reading, watching TV, etc., we create an association with wakefulness. We want the bed to be a cue for sleep, and working in bed weakens this association.” Beds are for sleep and intimacy, that's it. Even though it has been hard to separate work and home these last few months, we must try.

That's where desks come in. Luckily I hit the jackpot at an early age because my loft bed came with a desk attached. You can buy desks from numerous furniture stores — both IKEA and Urban Outfitters have a great selection of desks.

Ultimately you know what type of work you do on a day-to-day basis. You might want a desk with a bookshelf latched on top, one with a dozen drawers, or something more simple. This worksurface should benefit your work habits and make you a more organized and productive human. A stress-free life awaits.

Overall, I hope these four tips help you make your room totally you. You deserve it.