I’m one of those people who like to have a peek into other people’s living space. It’s fascinating to see how people’s personalities reflected in the decor, as much as it’s delightful to find inspiration in the way people spruce up their home in ways I could never think of.

And so, I’ll share a little peek into my favorite room in the house, the space I affectionately call ‘the lair’. I like to think this is where I hatch plans to take over the world, so that’s how it got its name *cue evil laugh*.

Having a room just for myself is such a luxury that I hadn’t had in a while. After a series of apartments with limited space, we were finally able to find one that’s bigger than a shoebox. And bonus: there’s a room for each of us (H & me) where we can do whatever we want.

The room I’ve chosen for my lair is a small, L-shaped room with a slanted ceiling. It’s tiny to begin with, and the slanted ceiling cuts 1/3 of the area that I can actually use, but I’m fine with that. I love that it adds character to the room.

At 100 SEK, this rug is a bargain. But if I wanted to splurge a little bit, I’d definitely pick something lighter and more colorful like this, this, or this.

I love everything about this room. It’s a perfect size, and from my desk, I can see a little bit of greenery outside. The room is fitted with one big window, and next to it, a door to a huge balcony. It’s still too cold to hang out there, but I’m already dreaming of the summer when I can read my book with a bottle of cold cider. For now, I’m happy just to look at it through the window. At night, I like to lower the light in the lair to enjoy the view of the string of lights outside.

On the windowsill: electric candle and cactus pots from IKEA, and Norrlands Guld ljus bottle that I cleaned and now use for decoration 😉

The only problem I have with this room is the horrendous wallpaper that the landlady put just before we moved in (thank goodness it’s only on one side of the room). I’ve tried to cover it as much as I can with a wardrobe, a shelf, and 2 pieces of artwork, and it’s a bit better now.

These two pieces of artwork are some of my favorites. On the left is an illustrated map of London (my dream city) by Livi Gosling, and on the right is a sketch by a street painter at Rembrandtplein, Amsterdam. I wanted a souvenir from my first ever solo trip back in 2012, and for €10, it’s totally worth it (especially after seeing the result). It’s become my most prized possession, and I always get a pang of nostalgia whenever I look at that.

One of the things that I’m most proud of is that we managed to fill & decorate almost the entire place with furniture that is either; 1) bought secondhand, 2) given to us for free, or 3) provided with the house. We bought maybe only 3 pieces of brand new furniture, and as renters, we’re fine with that. In my lair, the only thing that was brand new is the 2×2 IKEA shelf (bought about 6 months ago when we moved into the previous place). The tall shelf, desk, chair, lamps, and rug were bought secondhand, while the wardrobe came with the house.

This space is quintessentially mine, and everyone who’s been to this room says it’s ‘very Dixie’, whatever that means. I think it’s because my choice of accessories and decor pieces speak volumes about my personality.

Things on the shelf: pink pot from IKEA, ‘Let’s Party’ jar from a charity shop (used to save all the Poundsterling bills H’s parents give us for birthdays, Christmas, etc.), scented candle from Lagerhaus, a hedgehog frame from my friend Maša (the one in frame with me), a dragonfly accessory box bought in Rhayader (where H’s parents used to live), a Spanish dancer art (souvenir from my sister, from her trip to southern Spain), owl artwork by LoopyLolly (bought on Etsy), and a tray of shells because they remind me of my hometown Sumbawa (wooden tray bought in a charity shop, shells collected from a beach on Galterö Island).

On my desk: Polaroid board from Flying Tiger, white frame from IKEA, pencil holder is actually a broken mug from ONGO, and accessory box from a takeaway box.

If I had to describe my lair in 3 words, it would be: personal, playful, and cozy. I’ve decorated it with little things that mean something to me, be it shells that I beachcombed or keepsakes from my travel, and it’s great to see pieces of stories from years ago in this room.

With furniture, I didn’t have much expectation as I was just trying to use whatever we had so we didn’t have to buy new ones. As I love nothing more than a good bargain, it’s so satisfying to see this room transformed into a cozy corner on a very small budget. It’s safe to say I’m pleased with how this turned out.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little peek into my lair! 🙂