when i lived in new york, female friends used to come to my place for the evening, and call it “spa kening.” since settling into my new apartment in berlin, I’ve been obsessed with nesting — but not with buying furniture or things to fill the room with. instead, I focus on the minimalist things I can do to create a mood or feeling that I want to be wrapped in — a intentional sense of ambience.

what is the feeling? I followed my intuition, but in retrospect, I think I wanted my room to feel:

spacious, but cocooning
airy, but warm
minimalist, but dense
clean, but inviting
calm, but rich

I moved into this apartment with very little — just one suitcase and a backpack. it was furnished with a bed, a basic clothing shelf, and a desk/chair (which I now use for storage). I spent 200 euros furnishing it. here are the elements I focused on, in order —

soft, warm lighting — the first evening I moved in, when I had nothing, I bought a pack of basic candles from the drugstore, and a lighter, and put them on jar lids around the room. using the fluorescent overhead lighting is simply out of the question. no.
a plant kingdom - this is where most of my money went. that weekend, I spent 100 euros buying 15 plants (yes, 15). they made a world’s worth of difference — to have living things in the same space as you, to feel connected to the earth and life energy that is a green growing thing, and to be committed to watering them (and yourself) daily.
cocooning bedding — there is nothing like coziness you feel when you’re in bed, and for me, this means to physically create the feeling of a cocoon for the body. there was a thin duvet here already, but then I borrowed a winter duvet, a pillow, and a patterned blanket from a friend. I wake up in a mountain of my own warmth.
colors / textile pattern - I bought a very cheap blanket-rug that doesn’t add any padding to the floor, but adds color to the otherwise minimalist space.
a microenvironment for working - since living in Japan, I now prefer to sit and work on the ground, so I bought a floor (coffee) table for 75 euros, and feel absolutely in love with it.
accents of magic & beauty - like stones, or a single flower in a glass jar, or things I create with my hands (like a jewelry hanger, made from a stick I picked up in an italian forest)

UPCOMING PROJECTS

handmade lamp/lighting - I bought a lightbulb and fixture from the hardware store, and I will use twine to create my own lamp shade — I love the metaphorical meaning of this.
scent - another upcoming project is to search for room scents from herbs and essential oils to create atmosphere.

that’s all for now, but I’m sure there’s more.

I think this list is the extended/nesting version of this post I wrote when I quarantined myself in an airbnb in Japan — about creating a sense of home anywhere. so here is my before and after, since we like those…

creating a nest ambience