Amidst the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced world outside, it’s imperative to have a safe space where you can unwind and relax without any apprehension. For most of us, our personal sanctuaries are just corners in our bedroom where we lazily sprawl across the mattress and scroll through our phones for hours. However, the manifestation of Hira Hyder’s hard work, “Kitaabistaan”– the perfect little chilling room and library area – definitely takes the word “personal sanctuary” to a whole new level.
[1/2] It took three months to fully decorate my ‘Kitaabistaan’ lounge! Read my post from three months ago below to know why all these trinkets are close to my heart.♥️#journalist #dml #humtv #toronto #roomdecor #inspiration #dreamer #believe #mentalhealth #goodvibes pic.twitter.com/roAOAAhDnI
— HiraHyderScribbles (@HiraHyder) July 26, 2019
JUST LOOK AT HOW FRICKIN CUTE EVERYTHING LOOKS.
Am I the only once overcome with this intense urge to lounge around in this quaint little paradise?
Okay, but this room is more put together than my entire life is.
And I’m not even mad about it. I just wanna permanently move in.
Like now.
So, what exactly is the story behind this whole room and why exactly do I find the whole thing seriously impressive? (Other than how it’s obviously so frikkin cute?)
Well, according to Hira Hyder, the creative genius who has termed this little study containing all her treasures, “Kitaabistaan“, the journey leading up to the conception of this room was definitely not easy:
Hira reveals that just two years ago, her family underwent severe financial constraints which required her to drop out of the American University of Sharjah (AUS) and give up on finishing the journalism degree she was extremely passionate about. Instead, she had less than a month to wrap up the apartment she resided in during her college days before she was to return to her home in Canada.
Luckily, Hira was granted a scholarship and managed to graduate with a really high GPA despite the immense pressure she was under. However, she still had to return to Canada upon graduation. So, apart from leaving behind countless beautiful memories in Dubai, Hira also had to physically leave all her cherished belongings in a warehouse in Dubai until her family could afford to ship them to Canada.
Although it was in no way easy, Hira elaborates on how after an anxiety and turmoil filled wait of about two years, she was finally able to ship all 11 boxes to her home through her own hard-earned money.
By hustling between numerous jobs, from tutoring to being a journalist, Hira singlehandedly managed to recover all her prized trinkets on her own and create the magnificent, “Kitaabistaan“.
Can you believe this girl turned this…
…into this magical place?
Tbh, I’m SHOOK.
The bookshelves and all the wall pieces were the only new additions while everything else was from Hira’s collection over the years. In fact, the room even has memorabilia from Hira’s childhood!
An avid book reader (she’s managed to garner a blossoming collection since picking up her first Harry Potter book when she was just six), Hira discloses that despite having been constantly moving back and forth, she’s managed to keep books she’s had since she was a child, in pristine condition during her travels by carefully storing them in cartons that are meticulously labeled, “FRAGILE”.
In fact, it is primarily a love of books that led to the creation of the room.
Hira reveals how her primary source of inspiration to create the arose from Beauty and The Beast. However, unlike Belle, she couldn’t wait for a Beast to show up and ‘give’ her a library; so she created her own!
Surprisingly though, her favorite thing in the room isn’t the plethora of books available but actually her coveted degree in Journalism which reminds her of the struggle she’s been through and inspires her to fight against all odds for her dreams.
An advocate for self-care, Hira shares that she hopes her little crafted corner also inspires other people to create their little space where they can relax and basically focus on what gives them joy and peace of mind.
Even a comfy couch and a simple side table are enough to create a space within the house where one can relax and rejuvenate themselves! According to Hira, one doesn’t need to spend an exorbitant amount of money to decorate their place but rather focus on how much happiness a place can give with the simplest of things due to how meaningful they are.
Do you have any private corners in your house where you go to unwind after a long day? Let me know in the comments below.
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Cover image via @HiraHyder/Twitter