In a Room is a conversation series where we ask our friends to share their favourite domestic spaces. For this edition, we’re joined by illustrator, animator, and character designer HAEIN KIM.
Haein is a Korean‑Australian illustrator and 2D animation director based in Sydney. She co-directed the short film Peepin’ with her partner Paul Rhodes in 2017, which explores the experience of growing up Asian in suburban Australia and was nominated for Best Short Animation at the AACTA Awards . Her work has featured in exhibitions including Teach Me How To Be Human, Tell It How It Is! and her debut international solo show Pain 2 Power in Edinburgh . As a multidisciplinary creator, she seamlessly moves between commercial clients (MTV, Uniqlo, WeTransfer) and her personal fine art practice, bringing honesty, warmth, and wild expression to depictions of women, everyday moments, and emotional nuance .
In this edition, Haein invites us into the warm glow of her living room—her gateway for work, meals, reading, and quiet company with her partner—and into memories of a childhood bedroom shaped by constant rearrangement. She reflects on the lighting that makes a room feel inviting, the rooms she avoids in winter, and her long-held fantasy of cherry pie and coffee at the Double R Diner.
Haein Kim
Which room are you in today?
My living room. It’s the warmest room in the house and where I spend most of my time.
Which room is the heart of your home?
Again, my living room. It’s where I eat, work, relax, read books, listen to music, and spend the most time. There’s a big yellow lamp that’s on during all waking hours, giving the room a warm, inviting glow. It’s where all my lovely books live, where I watch movies on a rinky-dink projector, and where I’m almost always within arm’s reach of my fiancé and collaborator, Paul Rhodes.
Is there a room from your past that has stayed with you?
Probably my childhood bedroom. I’ve always been particular about my spaces, and it was the first one that was entirely my own. I was always experimenting with layout and décor, trying to have the space reflect my ever-changing self.
What makes a room feel like home and not just a space?
You need warm, soft lighting, fresh flowers, and comforting things around you. A room becomes a home when it feels inviting.
Selected Works by Haein Kim
What sort of rooms do you try and avoid?
Cold rooms — especially now, in the middle of winter. Even though the biggest room in my home is my studio space, I’ve barely spent more than 10 minutes a day in there lately, as it also happens to be the coldest room in the house.This convent room at night! Starts to feel a bit spooky after dusk falls.
Is there a kind of room you’re always drawn to?
Living/dining rooms are the best kinds of rooms because they’re where you can sit, eat, do puzzles, watch movies, play cards, and enjoy the company of loved ones.
What is your all time favourite room?
I’ve always wanted to visit the diner in Twin Peaks to try the cherry pie and coffee.
Double R Diner, Twin Peaks
