Nest: Nour Hassaïne

“The Store” cafe in London [Diandra Elmira]

Imagine this. You wake up one morning and the sky seems grey but your bed is warm. There’s a smell of coffee in the air. Your favourite blouse has a fresh scent. The bus ride is smooth. And lastly, your favourite spot by the massive window is free. It is a perfect day to create.

Nest, episode one, drops you right into the 20-year-old writer, Nour Hassaïne’s world. One early afternoon in October, I got to meet her for a walk that led us right into a jungle.

Nestled in Central London, surrounded by the busiest streets and loudest urban noises, you could never imagine that a building in renovation would host the writer’s unique hideout, just one elevator ride away.

The home of Dazed Media, Nowness, and much more is also the hard shell protecting a green paradise. At level one of 180 of The Strand, you can find The Store, a big wide room decorated with wild plants and wooden furniture. On one side, a café, on the other, a massive window. In the middle, Nour’s nest.

Nour Hassaine is a journalist and photographer who owns enough different shades of red lipstick to match every occasion. You can probably find her wandering around London with her analogue Nikon camera or writing in her notebook in cafés like The Store, but in the meantime, you can say hi to her on Instagram at @everythingart1998.

Featured image courtesy of Diandra Elmira.