Well, you know how the rest goes, right? When we are spending more time indoors, it is important for our sanity to create spaces where we can escape to dream, journal, plan and just relax. It's "cozy" season when we are meant to enjoy the indoors and rejuvenate our minds and bodies. While bears are hibernating, we are too in a sense. I don't like to wish one day away - well, because we don't know how many days we get so why not enjoy those cold days in the house? I like to enjoy cozy season with candles that calm my senses or invigorate me depending upon what I am doing. If you don't have a fireplace, candles are a great alternative for creating that glow of a fire. I also use a lot of lighting to create the sense of calm that I desire in the winter. I don't use overhead lighting much unless I need it for a task. Rather, I use uplighting in my plants, table lamps and under counter lighting to create a warm mood. It really does make a difference when natural lighting isn't as bright as it is in the summer. Our cozy season also includes a lot of throw blankets and pillows in spots that would otherwise not need them. I don't like to rely just on the couch and I like to make other spots look just as inviting. Even the dining room table looks differently during the winter months as my family rotates a new puzzle as one gets completed. The puzzle brings life and conversation into a room that isn't used very much and it provides a great break from the television. I also place magazines and puzzles books on the side tables so that family and guests can easily grab them. The kitchen counters are bare as the Christmas Santas are long packed away but the cabinets are full of hot chocolate supplies and tea ready to make any evening a special treat. I also add additional throw rugs around the house because no one likes a cold floor and the soft texture is pleasing to my bare feet. A warm bath is also a great way to take care of yourself during your human hibernation. Grab some bath salts, lemon water and relax your bodies in that warm water followed by a soft robe and cup of hot chamomile tea. Enjoy cozy season. Read that book. Plan your next project. You deserve the break. Make sure that your house is ready for you.
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Until I went to interior design school, I never considered drawing and measuring my outdoor space. Sure, we have plenty of areas to entertain and to sit outside but was I using the space to its full potential. Was the furniture arranged in the best manner? Did the colors look inviting yet maintain functionality? Could it be better??
Of course, once I spent more time drawing and planning out the space, I found some things that I wanted to change. I stopped the spontaneous purchases from Target and Home Goods. I had a list. Everything had a function. No more wasting money. No more purchasing things and finding a place for it later. This mentality has resulted in less clutter in my home. I applied this mentality to the inside of my home years ago and I have been happy with the ease of management of our "stuff." We do a lot of entertaining outside over the summer and so far, I am happy with the changes that have been implemented outside. Of course outside purchases have to take into consideration the durability, the resistance of fading, being waterproof, and maintenance. I just ordered a new sectional... stay tuned for pictures after it is delivered. I can't wait to share some of my secrets in detail! It is the time of year when many set goals and seek to organize their lives. Achieving a clear direction and path to attaining those goals may begin right at home. Today's hectic lifestyles may have you desiring a calm oasis, sanctuary, and a place of respite from the demands of the outside world.
The Zen style of design is both minimalist and elegant. Everything in the home is meant to calm the spirit and the eye. According to Wikipedia, Zen is a style of Buddhist spiritual practice. It is sometimes called a 'teaching' or a 'philosophy', but its core is the practice. The word 'Zen' is Japanese, and the first Zen teachers that came to the West were Japanese. But the practice originated in China, about 1500 years ago. How do you achieve a Zen style? 1. Zen spaces have no clutter. If you are a collector of things, Zen is not the style for you; rather, it is the aim of Zen to let go of the attachments. Get rid of what you don't need and even reconsider things you think you need. Think about essentials only. 2. The softer, neutral color schemes are very Zen. Bright colors may take away from the overall calm of a room. 3. When it comes to furniture, it should be of high quality and made of neutral materials. Zen style furniture is characterized by simple lines, avoiding ornamentation. 4. Accessories should be minimal and pleasing to the senses. A homemade linen spray, soy or beeswax candles, and essential oils are all natural ways to enhance your room. The sound of water, smooth stones and soft fabrics are also ways to stimulate and relax your senses. Plants, such as bamboo, have a calming effect and provide oxygen to any room. 5. Zen designers utilize natural light as much as possible. This can be achieved by using only simple, light weight window treatments. Recessed lighting is preferred over bright fluorescent overhead lighting. Placing different sources of light allows one to control intensity and areas to be lit. Does practicing Zen within your home sound appealing? Do you wish to declutter your home and remove 'noise'? Some of the ways that I try to practice Zen in my home are
I love to look around our home for many reasons but one of the biggest is that I can look around and find something that can bring myself back to a place that we have traveled or a special memory that we shared. In the powder room, there is a large iron window grill hanging on the wall that I found while on a work trip to Philadelphia. Sitting in my office is a glass container layered with rocks that we collected on trips. Each layer is marked with the place where we found the rocks and the date. Sometimes those special pieces in your house don't quite look right, don't match the current trends but they just fit. They fit into what makes your house your home. They are those things that make you smile. They are things that you can't replace quickly or easily at the local Home Goods.
I like to apply this same mindset to every space that I design. I like to help clients place those "memory pieces" throughout their home and learn to embrace and love their presence. I often ask clients to invite me into their storage space where I can look for treasures to display, or things that I can repurpose or reuse. Let's take for example a seashell from the beach where one of my client's honeymooned. It looks great on their wall unit bookshelves and hopefully makes them smile when they look at it and brings them back to that beach from twenty five years ago even for a minute. So, please don't look at me funny when I ask you to invite me into your storage closet. You never know what I might find. |
AuthorI love everything decorating and design. I am one of those people that can't sit still and I am always looking for my next project at my house or someone else's. My husband shakes his head when he sees me with a paint brush in my hand. Here, I will share some of my adventures with you! Archives
January 2022
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