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I’ve been thinking alot lately about how important it is to have a place to quiet yourself.  There should be a place such as that for each person that lives in the home.  Some can find it in the quiet corner of their bedroom in a soft and comfy chair.  Other’s need to retreat to a special place created just for them, remember, everyone needs a place where they can get in touch with their feelings and allow time to be still.  Statistics have shown that high academic achievers grow up in homes where t.v. , stereo’s and computers are not blaring and where quiet dinner time gatherings offer conversation with one another.  We need not find silence intimidating, some can hardly function without noise blaring from somewhere!  In the silence our emotions and feelings are allowed to rise to the surface, something we may not want to face.  Is turning on your favorite music louder than ever done during a time you are stressed?  Getting in touch with ourselves will help each and everyone in our home to live a healthier life.  Leading by example is our best teacher.  Healthy homes are not just about materials, but what you do to create a healthy atmosphere for those around you.

I can’t help but think of how the economy right now is causing people to really think about what they need and don’t need, me included.  Basing so much of my design work around what one already has and can create with little, I find the time to be a challenge.  Taking some time to just look around each room and simply taking from what you already have and moving it to another room or removing it all together, can create a new look.  Pictures hung in different places have great potential to bring new life.  Exchanging window treatments for another or letting plants be your covering to an nonprivate place, can be an easy switch to make.  Partnering favorite objects together in new places offers appreciation to often looked over treasures one has almost forgotten were there!   Furniture moved around to different places throughout the home can bring about incredible new looks and often a better flow to the room.   Without having to go buy more things you may think you need, try moving around your space and creating new ideas with the favorites you already have.  Take a twirl around the floor with a new outlook and dance with imagination!!

Just getting back from my early morning brisk walk and all I can think and see is green! With my love for plants, and all their benefits,  I could not help but to pass on easy ways to bring that to your home.   Here is a list of the high scoring plants that have the ability to neutralize different emissions in the air.  They are also easy ones to grow and maintain!  Areca Palm, Lady Palm, Bamboo Plant, Rubber Plant, Dracaena, English Ivy, Dwarf Date Palm, Ficus Alii, Boston Fern, Peace Lily, Corn plant, Golden Photos, Florist’s Mum, Gerbera Daisy and Spider Plants.  Fortunately, most all of these plants are easy to come by.  Enjoying their natural decorating abilities as well as their healthy addition is rewarding to you and your home environment.

Wrap your thoughts around this quote for awhile, “The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.”  And today our lives are surrounded with high prices, it seems between gas and food alone our money is being stretched!  We can learn to readjust our thinking, which will affect our spending and therefore lower the stress and be healthier for you and the environment.  Might just be time to start using those simple cleaning products you can make from what’s in your kitchen to replace the high price and chemical formula’s out there.  Those thrift stores are full of quality name brand clothes that anyone can have fun looking for just the right one.  There is always something in your house that someone else just loves and they would gladly accept it as a gift rather than you buying something you hope they’ll like!  And what about potluck instead of you always feeling the entertainment is up to you again.  Going to the bookstore is a great way to spend an evening without having to buy the book, library cards are much easier on the budget and swapping books with a friend.  Decorating falls right in line too, thrift and consignment shops are times with a friend to hunt for bargains and recycle something into your home instead of buying new.  The list goes on and on and is as creative as you make it.  You feel good, your pocketbook looks good and you paint a good picture for others!    

Since I just finished a 21 day cleanse, I’ve been thinking about the positive results of eliminating problem foods from my diet.  I see the same effects when removing the “problem areas” in the home.  You could easily find the clutter, outdated collections, overstuffed closets, cupboards, and so on fitting in to this catagory.  Taking just one project at a time is the beginning of “positive results.”   You actually feel better, become inspired, and find motivation to keep going!  Not only can you be healthier, but so can your surroundings.  One way I eliminate the unnecessary from piling up is to stop right by my trash can before entering the house and drop off all that junk mail before letting it become a “to do pile.”  Amazing how something so simple gives extra time  for you to enjoy.  Remember, “Your rewards in life are always in direct proportion to your contribution.”  Let the cleanse begin!

How many times have you seen yourself reach for that ”fresh air in a can”, handy plug in air freshner, or maybe a scented candle (chemically produced heavenly smell), surely we’ve all been there or maybe still are.  There are ways you can keep your home healthy and your family and benefit by the results beyond just the smell.  Essential oils are the easiest way to bring that all about, here are just a few simple ways: put a few drops of lemon and pine oil on a cottonball and place in your vacuum cleaner bag, add a few drops of your favorite oil in a spray bottle filled with water and mist the house, dispel  household cooking odors by adding a few drops of clove oil to a simmering pan of water and try placing a few drops of your favorite scent onto a small piece of terry cloth and toss in the dryer, better yet try hanging those clothes outside if possible!  The list is endless, so check back for more ways to keep your home and family healthy.

Organization.   Big word, big job, sometimes we just think it means to go out and buy some of those organizational bins, baskets, shelves and so on to get ourselves organized!  For some things that works, but often we can end up with our surroundings cramped with furniture and containers to hold all our stuff.  My first rule of thumb is to think of less to have to organize.  What if you had 30 minutes to leave your home and you could take anything that would fit in your car.  Remember, you may have family members and pets to squeeze in there too.  What would you take?  I find it interesting how few things really come to mind and how many things I could live without.  This can be a good place to start when it comes to organizing, afterall, the favorite pieces are often those that hold the most meaning to you and you want to have them displayed in your home.  Organization is really all about learning to declutter, letting go of the things we don’t really need and finding a place for those we do.  Try this little exercise, and see if it helps you to begin to see what you could live without.  I can assure you, your space will seem lighter and so will you!

Here are just a few of the simple ways that you can design with your own personal flair.  First of all, store bought bathroom vanities have never been my favorite, not only are they usually made of toxic materials but they aren’t usually real wood either!  Many are just the familiar style that most people feel they need to pick from, well you don’t have to.  Looking around thrift shops, second-hand shops and even yard sales can spark that creative side of you to think again about your choices.  Here we used an old oak sewing machine cabinet ($49) in a small bathroom.  Plenty of storage space inside and it fit the curve of the sink choice beautifully!  Another vanity came to life with 2 old iron legs that helped to keep the open feel wanted in the space.  Iron legs,  $30, not bad, leaves you feeling good about cost and reusing already existing pieces.   One important thing to remember is half the fun is looking for just the right piece.  For me the creative juices get flowing when I’m out and about looking for the life in someone else’s unwanted piece.  You’ll be inspiring that creative side in you! 

Hard to imagine that a garage/workshop could become a retreat on the hilltop, but where there is vision, anything is possible.   

For that is where our current project began and to date we find ourselves nestled among the treetops in an almost completed home full of character, serenity and simple design.  Working with our “green” emphasis and earthly colors throughout, the surroundings really bring nature inside.  Being that we are drawing  to a close on this project and taking you through all the stages would be time consuming, let me share just share a few highlights in our home.  We kept in mind how we would function in this place and with the practicality of an open floor plan we created space with lots of windows, letting nature in.  Earthfriendly flooring (we chose cork this time) continues the warm feel, non-toxic paints in soft colors, slate tiles  and an energy efficeient pellet stove for those cold winter nights.  One of the most enjoyable parts has been the decorating, for that is where my wabi-sabi love comes forth.  A little later this week I’ll be sharing some of my simple design ideas I have created throughout this house. So, stay with me.

It’s the way of wabi-sabi, and it’s my way too!  I’ve enjoyed the wabi-sabi aesthtics for as long as I can remember, I just didn’t have a name for it.  Noticing a book called “the wabi-sabi house”,  I could finally say “that’s me.”  Now I’d like to inspire you with this creative way of decorating your home.  It’s simplicity, serentity, and character will reflect those that live there.  Afterall, your home is your refuge, a place that needs to bring a smile to your face as you say, “it’s me, it’s us, we love it here.”

Please join me, Laurie, and we’ll venture into the many ways to use your life as an inspiration and your home your canvas.