4 Steps to Designing a Dwelling That Feels Authentically You

Over the previous couple of years, I’ve come to consider designing my residence as a key element to my total wellness (if it feels like a stretch, stick with me.) By crafting a house that displays what’s significant to every of us, we will create an power that empowers us to stay extra authentically, joyfully, and carefree. It doesn’t occur abruptly—designing a house that we really love takes time. Once we be taught to make design choices which can be rooted in how we need to stay and really feel after we’re at residence, our bodily environment could be a highly effective catalyst for our total well-being.

Since spring is bursting with clear slate power, it seems like the proper time to carry extra intention to the objects I stay with every day. As timber burst into bloom and the solar imbues a contemporary gentle to every thing round me, I’ve contemporary eyes to take a look at my residence and take inventory of how nicely it’s supporting the life I need to stay.

For at the moment’s put up, I teamed up with Woven, one in all my favourite manufacturers for its pure supplies and thoughtfully-crafted designs. As their website reads, “House is someplace between a spot and a sense,” and I couldn’t agree extra. Learn on for a couple of methods to make your residence really feel expansive, joyful, and uniquely you.

Write Down Your Values

Home is so much more than the way a room looks. For me, home is the unmistakable comfort of climbing into my own bed after being away for a few days. It’s a sigh of relief, the hug of a soft blanket, an invitation to let my guard down and just be myself.

As our family prepares to start renovating our beach house, I’ve been thinking about how to infuse this sense of warmth and comfort into every detail of our plans.

I have a deep desire to live more abundantly with less stuff, and to discover more simplicity and openness in all aspects of life. I know that I want to be surrounded by natural elements, and to create cozy intimate spaces that support meaningful conversation.

Once I defined that my priority for my home is to create authentic, unhurried experiences with the people I love, it informed so many of my design decisions. If you’re just beginning your own journey of defining your own at-home values, here are a few prompts for self-reflection to get you started:

  • When I’m at home, I want to feel…
  • I feel calm when…
  • My life feels meaningful when…
  • The colors that I connect with most are…

Nature Is the Greatest Inspiration

We all instinctively respond to the beauty of nature. The sound of the ocean or a river has been proven to change our brain waves’ frequency and put us in a more meditative state. Being in a forest activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which makes us more relaxed. 

In my at-home spaces, I’m always looking for ways to harness these wellness-boosting cues by choosing pieces for the house that bring the outside in. I usually stick to an earthy color palette that recalls the beaches and mountains that always make me feel more at peace, and I incorporate as many natural materials as possible–raw clay tile in the bathrooms, woven light fixtures, rattan furniture pieces, and wood cabinetry to create a beautifully textured effect.

One of the best ways to surround ourselves with nature every day is to incorporate furniture that’s made of natural materials. Here are some of my favorites:

Rattan

Rattan has been used for centuries and is a completely sustainable and environmentally friendly material—it can be fully grown and harvested within two years (compared to other hardwoods which can take up to 20 – 30 years.)

Wicker

Wicker is definitely the oldest recognized technique of constructing furnishings, relationship again to the Egyptians! It’s a strategy of weaving that may be produced from any pure materials, typically rattan, bamboo, or willow.

Water Hyacinth

I like this coffee table from Woven that pays homage to the indigenous roots, artisanal strategies, and distinctive type that emerged by means of the buying and selling routes of Sante Fe. And, it’s woven by hand from water hyacinth, an extremely sustainable materials that’s utilized by artisans around the globe.

An Plentiful Life Is Usually Constructed on Much less

A minimalist aesthetic doesn’t imply it has to really feel chilly or spare—my design method relies on “heat minimalism” that comes with numerous texture and materiality to make a house really feel cozy. I’ve discovered that when I’ve much less stuff, I typically uncover extra pleasure within the issues I do have. It’s an method that’s not constructed on traits; slightly it’s slowly constructing a set of items that talk to you, being considerate about every of your purchases. Listed here are a couple of traits that outline this extra natural method to minimalist design:

Much less litter

Filter out the stuff you by no means use or that don’t spark pleasure. It’s superb how somewhat decluttering makes an area really feel extra expansive.

Restore or repurpose what you’ll be able to.

There’s a sure pleasure that comes from giving an outdated piece new life. As a substitute of instantly discarding an outdated or damaged merchandise, ask your self if it may be repaired, displayed, or utilized in an sudden means. The fantastic thing about classic items is rooted in repurposing one thing outdated to carry life and soul into a more recent area.

Lean into pure earth tones

After I first began my own residence adorning journey, I at all times heard that it is best to add a “pop of colour” to each area. I obediently adopted the rule, however then observed that the pop of colour at all times ended up unsettling me. I’d transfer round that pink pillow or blue vase till lastly, I gave up and put it away in a closet. As soon as I embraced the truth that I really feel most comfortable surrounded by pure hues, my residence felt a lot extra like me. A pure linen sofa, woven rattan chair, an all-white mattress—they really feel like a breath of contemporary air and permit me to essentially loosen up in an area.

Embrace the Imperfect

The belief that our houses are ever-changing and by no means “finished” relieves the strain of constructing every thing excellent from day one. I’d slightly slowly select the items that talk to me, even when which means leaving somewhat respiration area in among the rooms till I discover that just-right chair or piece of artwork. It’s not about impressing anybody, slightly it’s in regards to the nice dialog and the richness of life after we really feel aligned with our genuine selves.

The Japanese idea of wabi-sabi is about celebrating the imperfect—discovering magnificence within the sudden, and taking note of the small wonders that we encounter on a regular basis (after we’re not too busy to note.) Usually, it’s simply anticipating these items that make my coronary heart beat somewhat quicker. It could possibly be a fantastically rumpled linen serviette, or an unlacquered brass faucet that will get higher with age. It’s these juxtapositions of latest with outdated, polished with uncooked, easy with tough that provides a house its soul.

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This values-first method to creating my residence has helped me reprioritize the issues I buy, letting go of the “guidelines” I as soon as adopted and as an alternative placing consolation and connection on the middle. As a substitute of simply one other Pinterest-worthy area, my bed room has turn into my sanctuary, the eating desk a spot for real-life connection. It’s a journey that I do know will hold evolving, similar to me.