Practicing The Holistic Design Lifestyle
The basis of the Holistic Design Lifestyle is that one’s unique Internal Design informs a home's Interior Design. What makes you YOU, is exactly what will make your home yours. Interior design can be executed all at once, or broken down into smaller projects. The way that we live in, maintain and evolve the initial design is what makes Holistic Design a lifestyle. As we change and evolve, our home design changes and evolves with us. As our eternal landscape shifts, our surroundings shift with us.
In my experience, one of the most important parts of the design process is knowing and accepting who you truly are, and making design choices accordingly.
Sometimes we love design that isn’t practical for the reality of who we are and how we live. We have to be honest and realistic about our personality, tendencies, habits and lifestyle. Marble in a kitchen is beautiful, but can you embrace it when it becomes etched and stained? Or will you be obsessive and neurotic about avoiding stains and etching, driving your family members crazy? The goal is for our design choices to bring out the best in ourselves for those we love.
The core question before going any further is: can you see and accept yourself and your reality enough to validate it with your design choices?
Principles for living the Holistic Design Lifestyle:
Here are some practical steps to begin making adjustments to your home in order to feel more aligned and supported within your space.
1: Know yourself. Accept the truth of who you are and make all your design decisions based on the acceptance of your true self. Be realistic about your budget, your lifestyle, your personality and the personality of others who live in your space.
2: Invest in who you are today. Do not invest in design that is aligned with a fantasy of who you are, or based on an ideal of who you want to be in the future. Refer to Principle 1 - ACCEPT THE TRUTH OF YOUR UNIQUE YOUNESS.
3: Trust yourself. Trust your likes and dislikes. Even if you are unsure of WHY you like or dislike something, trust that. Although there are tried and true design principles that professional designers are trained to understand, design is subjective. That is what makes it both fun and challenging. Honoring your preferences will ensure that your space ends up looking like you.
4: Look in your closet. Not sure where to start? Go to your closet and notice the colors, patterns and textures. Sometimes it can be surprising to discover how much of a color is present. If you like something ON you, you will like it AROUND you as well.
5: Leverage color vibration. The right color choices can help regulate mood, increase focus and improve sleep quality. Calming neutrals, blues and greens create a peaceful atmosphere whereas bright and bold colors can create energy and excitement. Ask yourself not only what color you like, but what color do you need?
6: Clean up the clutter. You must must must clean out the clutter. I know this task is more difficult for some people than others, but visual clutter jams our circuits. It represents and creates chaotic energy. Chaotic energy makes us feel anxious and stressed. Stress and anxiety are the biggest blockers of creativity.
7. Create systems: After you declutter, create systems that help avoid “clutter creep.” Bins and trays can provide a temporary home for things like mail and papers to file. When they are full, it’s time to empty them. This keeps us in a rhythm with the items and tasks we don’t enjoy doing. You don’t have to do it everyday, but you do have to do it when there is no more room.
8. Measure again: Carpenters say “Measure twice, cut once.” When it comes to interior design I say, “measure three times, and then tape it on the floor.” This can really help you to visualize if a new piece of furniture will be the right proportions for your space.
9. Furniture planning: Create clear pathways between furniture and entering passageways. Make sure there are no awkward spaces or clutter interfering with how people move through a space. Having enough space to move around creates a sense of ease. Having to contort your position or move a piece of furniture everytime you pass by, creates underlying frustration. Symmetrical furniture plans promote feelings of balance, tradition and stability while asymmetrical ones are more casual and embrace a sense of unpredictability.
10. Check your lighting: Maximize natural light, as it is superior to any artificial light as it improves mood and enhances productivity. Task lighting, such as desk lamps or under cabinet lighting, can improve focus and reduce eye strain. Dimmable lighting can help to regulate our circadian rhythms and create a more relaxed atmosphere in the evenings.
Bringing nature into the creation of Intentional spaces
11. Include nature: Our early ancestors lived outdoors with little separating them from nature. Their feet were on the earth and they were surrounded by the elements. As our lives have become more insulated we have gained comfort, but lost connection. When we bring flowers and plants into the home we gain a small but effective dose of nature which has a calming effect on the nervous system.
12. Intentional Spaces: Carve out small areas throughout your home and transform them with arrangements of meaningful items. Creating small but intentional spaces throughout the home is a powerful way to create coherence and visual appeal, by leveraging the power of positive memories and associations. Intentional spaces are not only pleasing to the eye, they create a subconscious safety net that connects us to ourselves, reminding us where we have come from and who we are in the present moment.
Interior design can be leveraged to create spaces that promote physical and mental health, reduce stress and enhance overall wellbeing. I hope these principles are helpful in guiding you towards achieving more supportive environments at home, helping you to reduce stress and achieve a greater sense of balance and harmony.
Wishing you a month of inspired design – until next time!
As a holistic Designer and Consultant I help my clients navigate the design process in the way that suits them. From concept to completion and all the stages in between, my goal is to help my clients achieve beautiful design that gives back to them.
To see more about my offerings and design packages visit Tailer Made Designs. For more content check out my Blog and follow me on Instagram
