Insider Solutions

Your Home – Your Preferences

Last week I had a conversation with a client about bringing rituals and ceremony into her home. As we talked she realized we were actually discussing her preferences. Some of those might be daily rituals but most often they were things she preferred doing. We determined it was about the habits she had established—some daily and some less regular that gave her comfort in her own most personal surrounding.

We discussed that now that she had expressed herself in her environment she was ready to bond with what she had created. This bonding takes place every day when you look forward to the special things you do for yourself.

Your preferences heighten your enjoyment of your surroundings. What you do can be peaceful and serene and other times fun and exciting. You decide what your preferences are. Here are some examples:

  • Sitting in your kitchen in the early hours of the morning before any one else is awake is a nice way to start the day. You can have your cup of coffee in a special cup and look out on the patio while reading the paper.
  • Taking your daily vitamins in a beautiful crystal goblet or "funky wine glass is slightly decadent.
  • Having candles around the bath tub is a wonderful way to relax or meditate. I have a glass in my bathroom that only matches my bedroom color (and doesn't match anything else in the house) which I take to bed and swallow my vitamins that are by my bedside in unique containers.

There is no place in the world where you can be more you than in your own home. Your preferences can be expressed as quietly or boldly as you wish. This is the place to create your sanctuary. Don't research sanctuaries in magazines or books but go inside to find your own answers.

All your senses that come into play when creating a personal space. Nurturing yourself promotes healing and when repeated it becomes a habit. I have found a great bonus to the time and effort devoted to creating preferences in your life. When you do your stress level is reduced. Create a true healing environment for yourself by surrounding yourself with some of your favorite things which can be any of the following:

  • Scents—candles, potpourri, essential oils
  • Colors—walls, floors, fabrics, accent pillows
  • Textures—floors, fabrics, carpets
  • Sounds—music, fountains, chimes, door bells, birds
  • Flavors—bowls of favorite your candy, nuts, or fruit in each room

As you make changes in your environment be open to the possibilities. Look inside to see what you need. Trust yourself and your choices. It takes a great deal of honesty to get what you need and want. Interior design is a creative process where there is no right or wrong. "If it feels right, it is right!

Design from the heart and enjoy the outcome. Remember, rooms have no feelings, You do!

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