Make Your Home Your Sanctuary

If this lockdown has taught us anything, it’s that our homes affect our moods and our moods affect almost every single aspect of our lives. Where you wake up in the morning can impact how your day goes and what you come back to should ignite feelings of calm, tranquility and pleasure. Our homes should be our sanctuaries, and the one place in the world where we can feel completely ourselves. It takes a financial and time investment to make this happen but you deserve it and the best things in life come with sacrifice. Here are my tips on how to make your home a beautiful and inviting space that you rarely want to leave.

A very inviting and cosy bed. Image from @walkinwonderland

YOUR HOME SHOULD BE CLEAN

I’ll spend the most time on this topic because it is the most important. There is nothing you can do to make your home beautiful and you can’t ever truly feel at peace at home if it is dirty or a mess. I’m not inherently a neat person and can make a giant mess just in deciding what to wear to the grocery store but I keep this in check because I know how terrible and stressful it is to walk into a messy bedroom when I return. It brings me down in the morning to come down to a kitchen sink full of dishes or to come home from work to a messy living room. I don’t even have to mention the anxiety brought on by a overfull garage or closet

Invest in Help
If you have the means you should absolutely invest in some professional help, a home cleaner that can help you with the hard to reach areas (under the sofa, behind your dresser) and time consuming tasks (eg. washing curtains) that you hate to do but absolutely must be done. I once read an article on the habits of super successful people and they all outsource housework. It is undoubtedly a privilege to be able to do so but I can attest to the value in investing in any amount of help, even if it is only monthly or perhaps seasonal. When you cross a line in your career and start making extra money your first indulgence should be cleaning help if you need it. The bags, shoes and jewelry you want to start buying should not live in a dirty home.
Develop Good Habits
-Make your bed every morning. It is important to begin the day doing something for yourself, even if it is something as small as this. Make your bed even if no one but you will see it and you’re only going to be in your living room for the rest of the day. The feeling of discipline will help you feel like you have some control over your life and you’re not giving in. When you come back to your bedroom at the end of the day you want to be greeted by a delicious, cosy, inviting bed.
-When you cook, clean as you go, don’t leave the avocado seed and skins out, the dirty measuring cups and mixing bowls in the sink. Put them in the dishwasher or wash them while you are cooking/baking. It eases your mind and reduces the clean-up work after you’re done eating.
-When you’re done with your living space at the end of the night, return the remote control to its spot, take cups back to the kitchen, straighten your pillows, fold the blanket. The next time you want to enjoy your living space it will be beautiful and welcoming.
De-Clutter
Donate, sell, throw away! Get rid of all the junk in your home that you don’t use and anything that doesn’t enhance the beauty of your home. Don’t buy cheap tchotchkes when you travel or keep the cheap gifts they give away at events. Organize your drawers, closets, shelves, bar cart, coffee table, tv stand. Keep everything simple. Donate old clothes, and think twice about buying cheap fast fashion that clog up your closets and drawers. It’s a waste of money, a waste of space and bad for the environment.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE THINGS YOU LOVE

Who are you? What makes you happy? Your home should reflect your answers to those two questions. Don’t buy furniture or decorative pieces because they are trendy or expensive. Buy things that bring a smile to your face when you look at them. For instance don’t buy the coffee table books that everyone on instagram has, instead, buy the one’s that cover subjects, people or places that YOU love. Take your time in collecting your decor items, don’t be in a rush to finish your house, less you buy some things you will regret later. Where are the photos of the people you love and the moments you never want to forget? Choose your pillows carefully so they are soft and compliment the room. Where is the playfulness? Don’t forget sculptures, objets, boxes, bowls, catchalls. I’ve been to homes that are large and furnished just fine but there was no charm or personality to the place and said nothing about the owner.

FRESH FLOWERS & PLANTS

They enhance any room and provide beauty for the sake of beauty.

NATURAL FIBERS

When it comes to pillows and bedding, I tend to lean toward cottons and linen. They are light, soft and airy. I tend to stay away from artificial fibers, sparkly furniture with embellishments and shine. Shearlings and cowhide add very nice texture and pattern to a room.

BE CAREFUL WITH COLOR

Color can be dangerous if not used properly. When in doubt keep it NEUTRAL. You can’t go wrong with beiges, whites or light grey. I prefer to start with a clean base and then add color through my flowers, books, photos and art. A sofa can be a great way to bring in a pop of color if you want, especially since light colored sofas can be high maintenance but I would caution you to be careful with color.

CREATE MOMENTS

Your coffee table is a moment. Fill it with the things you love - books, candles, photos, flowers, leaving room for useful items - remote control, coasters.

Consider a bar cart. They are another great way to add personality and color to a room. If you’re not a big drinker you can fill it with glasses, flowers, books and candles.

Gallery walls are a great way to express yourself and commemorate people, places and events that will bring a smile to your face. Getting the photos off the tables and shelves and on to a gallery wall helps reduce clutter.

KEEP BAD VIBES OUT

I want to end on an important note. If you make a beautiful, clean home full of the things that make you happy, but a negative, abusive, judgmental energy is allowed to invade it, you can forget about fostering joy and tranquility. I’m selective about who we invite over and never re-extend an invitation to a person that brought bad energy into our space. Your home should be a guaranteed safe space.