The Comfort of Things
Behind every door there’s a story to be told…
No one can dispute the power of words. They can educate, elevate or plunge you into the depths of despair. It’s not always what a person says, but they way in which it is said that can cause many a misunderstanding or argument! Words can transport you into another world, imaginary, or that of someone else’s.
I have written many blogs on Interior Design, Home Renovation projects, offering tips and advice and recounting problems incurred along the way. Like all platforms, it’s a ‘crowded’ one, and unless you are a ‘known face,’ or ‘name,’ it’s difficult to be heard. From these years of experience, I have penned my debut book – a memoir ‘Moving Stories,’ which recounts my rollercoaster journey – a quest for my ‘forever’ home.
Whilst writing the book, I thought about how important a home is, the power of a home and what it means to each of us. ‘The meaning of home,’ will conjure many different images and ideals. I’m not just talking about aesthetics’ – a custom built kitchen, luxurious bathrooms and plenty of room, lovely as these may be, but what is really important in a home. Is it the people, happiness and contentment? The feeling of a safe haven from a busy world? How do you manifest this into your home and those you share it with? Regardless of whether you live in a country manor or bedsit, the feeling of ‘home’ and happiness is fundamental to us.
Sometimes, we can be out of sync with our home and be unaware of why. I came across this during my interior design work, when clients were confused, muddled and didn’t really know what they wanted or more specifically, needed. I would be shown pictures from interiors magazines accompanied with ‘I want my room to look like this.’ Of course, it doesn’t work like this, one has to ask questions and gradually peel back lifestyles, who the home is shared with and their needs, to create their home, to reflect who they really are, tell their story, not that of some glossy celebrity magazine image or to please their friends.
On some occasions it would be a simple matter of solving storage problems, whereby the unnecessary clutter could be tidied away, leaving a calmer ambience to their home, which reflected how they felt too. Sometimes rearranging the furniture would do the trick, making rooms easier to navigate and use.
Colour has a powerful and phycological impact too, of which sometimes, we’re totally unaware. This is a fascinating subject, too involved to be fully explained here, but we are instinctively drawn into four seasonal categories – Summer, Winter, Autumn and Winter. Colour evokes emotions – blue, most peoples favourite colour because it’s the colour of sky (well hopefully!) and the sea, it’s a calming colour. Now, which shade or tone of blue? Light, navy, turquoise or aquamarine – there are thousands to choose from.
It’s interesting too, how you can show several people exactly the same colour of blue, and some will all describe the same colour quite differently. Farrow and Ball are known for their quirky colour names, such as ‘Moles Breath.’ What colour does that name conjure in your mind? Blue is often chosen for many rooms uses from bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living areas. Red summons other emotions and reactions – it’s associated with danger, prohibition, lust, and excitement. Some people have distinctive colour dislikes. This could be just down to the shade or tone of the colour, or a deeper subconscious association – maybe your school uniform was purple and you disliked school. So, by simply changing the colours in your home, you would feel more ‘at home’. What do you do if you share your home with someone whose colours are different to yours? Compromise, by seeing if there is a secondary seasonal colour you both like, if not, maybe have different rooms in different colours. My husband is colour blind, and yet he will still have his say!
‘It’s how your home makes you feel – do you feel ‘at home’? Defining that feeling, of ‘Home’ – is it somewhere to kick off your shoes at the end of a tiring busy day and flop on a comfortable sofa, feet up on a table, a roaring open fire in Winter, the smell of dinner wafting from the kitchen or being welcomed by family or house mate or pet? The comfort of home, a feeling of happiness inside – what evokes that? Michelle Ogundehin, former editor in chief at Elle Decoration, interiors guru, and writer, amongst many other accolades, has published a book ‘Happy Inside’ – how to harness the power of home for health and happiness. ‘A happy home is a fundamental building block of happiness, and Michelle’s book is an essential step by step guide to creating a home we love’.
Then there is the looking for a home. This is a whole different ball game, one of which many undertake due to necessity rather than choice because of the stress and upheaval it causes. Usually when searching for a new home you list your criteria. The ‘must have’s’ the ‘must not have’s, location, and of course the price. Unless you have a limitless budget, there will always be compromises to be made.
When viewing properties, do instantly just know it’s not for you, or for you? How do you know? Can you define that feeling into words? Often the property just ‘feels’ right; instinctively right. I always think we should trust our instincts and listen to them.
