A real home like this, that is looser and relaxed is more welcoming to the occupants and visitors
In my upcoming book, The Holistic Home: Feng Shui Your Mind Body Spirit Space, I talk about creating spaces that not only reflect who are are, but help elevate you to where you hope to be. One aspect of that means creating a home that heralds who you are and fully serves those who live there by being efficient, meaningful, inspiring and mostly organized. By “mostly”, I mean having organizational systems in place for things like keys, a method for filing papers and recycling but NOT stressing yourself out when creative messes occur or the toilet bowl is less than sparkling. If you are stressed about the order of your space, your guests and occupants will be too. That stress can effect each person differently over time. (Not feeling comfortable in your own skin, uncertainty with decisions, feeling a loss of identity, anxiety or nervousness.)
Living in, or visiting a magazine showplace home where control freaks dwell is not a comfortable abode. You’ll feel it as soon as you enter. Everything is perfectly placed. It may look awe-inspiring and sophisticatedly cultivated, have patterns with patterns that you never dreamed would work together along with pairings of elegant fabrics and furniture that confirms the discerning eye of the occupants. Or, it might be a sleek, sterile space where extreme modernism is king. The style of design doesn’t matter so much as the prevailing energy that screams “I’m showing you perfectionism!” In these spaces, sometimes even seating choices are picked more for style requirements than comfort. For most visitors, this type of place doesn’t feel completely comfortable. What it comes down to is – much like us humans -a flawed home makes it more real and relatable. That can come in the form of a scenario like this: dirty dishes left in the sink, over flowing waste baskets, a pile of untouched mail, a beloved – albeit stained chair- from Grandma, unfinished craft projects that you haven’t quite put away yet. Guaranteed you will feel more at ease in a home that bears the traces of real life than one that covers it up.
I am not saying that your goal should be a home that is so messy, disorganized and dirty that an overriding sense of neglect emanates. I’m saying that an “authentic” home easily allows for the best to unfold within yourself and for all those who live there. It is an environment that forgives all the mistakes and messes because it’s okay. It is an environment where decor choices are sensibly made. Like what, you ask? Its choosing high traffic items like couch cushion covers that can zip off and be thrown in the wash because when life happens and throw up, wine or blood land there, you don’t panic. It’s putting your money into items like artwork or light fixtures that can go up on the walls and not in precious rugs that take a daily pounding of dirt and spills. So go ahead and surround yourself with items that uplift, inspire and delight – just be smart about how you are going to use them and how effortlessly you can clean them. Leave the dishes if that means you have more one-on-one time with your kids. Don’t stress about the smudged finger prints on the white walls. The bottom line is, a looser, relaxed more forgiving environment is what makes a house a home and truly supports the best to happen for you and your family. And that is priceless.
