HAVE YOU CLEANSED YOUR HOME?

We hear a lot about Cleansing and Detoxing the body.

But have you ever considered a Cleanse for the home?

It’s the same idea, really.

You’re getting rid of the old to make way for the new.

A friend recently suggested that I read a book called “Soul Space” and I’m sharing with you here, because I was absolutely captivated by it, as it so closely resembles my own design philosophy in an uncanny kind of way.

You see, a few weeks ago, if anyone had asked, I would have said there are very few things in my home I don’t love.

The idea of celebrating the beauty around you and surrounding yourself with things you love is something I’ve written about many times.

After all, it’s a key step in writing you Bio.

(You know, the one that’s written without words).

Until I read this book, I never thought twice about the living room chair that I ‘inherited’ from a former retail space – along with the business – when a former business partner and I parted ways.

So here’s the thing.

I don’t love that chair.

Do I use it?

No.

It’s too big and deep for me, and I avoid sitting in it whenever possible.

When you look at it that way, it’s kind of silly to keep it, isn’t it?

Do you have anything similar to that in your own home?

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A TRUE STORY – MY STINT ON HGTV

A few days, I was talking to a business coach and the conversation went something like this:

She: “You were on HGTV??!!

Me:  “Oh, that…yes, I was.”

She:  “How come you never talk about it? I mean, you were on HGTV!!!!!”

Me:  “It was such a long time ago.”

I have a tendency to play things down, I know.

But yes, I really was on HGTV – about eight years ago now, if memory serves me correctly.

I’d practically forgotten.

She was right, though.

And so, I thought I’d take some time today to share that experience with you.

The way this came about, HGTV was contacting local designers to see who might be interested in being featured on the show “Designer’s Challenge”.

They already had a local family lined up, who were eager to get some professional design advice for their somewhat traditional living room.

The premise of the show was that three different design teams would present a completed concept to the homeowners.

By concept, I’m referring to a fully fleshed out solution to their design challenge, complete with drawings, furniture and fabric recommendations, and any other finishes or materials required to complete the project.

So, I partnered with another designer, and together we took on this project.

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LISTEN TO YOUR HEART

The dental assistant had a question.

“Is Teal in?”she wanted to know.

She went on to explain that she wanted to repaint her Master Bedroom and the color teal really appealed to her.

She just wasn’t sure it was the “in” color to use.

While I generally don’t hand out free advice, I couldn’t resist this one.

I told her to forget what colors are “in” and to paint her bedroom whatever favorite color she wanted.

It was her bedroom, after all!

A few days later, another acquaintance was lamenting the large amount of dark wood in her home – dark oak floors, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, and walls.

Her husband had suggested painting them.

“But,” she wondered aloud, “What happens if ten years from now dark wood is again back in style?”

She wasn’t asking my opinion, so I didn’t provide it, but here’s the thing.

Fads are just that.

They come and go.

What your heart and your gut are telling you – that’s what you want to pay attention to!

Your home needs to be about you and the things you love.

Whether you love teal, or your home is too dark and you want to lighten things up, I say – go for it!

Here’s another example.

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HOW TO WRITE YOUR BIO – WITHOUT USING WORDS!

Did you know that your home is a reflection of who you are? 

Yes, it’s literally like looking in a mirror.

Except that, you won’t see your face staring back at you.

What you WILL see is different aspects of your personality and all phases of your life – up until this point in time.

Pretty cool, huh?

The way you furnish your home, it’s like writing your bio.

But instead of words, you’re using color, texture, and various materials and furnishings to tell the story of who you are.

It is a story, by the way.

And it’s the perfect Bio.

Who better than you to tell it like it is?

Keep reading to see how you can write your story.

 

Look to the Past

It’s hard to escape the past.

We have memories –good and bad – that follow us wherever we go.

The secret is to delve into those memories and recapture moments from your past that complement how you live today.

If something no longer serves you, remove it.

Whatever resonates – keep it.

Like it or not, your home reflects all the different stages of your life.

It’s what made you who you are today.

 

Embrace the Present

Good design tells a story and it’s one that engages and envelops you.

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GOING GLUTEN-FREE

“Food, wonderful food, glorious food.” … from the musical, Oliver

 

Food is such a sensory experience.   

Inextricably woven into the fabric of our lives, it evokes feelings of both pleasure and comfort on a daily basis.

We taste or nibble, and sometimes devour, depending on our moods and level of hunger. If we are really mindful and aware, we savor every morsel.

Our daily meals are as basic to our existence as taking our next breath.

Yet, when you add Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance or Food Allergies into the mix, things aren’t quite so simple.

Along the way, life gets a little more interesting, and a lot more challenging.

For this reason, I’ve decided to share with you my personal philosophy for designing a Gluten-Free Life, while embracing my twin passions for Food & Design.

Yes, I also happen to be an Interior Designer – hence the name Gluten-Free Designer! (You can visit my website at www.harmonydesignstudio.com ).

My own story started out simple enough, beginning with an article I read about nine years ago on Celiac Disease.

Up until that time I had never heard of Celiac Disease, but then I’d also never heard of gluten. I had no idea there was a name attached to the debilitating symptoms I’d been dealing with for years.

Yet something about the article caught my attention. I read it all the way through, then read it again. What I read in that article described me exactly – including the stomach pain and discomfort I experienced on a daily basis with no obvious explanation.

To think that all this was attributable to a single protein called Gluten was astounding, almost exciting!

Now – one of the unfortunate facts about Celiac Disease (or gluten intolerance or sensitivity, or whatever you want to call it) is that it can take on average years to diagnosis.

Perhaps this sounds familiar.

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IS IT ALL FOR SHOW?

A Designer Show House is often part fantasy and part reality.  Designers typically pull out all the stops for the homeowner – a person who exists  only in our imagination. 

That’s precisely why taking part in a Designer Show House can be a wonderfully creative endeavor, as well as a marvelous way for the public to gather fresh ideas for their own homes.

Some years ago, I participated in a local American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Show House, featuring the historic Moore Mansion on Seattle’s Capital Hill.

This project was a classic example of how an interior design concept might evolve, and how designers come up with their inspiration.

The home, built in 1901by James Moore, was located, in a tree-lined street close to Volunteer Park, home of the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM).

As it happened, I was assigned the Master Bedroom of this stately old house. It was a large, attractive room with generous proportions. However, it was dominated by a bold, geometrically patterned carpet in shades of chocolate brown and white.

It was the kind of pattern that makes your vision go blurry after a minute or two of looking at it. However, the owner of the house had made it clear that replacing the carpet with something a bit more subtle was not an option.

What do designers do in such a situation?

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