Creating Comfort and Joy in your Home

The space inside your home is your own slice of the universe, however large or small.  It's where you can be yourself, even if that means shutting out the rest of the world, or conversely, inviting the world in to share your surroundings and hospitality.  The space belongs to you and you may create your own personal expression there.  By creating an environment that is pleasing and comfortable you automatically have a better feeling about yourself as well as a more positive world view.

The process of decorating a home can be a fun and rewarding one, and one that is not necessarily expensive.  It's a process of turning visions into reality and expressing tastes and comfort levels in a personal way.  An initial part of the process for many of us is to study and observe.  If we expose ourselves to as many design influences as possible, such as magazines, museums, high-quality furniture stores and decorator showhomes, and to learn about such basic design principles as balance, scale and harmony, we will be well on our way to having increased awareness.  One of the most important things we can learn from this exercise is that good design is not dependent on the size of one's bank account -- that what matters most is expressing a sense of personal style.

To embark on this adventure, begin by visualizing your room entirely empty.  What are the main architectural features?  What is outstanding? Are there defects you would like to hide?  Where are the windows and what is the view?  What are the main activities that will take place there?  How will you best use the space?  For you to be entirely comfortable in this room, what ingredients will it need to have?  Questions such as these should give you some ideas about where to start.

Certain other practical questions come to mind.  Is you plan realistic?  Is the scope of the project achievable now, or is future planning required?  Is it a project that you can do yourself or will outside help be required and to what extent?

Once you've decided that your project can indeed turn into reality, you will need to develop a plan.  Put down in black and white what you'd like to do, from beginning to end.  Do this whether you plan to redecorate your whole house or just one room, or even if you just wish to spruce up an existing scheme.  The idea is to break down your plans into attainable increments of both time and money, listing your priorities in terms of needs and wants.

As in most other things a good rule of thumb to follow is that you get what you pay for.  Once your priorities are established, plan to spend as much as you can afford on those items that will get the hardest use and that need to wear the longest.  In the long run,  you'll find that buying a few good pieces over a period of time is a wiser investment than making do with less costly and lower quality furnishings.  A few really good pieces can establish the mood for an entire room and be a source of joy for years to come.

Following this simple outline will indeed reward you for many years with an environment that will reflect your sense of style while providing  you with comfort, function and beauty.  With the coming of the New Year there is no better time than now to begin planning.  Happy Dzyning!

COMFORT -- the Basis for Good Interior Design

In the German community where I grew up, Mother always insisted that what made for good interior design was "Gemuetlichkeit" -- comfort.  Back then, color and style took a back seat to the dictums of comfort:  large pillows stuffed with lots of down were everywhere; lace curtains graced tall windows to admit lots of light; handmade quilts spelled warmth in winter; carpets were tightly woven of old coats cut into strips to provide solid footing; clocks ticked and chimed in every room so we always knew the time; tables with lamps attended every seating area so there was always light for reading and needlework; and many a baby was rocked to sleep in comfortable rocking chairs lovingly handmade by local artisans.

Things have changed considerably since then, as the pace of life has universally quickened.  But somehow through all the years of design degrees, big-city lifestyles, and creative ideas turned into reality, Mother's admonitions about things needing to be "Gemuetlich" still pervade my professional as well as personal outlook.

I use the illustration from my own background to remind you that the process of decorating a home begins long before the first piece of furniture is purchased or the first stroke of paint is applied to the wall.  The process actually begins in childhood, when we take note of our surroundings and create conscious or subconscious images of what constitutes both comfort and beauty.  If our fondest memories include curling up with a good book in an overstuffed chair, we'll probably want to have such a chair in our homes.  If we loved family dinners in a large light-filled kitchen where good food and good conversation went hand in hand, most likely we'll want to create a similar atmosphere for our families.  I'd like to encourage you, as a first step in any redecorating project you're contemplating for the new year, to reminisce, and to pinpoint what it was that spelled comfort for you when you were a child.

More about creating comfort tomorrow.......