The Power of Home
"But I believe if people understood the power a home…has to heal and nurture, it would become just as much a priority as saving for the future."
Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors
What I love about the statement is that it is so TRUE. People really do not understand the power their home has over them. Think about it.
If your home is clean, organized and pleasing to your eye, you will actually FEEL better. Coming home to a space like this will feel like your sanctuary and it will nurture you. You will love being at home.
But if your home is chaotic with a mishmash of items all over the place, no organization, and you feel the pressure to “do something” to make it better every time you walk in the door, your home is serving you up discomfort and stress on a silver platter. Home, in this case, is not your sanctuary; it is your living hell.
The power your home has over your mental and physical heath is not something to dismiss. If you really imagine the above two scenarios for your home – go on close your eyes – you will feel the power it has over you.
Now this is not to say that your home has to be perfectly clean, organized, and designed perfectly. All. The. Time. Mine certainly isn’t. But within a couple of hours, it can be a place that nurtures me. There is a balance to be had here. And I gotta say, HGTV is not helping.
The Influence of HGTV
I wrote a blog bashing HGTV a long time ago. Ask any interior designer or interior decorator if they watch it, most will say no. Why? Because it is unrealistic in so many ways! Here are a few:
- No one can redesign your home in a week while you are in Disney Land (remember Home Editon? Oh Ty, please move that bus!)
- HGTV only provides a snapshot of the project and not the true timelines of what actually happens behind the scenes of home renovations. The reality of renovations is glossed over to make it look glamorous (especially the ‘flip it’ shows)
- Crews are NOT standing by to work on your home 24/7 until it is done.
- The home owners can not possibly have everything they want on the budgets portrayed in the shows. But yet they do.
- Your interior designer will not wear a pink hardhat….do not expect me to either!
- Lastly, all the HGTV shows do not reveal what the home looks like after the family moves back in, does it? In fact, most of the furniture is not theirs and gets taken away once filming is done.
And I can honestly tell you – no one’s home looks like a HGTV home ever! So if you think that having a home that Joanna Gaines designed is going to nurture and heal you after a long day, think again. It does not exist. Yep, that home does not exist in the real world.
So where does that leave us?
I wrote a blog a while back about how your home is the ONLY space on earth that is truly yours!
Think about that….in the whole wide world, your home is the only space you own. So how do you ensure that this space will heal and nurture you? Here are a few tips:
1. Let your home reflect who YOU are…you, your family, your lifestyle, your preferences.
- Got kids in a bunch of sports? Organize a mud room or area to store all their stuff.
- Love music? Display your old record collection and your instruments.
- Love board games with your family? Set up a space dedicated just for that.
2. Surround yourself with things you LOVE. Let your home tell the story of you – your travels, your fav books, art you love, your kids.
3. Go all out and “Marie Kondo” your home! Get organized, toss some stuff, donate other stuff. Try to have a place for everything in your home so you can easily clean up.
4. Decorate your home the way YOU want it decorated, not because it is trendy. And remember, if you love it – it will never be passe.
Check out this blog to find out how you can determine what your style preferences are to decorate your home as a sanctuary for you and your family.
What I believe
I believe everyone deserves a home they love! I don’t care about your socio-economic status, the colour of your skin, who you love, where you live or any of that stuff. Everyone deserves a home that will heal and nurture. And I want to help everyone achieve that.
Which is why I have been slowly introducing a series of services at various price points to help you. I have something for everyone including.
- 1 hour virtual design consultation
- 2 hour in person design consultation to
- Design Your Renovation – my innovative online design service
- Renovation Design Plan (full service)
- Redecorating Design Plan (full service)
And if you find that my lowest tier price is still too much for you, I do offer pro bono work to clients once a month. If you are in this position, send me an email and lets chat.
I recently launched an innovative self-guided online design process that helps you avoid a lot of these mistakes! It’s called Design Your Renovation and it is at a fraction of the cost of my full design service. Want to learn more?
A Final Word
Do you believe in the power your home has over you?
Yes?
So why wouldn’t you make your home a place that heals and nurtures?
Until next time, stay safe…
Roxanne
P.S. If you want help with your renovation check out my Renovation Design Plan service. The best thing about this service is it is tailored to YOUR needs.
The next best thing is that I work on a flat fee basis. You pay only what the flat fee is, no more. I do this because I do not want my clients to worry about escalating design costs; I would rather we all focus on the plan and the design. Wouldn’t you? Set up a 20 minute chat with me to see if it is the right fit for you.
