HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS (part 2)

Welcome back! Last month I told you about the recent “downsizing” my husband and I chose to undertake (to 900 square feet!), and our need to create a new home that would still reflect our personalities and passions. We wanted to do that without spending much money or using too many resources. I shared with you some of the following questions we asked ourselves, and our answers to these questions guided us in making design decisions for our home.

1. How do these rooms need to function for us? We don’t watch much television, but my husband (the technogeek!) wasn’t ready to part with his toys! So we needed room for television watching, as well as a small home office, a dining area for our occasional (now smaller!) dinner parties, a relaxing bedroom (my personal cocoon!), and, if possible, space to do yoga and pilates. Whew! How to find that in 900 square feet?!

2. How do we want these rooms to feel? We came from a home that was very colorful and happy. We were tempted to go that route again, but this felt like time for a change. As our lives grew busier (we both chose to be self-employed!), we felt that it would be nice to create a very serene retreat. When making this decision yourself, think about your lifestyle during your business hours. What’s missing? How can you incorporate this missing element into your home?

3. Is there a particular color that appeals to us at this time in our lives? Is there a reason for this? Because we were moving into a very small space, we originally painted everything white—ceiling, walls, and even floor (we removed the carpet and painted the remaining plywood subfloor)! We felt that the lack of contrast would make the space feel more open. Unfortunately, while things felt open, we found that we missed having a little color on our walls! So we painted our bedroom robin’s egg blue (and went with a “nest” theme), and we took inspiration from our large, laughing jade Buddha and painted a living room accent wall and our bathroom in this soft, happy green.

4. What inspires us in life? We are inspired by our family, our puppies, our spirituality, nature, and words (I’m a major bookworm, and I love inspirational quotes). We used these “inspirations” to guide our decorating. In our loft/office we began the process of creating a picture wall with photos of family and puppies. Our living room—which would also be our yoga center—was decorated simply, showcasing our Buddha and our books on spirituality and organic living. Our dining room now sports a favorite quote (painted backward on one wall, so that its reflection can be read in a large mirror). And our pale blue bedroom is decked out in chocolaty faux fur and feathers to create that nest I wanted!

5. What furniture and accessories do we own that we love and can use, and what can we get rid of? Because we were downsizing, we had plenty to go around! After yard sales every Saturday for a month, and a major donation to the Helping Hands Mission, we were able to get rid of our unnecessary “stuff.” We kept a few family antique pieces of furniture, as well as the wonderful kidney-shaped sofa that was one of our first purchases together. The only accessories we kept were those that had special memories attached or that fit with our new white décor. When creating a special room for yourself (or looking at your entire home), use a critical eye and remember to ask yourself, “Do I love this? Is it meaningful? Functional?” If you can’t say yes to one of those questions, then it HAS TO GO!

6. Are there things we want or need to purchase to make this space “ours?” We needed very little for this small space (other than much smaller computer desks, to squeeze in a home office for two)! We did need rugs for our “wood” floors; we splurged on one inspirational rug with an organic pattern of a river. The remainder were inexpensive buys; mainly seagrass mats that could be had for a song. Window treatments were, again, inexpensive—bamboo blinds and discount sheers did the trick. Our favorite purchase was a silver ceiling fan with a smiling “face” molded in the glass (the man on the moon, who now smiles down upon us while we sleep)!

While our house is still small (and doesn’t function well if the clutter builds up!), it now feels like US. By carefully and truthfully answering the above questions, and allowing those answers to guide our decorating choices, we’re now able to come home to a space that resonates with our hearts, and one that rejuvenates us.