February is here. Time to elevate your surroundings, spark your creativity, and boost your mood.
Winter Bliss. Home, Head, Heart.
February comes and I start to wrestle with cabin fever. The landscape outside is stark and monotone. Like clockwork I become discontented with my house and start to torment my partner with ideas for a big rearrange. It’s not quite time for spring cleaning, yet creative energy is starting to rise. I crave something different in my surroundings. More than anything I want a new spark to inspire forward all the ideas I’ve spent the last couple months nurturing. I swing on a pendulum between content idleness and restless motivation.
We’ve evolved beyond our dwellings merely being a shelter to protect us from the elements. We’ve deepened a relationship with ourselves enough to know we need more than four walls and a roof to store our stuff. We need spaces that feel like a sanctuary, safe and secure from the outside world. Still, in a winter mindset, we need a little more time to rejuvenate and hibernate. Comfort and warmth are key.
Befriend your space and get to know your needs:
Take inventory. Walk through your home and see how it makes you feel. Is there a space that needs a transformation? Is there a place in your home that could best support a goal you have? It can be overwhelming, so just start with one little area that’s calling to you. How do you want it to function? Are there architectural features that make it work? A window, an alcove, a corner?
Sit with it. Connect to the space. Take a few breaths.
Grab a sketch book to play with ideas.
Head to the library. Collect a stack of books and magazines to look through for inspiration.
Make a to-do list of things you need to do.
Write the pros and cons of the space, problems to solve and features to highlight.
Make a list of things you want to bring in. You may look around your house to see what you already have, make a round at the thrift stores, or look at online marketplaces. Bring your ideas up to friends and family. Chances are someone has something they are ready to get rid of.
Connect to your color palette and balance your mood:
Make a mood board. Give yourself some time to play with the color wheel. Get to know how color affects you. In winter it can be very heartwarming to go with rich warm hues. In addition to lighting, color can make a dramatic difference in a space. It is one of the biggest influencers in how you feel. Go on a color adventure. Collect pictures, swatches, pieces from nature with colors you are drawn to. Then think about your intention for the space.
How do you need and want to feel as you settle into a room? What will these colors inspire? Are there places you need more uplifting playful pops of color versus a shade more muted for concentration?
You can go bold and paint the whole room or an accent wall.
For more adaptable solutions rely on painted furnishings to give a space some flair.
Adorn with textiles. Dress windows, walls, beds, couches, walls with colors and patterns that lift you up.
Lighten up or tone it down: Layer your lighting.
Nothing sets the mood more than lighting. Versatile lighting can move with your mood and the task at hand. Sometimes we need more concentrated lighting to work and read. At other times we need a softer glow to relax and recharge. Assuredly we all need natural light to survive and thrive. What does your space need to support your daily routine? Think about how you need to function and feel in the room and add 3 layers of lighting. Invest in specialty light bulbs, dimmer switches, colored shades, candles, and string lights.
Choose the right bulb for your overhead light. Full spectrum bulbs can mimic natural light and prevent eye strain.
Use lamps and paper lanterns to illuminate a room with a gentle glow that invites you to relax. You can even get an extension cord with a dimmer switch.
Get the glow. Use candles for romantic ambience.
Be playful with the shadows that the light reflects. Textured and cut out shades can add fun patterns to the walls - creating a point of interest and softening your thoughts.
Get scrubbing on the next mild winter day. Clean windows can let in a surprising amount of natural light. It will give you a little boost of exercise too.
Tame your creative restlessness with pattern, flow and elemental energies.
What’s your artistic outlet? We all need a time to let our imagination run wild so we can come into creation. It’s easier to set aside time for the things that fill you up when there is a space ready to go.
Use a rug to build a cohesive zone; a corner of the room, a work table, a little nook of your own. Even curtains, screens, and shelving can make the perfect room divider to dedicate a space.
Make it a special place with everything you need to feel comfortable and inspired.
What tools and supplies do you need to collect and arrange? Organize the perfect set up. You will see it, it will call to you and you’ll be drawn to make your creativity a healing habit.
Orchestrate color, texture, and pattern to pique interest:
Nothing alleviates those hum drum feelings like a few points of interest. Spark both sides of the brain and add personality with patterns. Harmonize patterns with a color tone in rugs, tapestries, artwork, textiles, pillows, and tile.
Mix materials, color, and pattern.
Vary texture. Natural materials like wood and clay can contrast fluffy and shiny.
Metals and mirrors reflect light. In Eastern interior traditions, mirrors represent the element of fire. The perfect element to drive our passions and warm our spirits.
Light sheer fabric can make a space feel more airy, while heavy velvets can warm and ground.
Change and Rearrange, open to flow:
Ditch the stagnant energy and claim a new vibe. Don’t get stuck in a set up. What worked years ago when you first moved in, may not be working for you now. Give yourself a shift in perspective. Think about what feels restrictive. Could something as simple as angling the furniture create flow? Or removing something bulky free some valuable real estate? Start with envisioning and sketching a new layout.
Take an inventory of other pieces of furniture around the house. Maybe there is something in another room that would add more form and function than where you have it now.
Don’t hesitate to edit and remove things.
Design is in the details. Move around art, pillows, rugs, tchotchkes, and keepsakes. Seeing a memento in a new place can reconnect you to a happy memory.
Bring the elements in and decorate with nature:
Bringing the outside in can make us feel more connected to life beyond our four walls. Decorating with nature can provide an organic thread that grounds us. When you use nature in your design, it will remind you of the time you spent enjoying the great outdoors. Also, seeing these treasures will inspire you to take a break to head out on a walk again.
Next time you go on a walk, look for a few natural trinkets to bring home for your living space. Think about how many times you’ve collected shells at the beach.
Natural colors, greens and blues can boost our creative mind and calm our hearts.
Invite some plant friends to move in. Plants are great listeners and strong allies. Not only do plants act as natural air purifiers, they lift our spirits when we feel stuck inside. Air plants, succulents, spider plants, and ferns are low light and low maintenance. Always do some research to make sure they are safe for your furry friends.
Bring it all together:
If you like an ever changing home design, start with neutrals as the base. Swap out linens, blankets, pillows, art, tapestries, and accessories to refresh for a new season. Layer lighting. Mix patterns and textures. Explore color.
With the demands of life, we need our home to be a haven. If February weighs heavy on you, spend some time turning your house into an illuminating balance of creativity and comfort. Tend to your mood, free your creative flow, and soothe your senses. Even the smallest changes will leave you feeling energized and renewed.
