THIS BEAR JUST NEEDED SOME LOVE

These are Norbert Rosing's striking images of a wild polar bear coming upon tethered sled dog in the wilds of Canada's Hudson Bay.  The photographer was sure that he was going to see the end of his dogs when the bear wandered in.  Instead he came to play with the dogs every night for a week.

WHAT IS HOME?

Is your home merely a place to sleep and eat?  A home is more than a place of shelter, storage and eating.  It should be a place that supports our needs & nurtures our spirit.  Home should be your shelter from the outside world, it should be a place for sanctuary and retreat, fun and joy. Your home should function in harmony with who you are.

For those of us who are seekers of a deeper truth to who we are, our homes and offices should be a support system to our deepening awakening , awareness & sensitivity.  What may have worked for us even a few years ago may not support who we are today.  We are all waking to the truth of who we are.  We are being taught to go deeply within to hear, see and feel what is real and true for each and every one of us.  Although we are all one in the deepest sense, no one is the same and no one has the same needs, dreams and desires. 

 Because each one of us is unique, there is not one approach or solution that works for everyone.  I am  not a follower of RULES.  I do not follow or practice Fung Shui because it does not resonate for me, thou it may for you.  One size fits all is not my path.  I am here to honor the individual and to find out what works best for them.  I dig deeply, I question a lot and I come up with possibilities.  I return to the drawing board if it doesn't feel right to my clients.

I will fight, for only so long, for what I believe is right but at the end of the day, the truth is that it is not my home and it is my clients who have to be happy.

My clients are drawn to me because of my style and creativity.  They like that I custom  design furniture that is just for them and no one else.  They know that I love playing with color, but most of all they know that I will listen to what is most important to them and honor them.

Tapping into Inspiration or Not!

I'm preparing for a new series that I will be writing for Jennifer McLean's upcoming membership website. My section will be "Your Spiritual Home".  I'm excited and nervous.  Hoping that Spirit will guide me with enough inspiration to keep up with a weekly column.

When I first agreed to do this I was off the wall with excitement, knowing that this was the next step in going public in merging my spiritual self with my designer self.  The next 3 days were filled with panic, fear and exhaustion worrying that I would not have enough inspiration to write every week about an area that I feel is very sacred and important.  Writing about the next pretty chair or accessory?  EASY!  Writing about stuff of the heart and soul and how it relates to your home environment......  OH MY GOD!  

I'm very curious how any of you have dealt with this. 

CREATING A SANCTUARY FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS

I just finished listening to Neale Donald Walsch of the "Conversations with God" book series.  In his forthcoming book, "When Everything Changes, Change Everything" he talks about peoples tendencies to isolate themselves when  they are going thru rough patches.  He spoke of  the time that rather than calling his father for help, he stayed homeless for close to one year.

Those comments got me thinking about the small things we can do for ourselves and others who may be facing uncertainty and fears during this big shift on our planet.  Even if you are not living in your dream home, even if your home is less than ideal and even if you are going thru your own scary times, you can cut some fresh  flowers, light some scented candles, put on some heartfelt music and share a cup of coffee or tea with a friend.  Shift the energy by talking about your dreams and your future self.  Neale suggests that you stop everything for even 10 seconds and breathe in the moment and be with the silence.  He says that you will find "wisdom in the silence".

I promise you, your friend will not care about the worn out carpet, the mess or whatever it is that keeps you from sharing your home.  What will matter and remain is the kindness that you showed and that, if only for a few moments, your friend was supported by love.

HIRE A DESIGNER WHO LISTENS TO YOU!

Unless you want your designer to take on the full responsibility of how and in what style you should live, I  don't recommend working with designers whose egos are equal to brain surgeons. We are not talking about saving lives here!

I've worked for many busy people who do not have the time or inclination to go over every selection.  They have hired me because they know that after we have gone thru their likes and dislikes that I will do what is right for them.  Others want to be involved down to the last detail and that is their choice and their right.  It is our jobs as designers to glean as much information from our clients as possible in order to create an environment that not only functions for their needs, but also brings their dreams into a living reality. 

I have been called upon, too many times to count, to salvage another designers work.  You need to make sure that you are not bullied into agreeing to something that feels wrong.  It is our job to push our clients past their comfort zones because they usually don't have the vision that we have and that is why they have hired a professional.  However, it is our job to listen to what our clients are telling us and hear what they may not be able to express.  One project that comes to mind is a client who had been preoccupied with her dying mother and was not available physically or emotionally during a remodel of a new home she and her husband had just purchased.  They wanted a more contemporary look and she had expressed to her designer that she wanted clean lines and light woods to go along with that style.  What she got were old world style cabinets with loads of trim stained a dark walnut color.  When I was brought in to see what could be done to fix things, all I could think about was what was this designer thinking?  Did it even matter to her what her client wanted or did she just design in a style that she was more comfortable with?

What You Feel Inside, You create Outside

 I went to a dear friends home for a Passover Seder.  She has designed a beautiful modern home that is filled with exquisite art work.  Ellen and her husband love sharing their home with friends and she goes to great lengths to bring out different accessories and dinnerware patterns depending upon the occasion and the size of the group.  She always creates a very festive environment and the lucky ones who have been invited over always look forward to see what she has come up with each and every time. 

As we were all seated, Ellen spoke of her joy in shopping for flowers, selecting a very creative menu and arranging everything to perfection to share with her friends and family.  She acknowledged that her very modern style did not not appeal to everyone but that they could all FEEL the love that was there.

I was stunned, for that was exactly the word I had just written about a couple of hours earlier in my latest blog post. It affirmed that I was on to something as well as knowing why this lovely soul and I are friends.     

The Hidden Secret to Design

Have you ever walked into a perfectly decorated house that had no spirit in it or that felt dead? It is usually for what can't be seen that you are hiring a designer.  Of course you want a beautiful and comfortable home and of course it has to function for your lifestyle and budget. The hidden secret for me is how will it make you FEEL?  Do you want a home or room that aids you in calming down after a hectic day or do you want a room that makes you feel alive and energized?

Your home is about you and the people who live with you.  It is not about what your friends are going to think or say.  They can have their own style at their house.  If someone else's environment deeply speaks to you, look at what it is that you like.  Is it the style of architecture, the type of furniture or the colors?  Go inside of yourself to become aware of what you resonate to.

I usually have clients tag pages in magazines to show me what speaks to them, and when I have asked what it is in the photo that they respond to,  I often hear that they don't really want the featured colors, style of furniture or architecture for themselves.  I usually is always about the MOOD of the space and how it makes them FEEL.