The Rural Voice, 2003-01, Page 36Home Decorating
New design plan aims to make homes healthg, happg
Patti
Robertson
operates
Classic
Interiors in
Wingham.
By Patti Robertson
Happy New Year!
What an auspicious time to tell
you about a relatively new method of
"home design" that I have been
studying for the past three years, not
unlike Fung Shui (which is the
ancient Chinese philosophy of design
placement to create a balance within
one's home for ultimate life
force/energy), I've dubbed this more
Western method of healing and
cleansing the home and one's
environment "The Energy Anatomy
of the Home".
A majority of my studies have
introduced me to our own roots,
deep-seated in our beliefs of what
makes a healthy, happy and
energetically -stable home
environment. By setting the scene
and theme which will empower us, it
allows us to be balance and centered
so that all our talents and resources
are working at an optimum. This
provides us the power of energy to
feel prosperous, self -empowered, at
peace, and with a general well-being
of mind, body and soul. In order to
understand and create healing spaces
for ourselves we always need to take
stock of what is happening within our
home at present.
Analyze the colours used within
the home. Are they colours which
give us strength and comfort and do
they mesh with our lifestyle (or are
they keyed to the latest fashion trend,
which may not be correct in assisting
our personal nature and needs)? How
is the "clutter" of our lives contained
and maintained? And what about
unfinished projects and jobs? One
needs to decide what is important and
what is not. Not only do unfinished
projects and clutter hamper our time
and space, they can rob us of our true
creativity. Clutter that sits too long
effectively becomes dead space.
How is the air flow within your
domain? Is it effectively travelling
throughout your home? Do you keep
windows ever so slightly cracked,
even in colder months? Fresh air is
the breath of life and the small air
currents that allow chimes to peal,
mobiles to turn. These are objects we
can add to our homes to assist with
the flow. This is a hidden benefit of
pets within in one's home: they stir
the air and assist with the flow,
keeping our home enlivened.
Green houseplants and real florals
add their life energy and the
vibrational frequency of their colour
when placed within our homes. They
absorb carbon dioxide and release
fresh oxygen. Artificial silks and
PATTI ROBERTSON'S
Unique Residential and
Commercial Interiors
135 Victoria St., WINGHAM
357-2872 .
• Custom-made Window
Fashions, Bedspreads
& Accessories
• Fine Domestic &
Imported Fabrics
• Select Wallcoverings
• Furnishings, Lighting
& Artwork to suit
any interior...
32 THE RURAL VOICE
greens are also a benefit if they are
kept very clean and updated every
few years.
The way in which we illuminate
our rooms is a very vital energy
source. Do we let the natural beauty
of sunlight filter through our decor
when possible, and understanding
that even evening street lighting has a
certain energy mystique to add to
your decor? We need our lighting
fixtures, not only to serve functional
roles but also to add peace and beauty
to our spaces. Nothing is more
inviting and relaxing than candlelight.
When was the last time you indulged
yourself in a candlelit dinner or a
candlelit bath — how empowering and
soothing. Our interiors can achieve
many guises when lit properly.
Our furnishings and their
placement need to serve us, and
elevate our comfort level to optimum
levels. Do you have a special area
within your home into which you
retreat in order to be nurtured and
revitalized? We all need these areas
to regain our strength and balance.
And finally let's take a peek at our
accessories and embellishments. Do
our bits and pieces set us to thinking
about special places and people, do
they capture our imagination, give us
pause for thought and intrigue us?
Food for the mind. That's the power
of our accessories and the capability
they have of enchanting and
empowering our homes' vitality.
All of these objects and their use
play a very vital role in the "Energy
Anatomy of our Home". What a great
time of the year when we all get to
"begin again, to start things anew" to
actively survey our home, office, and
surroundings, and investigate if we
are in control of our spaces or are
they controlling us and stealing our
energy. (Next month we'll look at the
negative effects of clutter.)
Keep in mind that energy is life!
The more energy we have the more
vital we are, the better we can enjoy
the life we've been blessed with!0