simple shui | a starting point

when i receive a compliment about my home, i tend to erupt into a story.

oh, this? i got it on sale at…

funny story, i was going to buy this but decided i needed that instead…

when we visited this place, i saw something similar…

i often wonder if i ought to just graciously say thank you. and keep the details to myself.

almost every single thing i find and buy, however, has meaning infused into it because of its journey.

and i re-discover that joy every time someone notices my choice. because it’s a nod to the creative process.

it isn’t uncommon to feel knocked out and overwhelmed musing through pictures of rooms and homes in magazines, pinterest, even television (i can’t get enough of her apartment!). because glance-by-glance, we are sometimes subtly convinced to give up trying before even starting.

perfect rooms are staged. always. creative chaos (which requires constant organizing) is the essence within a real home.

so, how do we create a space we love that embodies who we are?

find out what tugs at your attention.

is there a bold pattern you are drawn to? or hushed hues you obsess over? ornate details you feel a connection with?

whatever fancies your head and heart are the bread crumbs leading you there.

and my personal rule of thumb is…

don’t chase someone else’s vision. or their choices. let them inspire and influence instead.

inspiration comes to us through our five senses. and when one of those is tickled, that’s a clue to what you like.

when clients tell me they have no self-defined sense of style, i recommend a creative project.

set aside a box in a high traffic area. for a couple of weeks, collect images, trends, words or lyrics, paint swatches, shapes…anything that heightens your delight. this isn’t about composition or censorship. it’s a free flow of joy. an added bonus? imagery points our conscious awareness toward manifesting desire, making it more likely our intentions will become real.

after a few weeks of compilation, pull the images out. notice any patterns? anything making a smile erupt upon seeing it again?

if so, consider this your very own starting point.

a dreamy space is never really complete. as we change (and we are always changing), so do our homes. give yourself plenty of time to gather things you love, purchase slowly, and trust yourself. because when you design on a simmer, the results are unswervingly you.

xo