Cultivating Joy: Why Design Matters

News Flash: Life is about the Journey.

Question: Are you enjoying it?

When you wake up in the morning and look around your bedroom, how do you feel? Energized? Excited? Or are you filled with dread? Does opening your eyes make you want to just close them again?

How about when you get home from work: Do you feel calm? Happy? Excited to walk into your kitchen for a cool beverage and sip it in your favorite chair? Or do you feel stress before even touching the door knob? Do you not own a comfy chair? Could it even be that coming home is *gasp* more stressful than showing up for work...?

So I'll ask again: Are you enjoying the journey?

Working in Design, I come up against the question of need, often. Like, Who "needs" a decorator? And I understand. I'm not working in an Emergency Room, and no one is ever going to come rushing like "I DONT CARE THE PRICE - SAVE MY HOUSE!" (ok, maybe one day that could happen.. but I'd have to be pretty damn good, and possibly a wizard of some sort).

But when it comes to the question of "need" I ask: What about Joy?

Is Joy not part of survival? After all, what is the point of living if we can't enjoy it?

Ingrid Fetell Lee, Designer and Author of Joyful, argues that the drive for joy is the drive for life {and} joy makes us healthier, more productive, creative, and resilient (and she's got a whole heck of a lot of research backing this).

Here, let's try this visual analogy:

You're driving through life.

Both of the cars below can get you from A to Z.

Which one do you choose?

The Ford on the left doesn't drive as fast, the A/C and heat are broken, the windows have hand cranks, there's no cruise control, and the radio only gets AM stations: $5,000 OBO +no warranty (and likely to have more than a few break downs)

The BMW on the right drives uh, super fast, with no faulty amenities, and the bluetooth radio will have you jamming all over the place: $35,000 +great warranty

Your choice: Inexpensive Ford? or Invest in the BMW?

And I'm not saying everyone should drive a BMW, but I am saying, that upgrades are worth it. So maybe instead, you take your beat-up ford and turn it into a newer VW Jetta ($19,000 +warranty). Yes, the Jetta doesn't drive as fast as the BMW, but it's in your budget and it has a heck of a lot more amenities than the Ford. And you know what? THAT will make a hugely positive impact in your journey/life.

The above before and after is a prime example of how powerful small changes can be. For more info 

CLICK HERE

There is much joy to be had in investing in our homes, because they are the vehicles to a HUGE chunk of our life (unless of course you're one of those magical Instagram people who travel for a living, in which case, I hope your hotels are fabulous).

So, let's make waking up in the morning a pleasant experience. And when you get home from a long day at work, I want you to bust through that front door and breathe in the beauty. Let's get you the right glasses for your evening cocktail, and the perfect chair to lean back in.

Getting your home right,  makes a difference INSIDE OF YOU. A difference that, up until recently, has been immeasurable. But as psychologists grow in their research on the subject, I am certain that every report will soon be screaming: FEEL GOOD IN YOUR HOME AND YOU WILL FEEL GOOD INSIDE YOUR BODY. You will LIVE LONGER and more JOYFUL lives (and you might even lose weight? and fight scary diseases? ... because joy is the best fighter for life out there).

So, do you NEED a decorator?...

Joy never hurts, and good design will always bring you Joy.

Until Next Week.

L

New Role: Contributor, For Emily Henderson

These past few months I've had a little side project brewing... and I didn't want to mention it until it truly came to life..

and this week, it did.

image

Following a lengthy application process I was officially hired in August to write an article for Emily Henderson's uber-popular design blog: Style By Emily Henderson

You may or may not know who she is, but chances are if you watch HGTV, shop at Target, or have even a wink of interest in interior design - you've seen her name (or at least her face). Especially if you live in the Portland Area, where she just famously (err... locally famously, anyway) flipped this killer home in Dunthorpe.

image via oregon live

So what I'm trying to say is, this woman is my hero. And as she edges her way to nearly a million followers on Instagram, it's clear I'm not the only person who feels this way. So when I got the "hey we want your voice, L-a-u-r-e-n" call, I had a pinch myself maybe just once or twice.

Image via Rachael Ray

Anyways, enough with the pinching! For today the facts are that I've been published on her site, and  will be going forward with them as a Contributor and Market Researcher. This work will simply be an addition to the one-on-one client work I'm doing here in Portland, as YOU, my clients, will always be my top priority. And these articles (however quickly they come) are simply a cherry on top of this crazy career.

To Check out the Article, Click Here
"39 of our Favorite Armchairs under $500 (+ some Rules to know)"

Until Next Week!

L

Change in the Seasons, Change in Interiors

Last night, for the first night in a long time, I found myself crawling out of bed in search of a second blanket. The air was crisp and sharp, I could taste it on my tongue and recognized familiar goosebumps as they popped up across my limbs. I tip toed to my dresser where I found a thick pair of sweatpants, and then pulled from the shelves a large fleece blanket to extend atop my duvet. Snuggling back into bed, warming up from the first chill of the upcoming season, I felt ready for the change.

Our lives move so quickly that, if we don't actively choose to take a break here and there, then we truly miss what's going on around us. There is so much more to our lives than coffee (shoutout to coffee: I still love you, I'm just trying to make a point here), deadlines, Netflix, aspirin, the morning/evening commute, and so on.

While we maybe can't pause every day or every month, we can certainly pause each season. If you pay even just a little attention, the seasons will teach you their rhythm. Each season has it's own way of announcing itself and these reminders are like a tap from the universe, asking us to look up, slow down for a second, and breath in the new air. And while not every part of the world has typical seasons, with regard to the weather, there are so many other indicators that let us know "hey, we're shifting." From which foods are fresh, to the holidays we celebrate, to the clothes you see in the shops (even places like LA sell sweaters in the fall), it's there.

With the signs all around us, it's nice to take the universal changes a step further and create your own, personal rituals.
For me, I have three standard rituals, each season:

1. Select a few wardrobe additions: This doesn't have to be extravagant. Even just two or three new pieces, can make a big change to not only how you look, but how you feel. 
2. Bring in Seasonal Foods: I'm a pretty picky eater but even something as simple as eating potatoes and citrus fruits in the cold months, and devouring berries and tomatoes when it's warmer, can make a big difference to your mind (and your digestive system).
3. Interior Swaps: You JUST KNOW I wouldn't write an entire post without talk about interiors! And this, THIS, is obviously my favorite ritual of all.
   Updating your interiors with the change in season can do so much for your mood and your mind. Plus, it makes everything feel fresh again (even if these are items you just swap in and out, year after year). Below are a few suggestions for you to pick and choose from:



west elm
• Change your Duvet cover and/or sheets: lighter colors and prints are great for the warm months, while a rich, dark print or solid can add warmth in the cold months.
• Change your towels: Same as above, light for warm months, darker for cool months. Sometimes just changing out a couple hanging hand towels will do the trick, so long as your other towels are neutral enough and/or white. (You can never go wrong with a white towel, n-e-v-e-r).
• Update Photos: You know all those great photos you took this Summer? Go print a few and update your frames. While some framed photos are meant to never be changed, there are so many more that would benefit from and update here and there.
• Decorate for the holidays: I mean it! Nothing gets us in the flow of the seasons quite like appropriately placed twinkle lights. And while not all seasons are as rich with holidays as the fall and winter, there is always a little something we can do to regard the days as they come. Maybe this feels a bit cheesy to you, but I assure you that if you do it right, it won't feel cheesy... it will just feel like, home.
• Bring in Plants or Florals: When it's warm, fresh cut flowers will brighten your home, but as the seasons cool, you may want to trade those in for succulents or other low maintenance plants that you can nurture indoors until the sun shines again.
• Paint: If you own, you have the option of painting whenever, wherever, so why not take advantage? Take your white living room, and give it a mocha accent wall. Or maybe take that little powder room and finally paint it a bold charcoal. While it's more complicated than just buying a couple planets, it's not so complicated that you couldn't do it in an afternoon (and the results will have your head spinning...in a good way!)

Until Next Week,

L