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Small Changes That Have a Big Impact In Your Home

It’s January and everyone is trying to revise and improve their lives for the better. Even if you didn’t make any resolutions, it’s still important to understand what’s working, what’s not and make the necessary adjustments. In my last article, I talked about how tidying can help improve your mood and overall outlook on life. Now I’m going to give you actionable steps to make your home a place you love to come home to in the evenings. You may not realize how these small things can make a huge impact on how you feel but they absolutely do.

A Fresh Coat Of Paint

Paint is the easiest way to create a dramatic impact without having to overspend. Years ago, when my husband and I were trying to sell our home, we changed the paint color on the first floor to Benjamin Moore’s Seafoam Green. Within two days after painting, we had two offers at our full asking price. This color is a cool green that has plenty of white in it. It evoked feelings of calm and I enjoyed living there much more during the time before we moved. Paint honestly makes a difference, so invest in a high-quality neutral color that you can enjoy for years to come.

An Area Rug

An area rug will immediately warm up a space if you have hardwood floors. The contrast in texture makes an immediate impact and even if you already have carpets, double up. I currently have carpets in our home, but I placed an oriental rug in the living room to define the space. Area rugs can be used in small spaces to create a new area. In small apartments, there may not be a formal dining room or home office. Create them with a strategically placed rug. If you have children, choose one that will be durable and can be cleaned.

An Essential Oil Diffuser

Essential oils are popular right now and for good reason, they work. Lavender essential oil can calm you down after a long day. Citrus based essential oils such as orange and lemon clean the air and help you breathe easier. Another great choice is vanilla. I recently learned the reason why so many bath and beauty brands use vanilla scents in their products is because the scent aids in relaxation.

Stage Your Entryway

Your entryway is the first thing you see when you walk through the door. Why not take a little time to spice it up and wow your guest? Make sure the space is defined with a side table, even a nice dresser will work. Place a large mirror on top or hang it above the table. Find some books from your own collection or buy interior design books to stack in groups of three. A glass vase with faux or fresh flowers completes the look, with the addition of a few trinkets you may have around the house. You most likely have all these items on hand but just didn’t know to put them together. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out Pinterest.

Air Purifying Plants

If you’re looking for a chemical free way to not only freshen but purify the air in your home, plants are the answer. Plants like the garden mum, spider plant, weeping fig, aloe vera and bamboo palm have been proven to cleanse the air around them of harmful airborne pollutants. Plants are also a great way to introduce color into your space, so it’s a win-win situation

What are some of the things that you do to make your home more beautiful and relaxing? I’d love for you to share in the comments.

Photograph Courtesy of RealEstate.com

In Interiors & Design, Lifestyle on

The Science Behind Tidying Up

Marie Kondo’s new series “Tidying Up,” sheds a light on something that we’ve known all along: being organized creates not only physical space but mental space as well. Somehow, everything having a designated area makes us feel more in control of our lives and by extension, happier. It’s amazing that something as small as cleaning up could be the start of a calmer, more fulfilling life.

I was excited when I saw “Tidying Up,” come up in my Netflix queue. Firstly, I remembered her book “The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying Up,” and how popular it was. Secondly, I have an affinity for Japanese culture after living and working there for 3 years. Watching Marie brought feelings of nostalgia and intrigue as I watched her help each family in her charming and delicate way. After a few episodes, I looked on YouTube to learn her KonMari Method. I began folding my clothing into small rectangles and positioning them vertically in my dresser. It saved space, although it’s a bit more tedious than my normal folding method. I couldn’t argue with it’s accessibility and effectiveness because I could see every article of clothing and didn’t have to search for anything.

A study published by the scientific journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin used language analysis to measure how 60 women talked about their homes. Those who described their spaces as “cluttered,” were more likely to be depressed than those who described their homes as “restful.” The women with cluttered homes were shown to have a higher level of the stress hormone, cortisol.

At Princeton University, researchers found that clutter can make it difficult to focus on a particular task. It found that the visual cortex becomes overwhelmed by uneccesary objects, making it harder to focus on the task at hand.

There have been various studies proving that being clean and organized directly effects our quality of life. There are people who feel like being unorganized is apart of their personality and not a big deal. However, if you’re suffering from depression, anxiety or overwhelm, tidying up is a small sacrifice for finding peace. The worse that can happen is you’ll know exactly where to find your red blouse.

References

In Interiors & Design on

Amber of Amber Janae Interiors

Amber has a myriad of creative strengths from writing to graphic design and most recently, interiors. I first learned of Amber through her digital magazine, The Core. The gorgeous imagery coupled with wisdom-filled words that told stories of self acceptance, healing, wellness and comprehensive self care resonated with me. Interior design is an organic extension of this talented and beautiful woman. Learn more about her newest venture, Amber Janae Interiors and get inspired by her interview below.

What led you to start Amber Janae Interiors?

I believe I was divinely led. I had spent so many years not pursuing the things that made me happiest, interior design was one of those things. Since a young girl, I’ve always had a deep love for interior design. Growing up my mom had a lot of passion projects which often consisted of decorating our home(s) with DIY projects. So, in a sense, it was embedded in me as a child. When I was about 15 or 16 my parents began investing heavily into residential properties. During this time, I was front and center of the staging process of homes for renting and selling purposes. It was fascinating. I was able to pick up on a lot. In 2014 I got a job at a commercial furniture dealer working as a marketing coordinator. It didn’t take me very long to realize that I desired to be on the other side of things. I worked closely with a lot of the designers and was so intrigued by what it is that they did. In a one on one meeting with my boss one day, she asked me why I was working with the company. She wanted to know why I hadn’t pursued interior design because I was so good with visual concepts. That conversation planted a seed and I quietly worked toward Amber Janae Interiors since then. Essentially, it was my parents who had given me my first real opportunity by giving me a job staging their properties. I’ve been a roll since!

What’s your favorite interior design style?

Honestly, that’s so hard for me to answer, I hate to choose. I am a mixture of a few styles. Industrial is at the top of my list. Growing up I was always fascinated by warehouses and lofts. I love the raw feel of an industrial design style. High ceilings, metals, brick, I get excited thinking of it all. (laughter) I made a vow to myself that I would never purchase a property if it was a traditional style home. I will only ever buy a loft. I am still on the hunt for the perfect one in the Bay Area. I think a lot of people who follow me on social media have figured out my deep love for rustic and farmhouse design styles as well.

If you had to style a room with only 5 items, what would they be and why?

I’ve actually done this before. My 5 items would have to be a nice comfortable sofa, a coffee table, lounge chair, a floor plant and a great piece of art. If I only have 5 items to style my living room, incorporating a sofa and lounge chair is important in an area that I know will most likely be a high traffic or high conversational area. It you’re going to gather in a space, you’ll need to do it comfortably. Plants are also another significant factor for any space in your home because they serve so many valuable purposes. Plants are known to improve your health by purifying the air in a space helping you to breathe easier. Plants also are known to reduce stress, anxiety and help strengthen your focus. In a common area, such as a living room, plants are necessary in my opinion. Art is imperative because any space without it feels dull or incomplete to me. Lastly, a coffee table to me is equivalent to a dining table’s centerpiece, it just adds character to a room.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

A few years back I was a part of the media team for Oprah’s “Life You Want” tour. Oprah closed out a night telling us that “Life is always speaking to you. Every moment in your life represents a thread that is connecting the dots of each experience you encounter.” I took that advice to heart. From that day forward, I always looked at each experience trusting that regardless of the outcome, there was an opportunity for me to learn, grow, or to simply love more. Now that I have adapted that perspective. I look back on everything I’ve ever been through in life and see how it all led me here. I now see how the threads and dots connected, why I needed it all. It all served a purpose, it is why I am who I am today.

You can connect with Amber through her website.

In Interiors & Design on

Nicole Gibbons of Clare Paint

Acclaimed Interior Designer, Nicole Gibbons, is disrupting the paint industry with 55 brilliantly curated paint colors that ship straight to your front door with Clare. Now we can all relax with her paint selecting process that is both simple and straight-forward. Everyone knows that paint shopping can be overwhelming because of the sheer amount of colors available. The Clare Color Genius answers that problem with 8 short questions that lead straight to the color of your dreams. The Clare paint kit paint comes complete with wall and trim paint, plus the metal tray, rollers and brushes you need to finish the job. There’s also a shop where you can pick up extra items for your paint project. Not sure if it’s the right color? Clare also provides mess free swatches that you can peel and stick to see if the selection is right for you.

Trips to your local hardware store will be a thing of the past once you’ve experienced the fuss-free and streamlined process at Clare. Where else can you access the opinion of a sought-after interior designer anytime? I can’t wait to take the quiz and get my paint recommendation! Here’s a few of the colors I love.

Photo Courtesy of Clare “Sublime”

Photo Courtesy of Clare “Pop”

Nicole Gibbons, CEO of Clare

See what their up to over at Clare and check out those gorgeous paint colors!

In Interiors & Design on

Tamu Green of Lux Pad Interiors

Tamu Green is the founder of the New York based residential design firm, Lux Pad Interiors. After spending several years lending her design talents to one of Atlanta’s most popular interior design firms, she returned to her hometown of Brooklyn to create a space all her own. With a highbrow design aesthetic that shifts effortlessly through various styles, Tamu creates luxurious interiors for everyday life. Her creativity and love of color allows her to interpret diverse clients visions authentically. Find out more about Tamu’s evolution as a designer in her interview below.

At what age did you realize that you wanted to be an interior designer?

I created my first space plan in a shoe box with strategically arranged Barbie furniture (It was a humble exterior but pretty cozy inside). Despite my love for small plastic furniture, I didn’t consider interior design as a profession until I was 20 and undecided at Georgia Southern University. When it was time to choose my career, interior design was a no brainer. This was during the recession and the design industry was struggling but is still felt right. I also just so happen to be at one of only two public universities in Georgia with a CIDA accredited Interior Design program. I graduated 2 years later having earned a Bachelors of Science in Interior Design and minor in Business. The rest is history.

What places do you visit to feel inspired?

I try to allow inspiration to flow through me wherever I go but I don’t go to any particular place to feel inspired. There are times I’ll go somewhere and will be inspired to an idea. But more often, Inspiration comes months later and I’m not even correlating the idea to that experience. Inspiration happens incrementally for me. It can come from places that don’t look particularly significant or inspirational at the time so I try to be open to seeing beauty and function everywhere I go.

If you had to design a bedroom with only 4 items, what would they be? Why?

A rug, drapery panels, statement light fixture, and a bed. The rug and drapery panels to keep it warm and cozy, the statement light fixture to add presence and drama, and a big beautiful bed to ground the room, create a focal point, and of course, sleep in.

What’s your favorite part of the design process?

I love selecting textiles for my design projects. Walking into a design center with a general idea and finding the perfect colors, patterns, and textures come together to flesh out that vision is so much fun.The textile selection part of the design process mimics the design process was a whole, but with more instant gratification.

Tell us something that most people don’t know about you.

I’m a self-help, law of attraction, Deepak Chopra loving, Abraham Hick listening, Kemet discussing, deliberately manifesting, “new-age” nerd. There! It’s out, lol! I’m useless in a discussion of the current shenanigans happening in America, but if you want to talk about being an infinite being having a finite experience. . . I’m your girl!

You can view Tamu’s residential portfolio and get in touch for design services at Lux Pad Interiors. + Check out her everyday musings on Instagram!

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