There is so much we can learn from the natural world when it comes to design and the harmonious decorating of our homes. Turning to nature for inspiration as one of the simplest and most informative design guides to follow is a great place to start whenever we are in doubt. In this article, we share a few ideas on how to be inspired by the natural world and use it to help us make more harmonies design decisions for our homes.
The spaces we inhabit and the objects we fill those spaces with, tell a story whether we intend them to or not. These stories matter, not because of what they signal to others but because of what they signal to us. Only when the designs of our interiors are created in line with what we value most and when they facilitate the feelings and activities that nurture our minds and bodies, can our spaces begin to really feel like our home...
Modern-day living has made us more connected and more aware of one another than ever before. But at the same time, there is a kind of deep loneliness that is taking hold of many communities. The kind of loneliness that sees many people spending time in close proximity to one another but feeling deeply disconnected and unseen. Given the importance of social connection for our wellbeing, the observation that the quality of our connections is dwindling is as worthy of our attention as almost all the other crises that face our species...
While there is no doubt that the idea of home is a dynamic and evolving concept, many thoughts and concerns that are on our minds today have accompanied those interested in homemaking since the industrial revolution changed the nature of home. In ‘Hints on House Furnishing’ Sparrow highlights three values which he deems essential for good design that hold as true today as they did 110 years ago…
British author, illustrator and painter, Mary Eliza Haweis, wrote a series of essays subsequently captured and elaborated on in her books titled ‘The Art of Beauty’ and ‘The Art of Decoration’ published in 1878 and 1881 respectively. What about Haweis's work is the relevance that some of her ideas still have for our current experience. In particular, her discussion on the importance of thoughtfulness in design seems as relevant today as it was 140 years ago...
An understanding of how to be authentic is not always a given. Modern Western culture praises individuality and authenticity but there is little formal structure in place in our culture and our systems to help individuals to cultivate the ability to listen to their innermost voice. We have an innate desire for authenticity; being connected to ourselves, knowing what we feel, and being able to act on this understanding was a crucial survival mechanism for our ancestors. But cultivating this ability is a practice...
The experience of being human is an embodied one: we know the world through our sense. But as our digital and virtual worlds predominantly use only our visual sense, a grounding antidote to the flatness of our digital lives is to engage our other sense whenever possible. The way we design our homes can either help or hinder the process of engaging all of our sense daily.