I’ve always known what home felt like to me, but as a self-identified ‘late-bloomer’, it’s taken a long time to understand how to get back there in some ways.
I wanna say I feel like I’ve arrived but I also know that there’s deeper layers to discover within myself – life is a journey after all.
I would say to anyone who feels far away from home, that it’s a feeling or rather a knowing of total alignment, rest and peace within yourself. I’d also say that it’s what lights your heart and soul on fire.
A type of warmth that only being in alignment with yourself and soul can produce – like the light within you is turned all the way up on the dimmer switch.
We’ve all been there as children.
We had a knowing of what lighted us up the most and if we were lucky, we were able to follow those impulses as much as we could.
And, then, we strayed from that. Some more than others.
We picked up other people's mental, emotional, spiritual and physical clutter.
We picked up beliefs about who we are and what is possible for us. That we’re not enough.
To keep ourselves safe, we fragmented ourselves and tried to fit into boxes that were too small for us.
We forgot how to navigate back home to ourselves.
So, what are the ingredients to creating a physical space that supports this light within and all the dreams and desires that reside there? How do we come home to ourselves with the help of our environment?
We must start with going within and connecting to those feelings and knowings of who we are and what we are drawn to.
To connect with that energy, take some deep breaths and think of a few happy times when you were a child. Now look around – what people and things in the environment were surrounding you? What were you doing that lit you up?
Hold onto those images and feelings for a moment, while I share my own –
I remember sitting on my bed as a child, filling up notebooks of floor plans of homes I dreamed up in my imagination. I could draw a 2-D floor plan with furniture and all, and imagine in my mind’s eye the 3-D version of it, complete with honey oak cabinets and dusty rose pillows on the couch (it was the 90s after all).
I remember pouring myself over interior design books that were on my parent’s bookshelf and soaking up every detail, colour, shape, texture and style that the pictures contained.
I also remember riding my BMX bike outside for hours at a time, the space and freedom to do whatever I wanted (for the most part) on those long, warm summer days.
I relished having a lot of space and time freedom and was also a bit of a homebody spending hours in my room at a time.
So when I’m designing and creating a space to support the essence of those moments in my childhood that felt totally like me, I extend the feeling of them into my space.
I love connecting with friends, but also need lots of alone time for rest, reflection and creativity, so I create an environment that works for me being home a lot, but also that I can easily change to have company.
I am obsessed with interior design, so I follow design accounts and websites and take what I like when considering new pieces of furniture and decor, while also gravitating toward timeless pieces that won’t go out of style.
I’ve always loved being very physical and active, so I make sure there’s space to do yoga and stretching somewhere.
I prefer my home to lean a little more toward a minimalist vibe, with lots of white space to not be overwhelmed by my surroundings and things.
I’ve always loved being outdoors, so I make a point to have plants and bring all the colours of nature into my home, so I feel like I belong to my own nature.
The physical things – furniture, decor, drapes, artwork and textiles are all important, but the energy and intention behind them is what matters. They need to connect to who you are at your core to support you.
Your true nature and what feels like home to you, when infused into your environment, creates the energy to support you in every area of your life.
So when you connect to the feeling / energy inside you of what lights you up, then you can choose the outer physical things to surround yourself with that supports ALL of you.
Sending you all the love,
Bre-An