The My Beautiful Abode philosophy is based on creating beautiful inviting spaces to make home a sanctuary. Now, as our homes have become schools and workplaces, the concept of sanctuary has never been more essential to our general wellbeing.
We are loathe to mention the c-word, but the pandemic has made seismic changes to the way we live and the role of our homes. While children will be making a return to the classroom, workplace experts predict that working from home, previously a rarity for workplaces, will be the norm as employers and employees alike have experienced the benefits that come from this mode of work. It’s difficult to imagine a full-scale return to the commute and open plan offices.
What does this mean for the abode? Employment factors aside, when the world outside your home becomes a frightening, stressful place, then home naturally becomes a place of safety, nurture and protection. Now, more than ever is the time to make it a true haven.
We talk a lot about the vibe of a space- like in this blog post- but basically, our styling approach focuses on comfort, warmth, serenity and ease. We don’t go for overly-styled spaces, and now when the dining room may also be functioning as a classroom, a conference room and a workspace, trying to maintain a ‘perfect’ vignette will only add a level of tension that helps nobody. Instead, we propose a few quick interior tips and tricks to make your home a sanctuary.
Firstly, burn your candles! Nothing will add a sense of serenity to your space than the gentle flickering and gorgeous scent of a beautiful candle. Bring your vignette to life and add a sense of special to the every day.
It’s a rare design of ours that doesn’t include a dash of greenery. When the outdoors is off-limits and when we’re dousing ourselves in antiseptic rub whenever we leave the confines of our house, elements of the natural world will bring untold benefits.
There’s no stress quite like sharing a space 24/7, indefinitely. Create thyself a space that’s unequivocally yours, and yours alone, even if it’s just a nook where you can have a coffee solo, with strict instructions not to be disturbed. The bathroom is another wonderful option for creating a place of refuge where beautiful bath products can double as style features. Of course, if you have younger children, their manky bath toys destroy the day-spa vibe, but that’s an easy fix with some gorgeous storage baskets. However, if you have older children, telling them you’re off for a bath is the perfect strategy for buying yourself some solo time- nothing like the threat of seeing mum sans clothes to get them scattering to the far reaches of the house!
Finally, if possible, we can’t stress enough the importance of creating dedicated work spaces for everyone to help delineate between work and personal time. When the island bench is also the desk, it’s just too easy to ‘check a few emails’ while cooking dinner. If you can’t create dedicated work spaces, perhaps try some routines around shutting down the work day so you don’t feel constantly in work-mode.
If your home is less ‘sanctuary’ and more ‘place where we are all on top of each other’ then please reach out. Our clever, creative approaches might be the perfect solution to help you create your beautiful abode.
