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How to create a sanctuary at home

Make your home more eco-friendly

What makes a home feel good?

On the blog

How to create a sanctuary at home
How to make your home more eco-friendly in 2020
Interior design for wellbeing
Why interior design can help you beat the winter blues
How to keep clutter under control and why it matters

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becky.hirt

Interior designer & stylist
🌿Creating healthy, stylish, sustainable homes
🌿Follow me for interiors tips & inspiration
🌿SW London | Surrey

*How to make your home your own* In the quest to m

*How to make your home your own*
In the quest to make a home look good, it's easy to overlook what makes it feel good. Social media is a great place to find inspiration for interiors projects, but it's not generally a good idea to replicate what you find there. Why not? Because your home should be as unique as you are.
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If you're not quite sure how to personalise your space, you could begin by asking yourself these three questions. 1 Who are the most important people in your life? How does your living space include or make reference to them? 2 What are the most important places in your life story? Are they represented in your rooms through colour or texture or objects? 3 What activities do you value the most? How are they reflected in your home?
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#interiordetails #cornerofmyhome #pocketofmyhome #interiorstyling
#colourtherapy #ihavethisthingwithcolour #greathomestaketime #mindfulliving
#nestandthrive #makehomematter

This quote makes me giggle, because although no on

This quote makes me giggle, because although no one sets out to hide a light behind a door, it's easy to get lighting wrong and make some unintended blunders. Usually because it's been installed without enough thought or purpose.
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Lighting is a huge topic but here are some important things to bear in mind:
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Plan ahead - start considering where you need lighting as soon as you have a basic floorplan. It's really expensive and awkward to move wiring later on.
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Don't underbudget - lighting can be expensive but it's one of the most impactful areas of interior design.
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Layer your lighting - think about it in terms of three distinct functions: general lighting (which you might want when you are cleaning, looking for something etc); task lighting (which will light a small area in which you carry out an activity such as reading, prepping food); and accent lighting (which is about creating atmosphere and directing attention).
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Know your spec - it's really important to understand the colour temperature and lumens of any bulbs you buy. Colour temperature is about how warm or cool the light is (with a candle at the warm extreme and daylight at the cool one), while the lumens is about how bright it is.
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Be smart - switching over to smart lighting is easy to do, and gives you a lot more control over your light levels (meaning you can set timers, dim the lights, and even change the colour).
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There's lots more to say on this subject but I'll save it for another post. If you have any lighting questions please post them below, or DM me for more info about how I can help you with lighting design.
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#lightingdesign #lighting #decortips #interiordesigner #lightingdetails #renovation #interiordetails #houseandhome #designyourspace

Has anyone else been spending more time than usual

Has anyone else been spending more time than usual in their bath or shower over the last three weeks? Whether it's to escape from the kids (or partner 😂), to unwind tense muscles, or to soothe a troubled mind, the bathroom can really be a haven and an important part of our self-care
routine. Here's how to make sure your bathroom ticks every feel-good box:
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1 Stick to a tonal colour palette and avoid strong colour contrasts to keep the mood calm.
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2 Even when the colour palette is restrained you can create interest by including lots of different textures - mix and match natural materials like bamboo, organic cotton, wood and stone.
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3 Introduce some greenery because it will help to relax your nervous system - maidenhair ferns, zebra plants and devil's ivy all love high humidity.
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As for what colour to go for, I lean towards sea greens and blues in a bathroom, but I'd love to know what you like.
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#interiordetails #bathroomdetails #pocketofmyhome #cornerofmyhome
#howwedwell #selfcare #bathroominspo #rolltopbath #greenbathroom #nestandthrive #wellbeing #downpipe #bluegrey #interiorstyling #biophilicdesign #biophilia

Happy Easter to you, my friend! Not the one that m

Happy Easter to you, my friend! Not the one that many of us had planned, but I hope it brings you much joy (and copious amounts of chocolate if you're a fan 😊).
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In this season of renewal my wish for us all is that we can see our lives, our families and homes with fresh eyes, and a sense of their enormous potential.
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I'm celebrating the unfurling of my beautiful acer, which fills me with wonder every spring.
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#mindfulliving #consciousliving #wellbeing #feelgoodhomes #easterdecor #acerpalmatum

Have you been taking some time to slow down and no

Have you been taking some time to slow down and notice your home? If so, perhaps you're feeling ready to embark on a journey that aligns the space you have with what you need.
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But where to begin? I'd start with three words: three adjectives that describe how you'd like to feel in your home.
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You might start by thinking about the whole space, because while the rooms in your house each have a different purpose, they are all members of the same family. Or perhaps you have a specific room in mind that isn't quite working. Either way is okay. There's no right or wrong.
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Sometimes we start with one small area or detail, and doing so reveals the master plan. Or sometimes we start with the big picture, and the details take care of themselves.
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When I thought about this yesterday my own three words for my home were: Relaxed. Valued. Creative. I'd love to know yours.
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This photo was taken in Ahoy There, the very welcoming, peaceful and snuggly @cornishgems property I stayed in over February half term.
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#wellbeing #mindfulliving #greathomestaketime #livingroom #makehomematter #interiordesigner #interiorstylist #happyhealthyhome #interiordetails #consciousliving

If you haven't read this poem by John O'Donohue I

If you haven't read this poem by John O'Donohue I can heartily recommend it. The words are a form of blessing for a new home, but they are so full of inspiration in these uncertain times that you might find them comforting.
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As we are compelled to retreat and turn inwards at the very time of year that we would normally be venturing out it can feel really limiting. It seems as though all of our plans have to cease. But what if this enforced time at home could be an opportunity. To return to projects and ideas that normally don't get space to breathe and to be explored. To let our very confinement become a process of exploring and embracing new possibilities.
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I say this not to underestimate the challenges that you might be facing in terms of keeping your life and your livelihood going. But so that if in the midst of trouble you are looking for a silver lining, this might be it. May your home be a place of discovery, and comfort, and courage this weekend.
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#wellbeing #makehomematter #feelgoodhomes #mindfulliving #nestandthrive #happyhealthyhome #wellness #johnodonohue

*How to find comfort at home* How are you? And how

*How to find comfort at home* How are you? And how are you feeling about having to spend more time at home? We're all being forced to get more of our needs met by our living space right now, rather than seeking fulfilment in the outside world.
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As our homes become workplaces, we need them to keep us feeling positive and productive, but we also want them to provide us with comfort and support as we face uncertainty. I've put together some ideas on how you can create a sanctuary at home for @timeandleisure. Hop on over via the link in my bio.
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I took this photo at the always inspirational @petershamnurseries, just a few weeks back, but it feels like a lifetime ago somehow.
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#wellbeing #makehomematter #stayhome #consciousliving #feelgoodhomes #wellbeingathome #nestandthrive #happyhealthyhome

Social media is awash with suggestions right now t

Social media is awash with suggestions right now to get busy reorganising your house. Sort, fix, mend, improve. Do it fast. Don't waste valuable time inside. Make it productive.
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There's not necessarily anything wrong with this approach and if it's working for you then carry on - we all need to find our own path through these strange times.
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But if all this activity is only making you feel more anxious I'd like to suggest an alternative. One that's based not on speed, but on slowing down. Not on seeing your living space as a short-term activity to displace a storm of worry, but as a life-long project that begins with the simplest and most difficult of tasks: to tune in to what you have, what you need and what you value.
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Good homes take time. And what better time than now to pause, breathe and take stock. Here are some suggestions on how to start:
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Watch how the light enters every room in the house - where and how it dances on each wall during the day. How does the light change the colour on the walls?
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Observe which parts of your home you are drawn to most now that you're spending more time in it. Which room do you go to when you need to feel uplifted, or focused, or calm, or productive?
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Reflect on which activities your living space supports and which it hinders. Where do you go to when you want company, or to be quiet and alone?
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Listen to the sounds and scents that ebb and flow through your home at different times of day.
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Notice how much you have already and which of your possessions give you pleasure or serve a purpose. Which objects do your eyes linger on? Which surfaces or textures do you like to touch?
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Allowing time for these answers to unfold will ensure that any changes you make will be lasting and satisfying: and that they will enhance your life as well as your home.
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#greathomestaketime #mycolourfulinterior #colourmyhome #mindfulliving #consciousliving #masterbedroom #wellbeing #howwedwell #makehomematter #wellbeing #bedroomdetails #interiordetails #pocketofmyhome #cornerofmyhome

*Why going blue is good for you* Despite its assoc

*Why going blue is good for you* Despite its associations with feeling depressed or down, blue is a colour worth getting to know, especially in these uncertain times.
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Thanks to its strong relationship to the sea and sky, it has the ability to calm and reassure us, and make us feel connected to the natural world. Dark blue in particular can feel very grounding and can aid clarity and concentration, and who doesn't need help with that at the moment!
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To create a dramatic and formal effect stick to one strong blue, using it in large blocks or in patterns. If you go dark and strong on the walls you can anchor the colour elsewhere in the room using accessories.
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For a less formal look go for softer tones and layer up different blues to recapture the subtle effect of azure seas or a stormy sky.
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As for accents, blue works well with so many different colours. Try tangerine orange or lime green against a dark shade for eye-popping intensity, or a terracotta or sage green with lighter, more gentle blues.
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This photo is of my study: a place I rely on to make me feel grounded, focused, and ready to take on the world (or a virus 😁)!
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And what about you? How do you do blue?
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#bluestudy #stiffkeyblue #myFaBhome #wellbeing #colourtherapy #feelgoodhomes #wellbeingathome #interiordetails #bohostyle #surreyinteriordesigner #interiorstylist #happyhealthyhome #nestandthrive #interiordetails

*The healing power of wood* I've seen so many post

*The healing power of wood* I've seen so many posts over the last few days from people who have been out walking in the woods to lower their worry levels and put things into perspective. It's my go-to stress-fix as well - I've been hugging trees all week!
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We are now learning that using wood inside our homes can create similar benefits to being near trees outside: these include reducing our blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels, increasing our concentration and creativity, and speeding up recovery.
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Wood is a wonder material which, when used responsibly, can make our homes feel happier and healthier. That's down to its texture, its smell, its chemical and physical properties, and our hardwired postive associations with trees. Here's how to harness the power of wood in your home:
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Buy wooden products that are second hand, FSC certified, or made from reclaimed wood.
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Think beyond furniture to wall-cladding, panelling, flooring, lighting, kitchen utensils and other homewares.
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Whether you have a working fireplace or not, stack up logs to create interest and reinforce your connection with the trees outside.
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Don't worry about matching all your woods - use a couple of different varieties together to create an informal and relaxing scheme.
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Ditch the paint and let the natural grain and texture of the wood shine through to reap the rewards.
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Have you fallen in love with wood yet?
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#biophilia #biophilicdesign #wellbeingathome #happyhealthyhome #wellness #wellbeing #mindfulliving #woodforgood

If you find yourself holed up over the next few we

If you find yourself holed up over the next few weeks and cabin fever has you a little antsy, there are a few things you can do to shift your energy and focus.
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1 Open the windows in every room, even if it's just for 5 minutes, to let the stale air out and fresh air in.
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2 Try physically shifting things around your home - rearrange the furniture and move objects from one room to another.
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3 Bring in some greenery from the garden and arrange it in vases and bottles around your living space.
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4 Burn some essential oils to boost your mood.
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5 Light a candle to create a sense of
safety and reassurance.
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#mindfulliving #happyhealthyhome #consciousliving #wellbeing #nestandthrive

Who else wants to climb into bed right now, pull t

Who else wants to climb into bed right now, pull the covers over their head and block out all the bad news?
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Whether we're feeling unwell, sleeping, or just needing to retreat a little, bedrooms are really important to our well-being. It's the room above all others that needs to make us feel secure, nurtured, and removed from the pressures and stresses of daily life. Rest, intimacy and clarity can naturally follow if our bedrooms provide the sanctuary we need. Here are some ideas to create a bedroom that feels good:
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1 Layering up lots of different textures in a narrow colour palette will create a relaxed, soothing space. 2 Making sure there is enough storage to put everything away at night will ensure the room feels peaceful and will give your brain some space to unwind. 3 Investing in the best mattress you can afford, in natural materials, will help to promote good sleep. 4 Organic cotton and linen are great sustainable bedlinen choices that will feel good on your skin. 5 Introducing some plants and natural materials will soothe your mind by restoring your connection with nature.
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#bedroom #wellbeing #happyhealthyhome #greensmoke #greenbedroom #consciousliving #bedroomdetails #nestandthrive #biophilicdesign

It's been a while since I popped up to say hello a

It's been a while since I popped up to say hello and show my face, so here I am 😁. If we've met face to face then you probably know plenty about me already, but in case we've not, here's a quick run-down.
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I love making houses feel like homes.
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My background is in communications and psychology, but I've always had a passion for interiors and as I've got older that's collided with my interest in well-being.
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I can't stop buying books: my shelves hold an eclectic library of novels, books on interiors, art, colour, craft, well-being, and psychology.
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I had a moment of crisis four years ago when sleep deprivation, work stress, ill health, and the death of my mum pushed me to the brink and led me out of my office job. Love, patience, and creativity brought me home.
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My home is a semi-detached Victorian house in south-west London which my husband and I have loved back to life.
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We share it with our two kids. They, like me, would love to have a whippet but my husband has exercised his veto rights. 😆
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But enough about me: what should I know about you and your home?
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#interiordesignerkingstonuponthames #interiorstylist #happyhealthyhome
#mindfulliving #wellbeingathome #surreyinteriordesigner #mindfulhome
#wellbeing

Now that I'm on day ten of no heating and hot wate

Now that I'm on day ten of no heating and hot water, physical fires are very much on my mind. In fact the yearning for bodily warmth is pretty much my daily obsession! 😂
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It's an inconvenience more than anything else, not a genuine hardship - if anything, ten days of switching an electric heater on only when I'm in the room, and gasping as I step into an ice-cold shower has forced me to acknowledge how lucky I am that I don't have to think about these things on a permanent basis.
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But it's also a gentle reminder that we all have a hierarchy of needs. Only once we have a warm, safe and dry house we can turn our attention to building a home, and nurturing our mind with intellectual food and fire.
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This wonderful quote reminds us that houses and homes are two different things, that it's hard to build any sense of the second without the first, and that our dwellings are multi-dimensional spaces that need to satisfy our bodies, minds, and spirits.
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#consciousliving #mindfulliving #happyhealthyhome #wellbeing #mindfulhome #happyhome #wellbeingathome #wellness #greathomestaketime #nestandthrive

Are you one of the people who has been doing loads

Are you one of the people who has been doing loads of decluttering over the last few weeks? If so, can I suggest a few things that will really seal the deal and ensure that all of your efforts don't go to waste?
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1 Make a plan for keeping a mindful eye on all the things that come into your house, so that over time you don't need to spend as much time on making space. For common items such as toys, clothes and books it can help to adopt a one-in-one-out rule: when you bring home something new, think about which item you are happy for this one to displace.
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2 Create a place for everything, because if our possessions don't have a permanent spot to live in, it's a nigh impossible task to keep everything tidy.
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3 Have an end of the day reset if you can, meaning that all the items that have come out during the day go back to where they belong before bed. It's a great sanity saver that will ensure that you end the day in a calm space, and begin each new one feeling on top of things.
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#happyhealthyhome #wellbeing #mindfulhome #mindfulliving #interiordetails #decluttering #declutter #southwestlondon #consciousliving #interiorstylist #shakerkitchen #kitchendetails #greenkitchen #kitchendiner

*How to make your home more eco-friendly* I'm not

*How to make your home more eco-friendly* I'm not a big follower of interior trends because I think they just encourage us to buy (and waste) more.
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But there is one theme permeating the interiors world right now that I am paying attention to, and that's sustainability. I don't even like to call it a trend, because I'm really hoping it's a movement that's here to stay, and that it is signalling a major shift from seasonal, fast interiors to a slower, more mindful approach.
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Creating a home in an eco-conscious way can feel a bit overwhelming though, if you don't know where to start. If you're looking for a bit of inspiration you might be interested in an article I wrote for @timeandleisure's March eco-edition (link in bio), which I posted about in my stories. I've covered key areas including flooring, paint, soft furnishings and lighting.
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Are you thinking of making your home more eco-friendly in 2020?
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#consciousliving #mindfulliving #happyhealthyhome #wellbeing #mindfulhome #happyhome #wellbeingathome #livingroom #interiordetails #decortips #wellness #ecofriendlyhome #interiorstyling #greathomestaketime #stiffkeyblue #pocketofmyhome #cornerofmyhome

I've been talking about making space over the last

I've been talking about making space over the last few weeks, and that's because for me it's one of the key ways in which we can design our homes to feel good as well as look good. But what about the other elements? How can you make sure that your living space is a happy, healthy one?
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Over on the blog today (the link's in my bio) I'm talking about all the things that can contribute to a feel-good home, and the areas that I focus on when designing a space.
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What makes a home feel good to you?
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(This very cosy photo was taken in the @cornishgems holiday home I've been staying in this week. Even Storm Dennis couldn't crush my spirits with a fire like this to come back to every evening 💕)
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#consciousliving #mindfulliving #happyhealthyhome #wellbeing #mindfulhome #happyhome #wellbeingathome #feelgoodhomes #woodburningstove #livingroom #cornwall #interiordetails #interiordesigner #interiorstylist #decortips #wellness #interiorstyling #winterliving #fireplace

Let's talk about space - do you have enough? Last

Let's talk about space - do you have enough? Last year's GoodHome Report found that our attitude (or maybe our gratitude) towards how much living space we have is more important than the actual size.
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On the one hand, I'm not surprised by this because having a living space that's ours, and that we have control over, no matter the size, is vital to our mental health and well-being. On the other hand, I'm writing as someone who does have enough space, and that's a huge privilege when owning or renting a home is so costly.
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It's easy to be dissatisfied, and to forget that we mostly need a little less than we think. For example, one study which mapped how people move in their home throughout the week found that most of us use only around 40% of our living space. Huge areas are neglected, while we carve a groove in the floor on some well-worn routes.
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What I take from these studies is that whatever the size of our home, a) our attitude towards it matters and b) we can use whatever space we do have more efficiently if we're mindful in how we design it.
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But I'm interested in what you think... Does more space equal more happiness?
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#consciousliving #mindfulliving #happyhealthyhome #wellbeing #mindfulhome #decluttering #happyhome #wellbeingathome #goodhomereport #southwestlondon

If you haven't done any decluttering yet this year

If you haven't done any decluttering yet this year, but are planning some, here are a few ideas to get you going, whichever items or rooms you're tackling.
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1 Start by sorting - creating piles for keeping, selling, recycling. Be ruthless: if any item is no longer used, doesn’t fit, is broken, or you have more than one, it can go. And only keep books, artwork and ornaments that you really love, and which bring genuine pleasure into your life.
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2 Work out where you're going to put away everything you're keeping. If the stuff you own won’t fit into the storage you have then it’s an impossible task to keep it tidy and ordered. The exceptions are items that are beautiful or interesting to look at, and which you want to display.
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3 If 1 and 2 have gone well you should be left with all the lovely things that you really do want to see, and which tell a story about your life and what's important to you. You can style and display these items in frames, on shelves, and on mantelpieces to give your home its own unique personality.
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4 DM me if you're stuck - I'd love to help.
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#happyhealthyhome #wellbeing #mindfulhome #mindfulliving #interiordetails #decluttering #declutter #southwestlondon #consciousliving #homecoach #interiorstylist #shakerkitchen #kitchendetails #greenkitchen

When I asked you a few days ago about areas where

When I asked you a few days ago about areas where your 'stuff' is getting out of control, I had several comments about clothes. Now, I could be wrong, but just as studies have shown that most of us only use around 40% of our living space, I suspect that a lot of us only wear around 30-40% of our wardrobe.
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Some of that is because of how we store things - maybe we can't even see half of what we own - and some of it is perhaps because we own too much, and simply don't have enough days in the year to wear it all. My classic error is to buy lots of floaty, colourful summery dresses, forgetting that two weeks of Mediterranean sun + an average English summer does not justify the existence of all of them. The rest of the year I live in my sports kit, three pairs of jeans and three woolly jumpers 😂.
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So here are a couple of ideas for getting clothes under control:
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1 Hang all items in your wardrobe with the hook of the hanger the wrong way around, then put them back in the right way as you wear each item. After three months you'll easily be able to see which items have not been worn that season. 2 Start folding your items in drawers so that they will stand up on end following @mariekondo's technique; once you've done this I can almost guarantee that you'll start wearing more of what you own, and realise what you don't need anymore. 3 Say goodbye to (almost) anything that you haven't worn in the last two years. Someone else could be benefiting from it, and space is too precious to give up to unworn items. If you’re brave enough to try this I'd love to hear how you get on!
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#happyhealthyhome #wellbeing #mindfulhome #mindfulliving #wellbeingathome #interiordetails #decluttering #declutter #surbiton #richmond #kingston #wimbledon #consciousliving #homecoach #interiorstylist

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