A home should be a joyful place to live. At least this is what interior decorator Ingrid Fetell Lee recommends in her book, Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness. Even if you just look at the cover of this book, it makes you feel a little bit happy. And since home is a place where you spend the majority of your time (if you include the time you sleep as well), it’s important for it to be a place that makes you feel good. Here are some tips from Lee’s book to help you buy and decorate your luxury home in a joyful way:
- Space: It is necessary for there to be an adequate amount of space in order for a home to be joyful. And if this means that you have to buy a home which is a little bit further from work, then it might be worth it. On the other hand, having too much space might give you a lost kind of feeling which is not joyful. So think about what would be an ideal amount of space for you and your family.
- Nature: According to Lee, it’s always important to incorporate a bit of nature in your home. So if you can have a natural view, like a garden, a tree, a vista or, if you’re living in Boulder, even mountains, that can increase your joyfulness quotient. You can also introduce nature in your home in the form of flowers and plants.
- Abundance: According to Lee, an abundance of things can increase feelings of joyfulness. This is something you can introduce into your surroundings by grouping things together. For example, you can have a bunch of small rugs in your living room, small paintings grouped together on the wall, old china arranged in a glass case etc.
- Angles vs. Curves: Lee suggests that a home full of angles is less joyful than a home full of curves. She even talks about homes which are constructed in the form of circles. Although this is not possible for most of us, you can introduce curves into your home through your furniture, rugs, stools etc. Wherever possible, go for circular shapes rather than square or rectangular ones.
- Colors: Decorating your home with colors can help to make it more joyful. This doesn’t mean you have to use bright, primary colors. But don’t make everything grey or beige because that is decidedly not joyful. Make sure you break the monotony with at least one color of your choosing.
Contact us to learn more about buying and decorating your home in a joyful way.