| Decorating for all the Senses |
| February 15, 2008 |
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When people think about decorating their homes they usually consider what they want it to look like but forget about the other senses and how important it is to consider these as well. Sight is important in decorating but smell, touch and sound can all play a big part in how your home environment nurtures you and your family or friends.
Smell
Let’s first consider the sense of smell. Have you ever walked into a bakery and just stopped to breathe in the sugary bread smell that makes you feel so happy? Do the same for your home! There are so many ways to fragrance your home from candles and potpourri, to oil that sits in a ring around a light bulb and gets heated up when the light is on. There are also lots of plug-in units which heat up and disperse the fragrance into the room. You need to find something that you will use often (daily). Sometimes even just a pot of coffee brewing gives a nice aroma to the house. The idea is to always keep some sort of pleasant scent in your home that lifts your mood.
Touch
When you’re purchasing items for you home, large furniture as well as all the accessories, pay attention to how it feels. Does it call out to you to be touched and welcome you to sit? Does your area rug invite you to take off your shoes to feel the texture (think of shag rugs)? Keep in mind fabrics for your throw pillows, drapes (try some luxurious velvet drapes), etc…And then as a contrast to all the softness, try some textural pieces such as large chunky baskets, a rugged wooden coffee table, woven wood blinds. Touch can go from soft and inviting to interesting with different textures.
Sound
When you walk into a place and it is complete silence, how do you feel? Or when it is filled with kids running around screaming, how do you feel? Sound is often overlooked as a component of interior design but sound has a profound impact on how we feel. While kids screaming is usually not a welcomed sound (especially for moms), silence can be equally unsettling. The best sounds that soothe and calm the soul are water trickling in a fountain, soft music, or white noise from a sound machine. I even love the sound of the dishwasher going. It has a rhythmic whir and splash sound that I find soothing and comforting.
When you are putting your final touches on a room, find something that will incorporate a soothing sound. Often even just opening the windows on a warm day and hearing the sounds outside (birds chirping, cars driving by, someone mowing a lawn) can fill your home with lively distant sounds.
Taste
This last sense doesn’t really fit into interior decorating unless you are talking about taste as a “sense of style”. Someone can have good taste or bad taste when it comes to buying for their home. Good taste sometimes comes naturally or it ca be developed over time with some guidance and trial and error. Good taste is a natural instinct for putting things together in a pleasing way. If you question whether you have good taste or not get some home decorating magazines and see if you can find your style in there somewhere. Most, if not all, interior decorating and home magazines showcase interiors done by professionals with good taste. That doesn’t mean that everything looks the same and appeals to everyone. It means that generally the homes look artfully done and composed. If you don’t like anything in any of the magazines you may need to rethink your style. Or not. If your home’s interior makes you happy, stay with it. But if you feel like you just can’t get it right, then chances are that you need help. Buy some magazines and books on interior decorating that appeal to you and then cut out all pictures you love. When you look at these pictures ask yourself exactly what in the pictures you are attracted to. Is it the use of distressed wood? Is it the color yellow painted in all shades of yellow? Is it bright floral patterns? When you find common denominators in the pictures, you can then piece together you sense of style, your taste, and set out to recreate that in your own home. You are teaching yourself how to have good taste.
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