Home as a Story Teller

(a scene from my nightstand,

what does it tell you about my story?)

I started thinking about this concept a lot a few years ago after reading Malcolm Gladwell's book, “Blink”.  In it, he mentions a study by Samuel Gosling which talks about how our personal belongings and the spaces we live in provide a wealth of information as to who we are. One of the clues observed had to do with “thoughts and feelings regulators” which are basically the things that influence the way we feel in a space.  So for example this could be the use of lots of candles in a home, the low, warm, flickering light can make us feel cozy, romantic, calm. Or contrary to that, a minimalist space with everything in its place and limited color.  How might that make you feel?  

The first question to ask yourself when designing a space is, “how do I want to feel?” There are so many ways we can use design to influence the "feel' of a space.  We react first to color and there is a lot of research out there on the psychology of color.  A pure red for example will be attention getting, dramatic and could even signal a warning.  While a very soft, subtle pink might feel sweet, calming and innocent.  We can use the principles and elements of design as part of our bag of tricks to create the feel we are looking for.  Think pattern, texture, the type of line, the amount of detail and ornamentation, shapes used…these are some of the ways in which we can create a feel.

Imagine a stranger walking through your home (not in a creepy way) while you were away.  Look around, what might stand out to them?  What story does your home tell about you?  Does it say you are fun and carefree?  Maybe it would tell us you are adventurous and a free spirit or that you are organized and precise?  I bet you, like me, have been in homes that felt flat, blah, generic?  Or you may have been in a home that just felt like it had a soul, it was interesting and filled with art, old and new things were displayed in unique ways, special photos and books filled the shelves, nothing was too precious.

I will be talking more on this in the future.  In the meantime, start paying attention to how you feel in a space, whether it is in your own home or somewhere else. Then look around and try to observe what it is that is making you feel the way you do.  Let your home say something about who you are, because the things we fill our homes with matter.