S.Y.S.T.E.M.S & Organising

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear or read the word SYSTEMS? Let’s be honest, some think - rigidity, set processes, unchanging methods.

If any of those words or descriptions came to mind, you are not entirely wrong as it can come across in those ways sometimes but the meaning we gravitate towards depends largely on an individual’s mindset and experiences. Most importantly and desirable though, is what organising does for us as individuals - not just in business development practices or at technically skilled endeavors - but how it works wonders in forming the framework for families to thrive together.

Our blog this month is written to inspire you to Save YourSelf Time, Energy, Money and Stress using tried, tested decorating and/or organising methods/ skills in every space, especially the home.

Why do we do this? We do this because:

1. what you wake up to daily has the capacity to affect your everyday living and mindset.

2. organising for calm promotes and demonstrates what ‘positive mental health’ looks like.

3. an organised space forms the structure around which individuals develop and discover their values in order to prioritize them as each individual evolves.

It is quite critical for the younger members of a family to see and experience in their formative years, how an organised space supports their growth, fulfils the demands of their primary needs and, prepares them for the world outside the home by anchoring them in their own values. It is also true for adults as each individual develops and evolves at a different pace. The way SYSTEMS support us is by enabling us become aware of our own wiring (and that of our family members) enough to know when changes and growth occur, so we can identify and adopt a different system for the new level of growth, while remaining considerate of other members of the home or space. It allows us to capitalise on what motivates us, instead of trying to change our motivation or that of others.

Why is this important?

1. Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing in children especially, starts by creating the right environment that caters to basic needs, which begins from when a child is born as even babies can pick up on the atmosphere around them. Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, where basic needs (such as physiological or biological needs, safety, love & belonging, or esteem of self and others) are not met , growth needs (or self actualisation)cannot be achieved. Studies show that where these basic needs are not met, it affects the ability for children to:

   • Develop -their sense of self & resilience

   • Learn - explore, experiment

   • Socialise - freedom to participate in group activities or for solitary activities indoors or outdoors

2. Emotional Development and Intelligence also starts from the formative years of a person’s life. For adults, it is critical to identify what emotional mindset drives us so we don’t continue to propagate the ‘hurt-people-hurt-people’ syndrome through to the next generation.

Healthy and thriving communities are only possible when individuals are whole. Who we are at home is who we present to our communities therefore we believe that it takes whole individuals to form great communities.

As adults, we should be focused on our growth needs (Self-Actualization) but where we are deficient in the basic needs, that becomes our motivation. We find that we feel something is missing, leading to an experience of tension which leads to the exhibition of ‘neurotic behaviour’.

But, the good news is that all these deficiencies and their ramifications on our spiritual, emotional, relational or self-leadership needs/ growth can be cultivated in adults when pursued deliberately. Some of the ways to begin is by creating welcoming environments that support the emotional aspects of mental wellbeing such as:

• identify and establishing clear boundaries (values and behavioural expectations)

• learn yourself and hack you so you can become role models by demonstrating calm to the younger members of the family or community (because some things are caught, not taught)

• encouraging comfort with compassion and empathy (seeing that the systems supports each member of the home so each individual is considerate of the other)

In the end, what is the collective goal of the family unit? We would hope it is to thrive together. There are so many tips and methods that serve various personality types (and some families have a wide range of personality types in the same space) which cannot be covered in a single blog. We will however continue to educate one another on findings and practices with positive results that are of value to those who need it.

Still, don’t take our word for it. Join APDO (The Association of Professional Declutteres and Organisers), a community of over 400 (and counting) independent businesses, as we share tips, hacks and experiences of organising for positive wellbeing and development in this year’s National Organising Week (NOW) from Monday November 7, 2022 till Monday November 14, 2022.

over the next couple of days leading up to the event, and weeks leading up to the end of the year (and beyond), we will provide more information for the event and transformational content on related topics.

Until then, ‘keep organising and stay calm’!

From your friends at https://www.linktr.ee/thewellbeingc

Void

Yesterday, the newspapers were agog with yet another young man, the co-owner of a thriving (to the best of my knowledge) fast food chain in Lagos Nigeria and former banker/ Shell Nigeria staff, had taken his own life at his home in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. I would usually so emotional and sober at such news but today, I was filled with rage! The type of anger that refuses to sit by and do nothing.

Various groups were writing messages about checking up on one another. Yes, noble words and all, until you are the one who falls through the cracks for whatever reason. I just kept thinking, when are we going to say what we mean and mean what we say? Since the “end of Covid19” a new kind of frenzy has been born and this kind glorifies ‘isolation’ where people are so afraid of offending that silence becomes the norm.

There are over 40 grief causing life events and the manifestations may sometimes be triggered by the death of a loved one as it was in my case, but we can’t will it away, or let time heal it by being strong for others, without taking the necessary steps to recovery for ourselves. One of the major components of grief recovery is dialogue. Grief needs an outlet that can only be fulfilled in community and just like Alcoholics Anonymous, it is best achieved in safe communities; a space where you are not judged for prioritising your wellbeing and taking what you need to heal.

This is definitely not suggesting another ‘me too’ campaign or movement but people are suffering in silence - people, not women, or men, PEOPLE!. The sooner we recognise that we need to take back our place as Human Beings first before anything else, the sooner we can heal and thrive.

It is different for everyone, and the recovery process looks different for everyone. If you have a strong will and you feel you’re okay, then that’s awesome for you but please can we get back to the place where we can help the one who is weaker than we are by allowing them the space and resource they need if we can’t help them get it ourselves?

It takes Whole Individuals to form Whole Communities.

If you are struggling to find your tribe or know anyone else struggling to find community, please click the link below and/ or forward to those who need it. You may be saving someone’s sanity, life and the lives of the people they would affect for generations to come.

“Brightly beams our Father’s mercy, from His lighthouse evermore. But to us He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore. Let the lower lights be burning, shine a beam across the waves. Some poor fainting, struggling seaman, you may rescue, you may save!”

— Hymn By Philip Paul Bliss (1871)

Somethings Are Caught…

This is our world!..

The following conversation ensued between my god-daughter and I about a year ago when I tried to offer her a drink at my home;

Me: We don’t have any sodas (fizzy drinks) but we have some Cranberry Juice. would you like some?

God-daughter (G-D): No mummy U, we don’t drink cranberry juice.

Me: Why?

G-D: because we don’t like it.

Me: Really? But have you ever (personally) tried it?

G-D: No, actually I haven’t. I just know we don’t like it at our house. But what does it taste like (looking at me sideways)?

Me: Oh, just like Ribena with a ‘tang’. Wanna try? Here have a sip. (…and she takes a really suspicious sip, and another, and a mouthful and there you have it….another convert). But then I ask her why?

G-D: I just thought it’s for mixing vodka’s (my fault there) so since my mum doesn’t drink anymore, and none of my sisters buy it, I thought it’s just something you drink with alcohol so can’t be good or tase nice. I really like the refreshing taste.

Somethings are caught and this is true for almost every bias held by most. Barring those caused by direct experiences, one could argue that a bias is mostly fuelled by the subconscious and then becomes a conscious choice where one fails to question or understand why one makes those choices.

Ever wonder what we may be missing out on because we have not taken the time to be self-aware and question what we ‘observed’ that may no longer hold true even for the ones we observed? The point is this, unless we address these in ourselves, we will not find the need to change the status quo.

In the wake of all the shootings in the United States of America, along with all the mayhem around the world, it is safe to say that we must begin with us; begin with addressing the discontentment with things as they are and address what no longer serves us in order to become ‘equitable and inclusive’ individuals. . Until we address what agitates us, we have no moral justification to complain.

“It takes whole individuals to form whole communities” - USI

Speaking for myself, if I feel uncomfortable walking into and operating in spaces where no one looks like me, then I will be excluding myself and those who don’t look, think or believe like me from valuable information, education or integrative skills that could help them BECOME better at being themselves.

To establish, own or work in an organisation that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, one must first be all of those things or on the way to becoming by deliberate and strategic plans and actions. We seek to be a bridge, not a wall especially in the current dispensation where Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is taking on a life of it’s own. It is no longer enough to say ‘we don’t see colour’ but for our actions to reflect this sentiment if indeed it is our truth.

It would be interesting to know what some of yours are (either held or experienced), how they affect you and what positive suggestions you may share that can be integrated to help us all become more accommodating and accepting of one another and our differences, seeing them as assets instead of competition.

As always, enjoy a restful weekend. For readers in the UK, enjoy Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. For anyone else celebrating anything else, enjoy. For the rest of us who just need to be, rest is underrated; do find time to rest this weekend.

Till next time, thank you for reading and your time.

SHALOM xxx

Unspoken Dialogue

Energy & Motivation

Elements of life, learning and growth….

The most important dialogue in holistic living is the one we have with our space - the ambiances that support and influence our moods on a daily basis. The importance of everyone sharing a space being integrated into the space is mostly overlooked but highly relevant if the goal is communion and to win the day from the moment we wake up. This goes for everyone who shares the space, not just one person. In serving families, it isn’t uncommon to find the family deferring to the one person believed to be the ‘creative one’. The problem with this is, naturally and psychologically, all other occupants of the space operate with a level of disconnect and become attached to the areas they have a say, usually their private bedrooms in a home or their work area in an office.

To the trained eye, a critical look at the message a space sends to the mind and vice versa provides insight to behavioural patterns especially in children and young adults, helping parents and carers identify pain points and seek appropriate help, guidance and support to steer them right through the unspoken dialogue portrayed by their participation in organising and designing the spaces in a home. From the moment one wakes up and throughout the day, navigating chores, performing duties as individuals, parents, spouses or children whether working from home or outside the home, energy and self motivation levels are directly influenced by the way a space is organised.

Where one is not suitably supported in the home, the work place or school becomes an escape and returning home may pose some anxiety which if not accurately identified, shows up in a number of ways one of them being an attitude of irritation in adults, heightened stubbornness in kids and defensiveness in older kids/ young adults. In a family setting, the children mostly get the brunt of it.

In cases where this attitude goes unchecked for a long time and where it is not addressed, the children grow into adults with various stress related behavioural patterns that usually gets passed on to their own children.

Holistic space management and design provides organisational transferable skills that support our ever changing dynamics and evolution, ensuring that these changes integrate with our space to provide the anchor we need for our growth and development.

Parental wounds breed adult tombs! We are committed to ensuring we can contribute positively to catching these signs early and providing the right support and ambiance for wholeness and overall wellbeing from the early stages of life because whole individuals form whole communities.

We are here to help you speak to your space so it can speak to you for a long time. Perfection is found in progression.

Endless possibilities wait….

Yours in Becoming….

Ucheju.

Overcoming Grief with Space Optimisation

Empathy, compassion, condolences, are just a few emotions and words that come to mind when one suffers a loss. We are either on the receiving or giving end but whatever the case, words have proven to be inadequate in inspiring long term comfort or support but say and hear them we must.

So many factors bear on the bereaved such as personality, experiences, current circumstances but one of the most overlooked factors is one’s past and unresolved (hidden) trauma not to mention other types of losses. How long or how deep one’s grief goes unfortunately can not be determined by a text book, but some studies are available which identify symptoms of grief related dysfunctions prohibiting the healing process and causing many to slide unconsciously into depression.

When my father passed in 2021, learning what grief meant and how to even begin the process for myself while continuing to be strong for others (I’m the oldest of 5) as my father would always tell me, felt like I was fighting a loosing battle. In the meantime, while I was evolving into this new space emotionally, mentally and spiritually, one of the ways I managed the anxiety of the season was to ‘redecorate my bedroom for calm’.

For me, optimising my space to serve both my physical, emotional and mental needs was to have items that reminded me of my father around me. This way I didn’t fight the emotions, deny them or struggle for reference as I am a visual person. Paying attention to my feelings and emotions, giving myself permission to feel and understand them allowed me the awareness of parts of my past that needed addressing, to make peace with them in order to move forward.

Some design tips I used are:

• Decluttering my bedroom - minimising the accessories and furniture to aid ‘sleep’. This meant, taking out any extras to avoid the temptation of staying locked away in my room and isolation.

• Replaced the art above my bed with spiritual props and an item belonging to my dad - this allowed me to have my prayer shawl and my dad’s hat as the first things I see when I wake up, reminding me to pray which helps me maintain my spiritual anchor.

• Instead of pictures on the wall, I opted for a remembrance wall made up of framed letters that inspire me to gratitude.

Until my next spurt of growth and evolution, this space is now optimised for my wellbeing. Of course this looks different for everyone and so to the next person, I become a heart with ears to offer more than consolation. Asking the right questions bring the person(s) in alignment with their present, creates the opportunity for continued awareness and growth for wholeness through their space design and optimisation.

The holistic approach ensures that where kids are involved, they are given preference with a hands-on approach that both teaches them life skills for the future and addresses the otherwise overlooked but avoidable stress related behavioural patterns and dysfunction that show up in adulthood caused by unmet emotional needs.

First things first, we help you identify where you are and what you need, then we’ll find you the help you need. It’s okay to not be ok, but what’s not okay is not admitting that you’re not coping and denying one’s self the help that one needs.

Why? Because whole people make whole communities and you don’t have to do it alone.

Endless possibilities await…

Inspired by Spring Clearing Week 2022 organised by APDO UK.

Lived In and Picture Perfect 9

This week we get to make it personal as we welcome you to our (indoor and outdoor) spaces through pictures. We cannot after all lead where we ARE not going.

The importance of personality centric design in spatial solutions at home, at work and at play for every occupant of each space cannot be stressed enough. Wellbeing has taken center stage and rightly so. Hitherto, mental health was seen in certain cultures, as a topic to be spoken of in hushed tones or not at all, while those who had the courage to address it were more or less avoided. That season of ignorance is almost eradicated thanks to social media and brave individuals who speak up and tell their stories.

Interior design, architecture, space management, landscape design and maintenance all fall within the creative solutions for existential wellbeing. Bearing in mind that we need to be whole individuals to make up a thriving and whole community, prioritizing the wellbeing of every occupant within a home, office, commercial/ recreational facility or outdoor space is not just a great idea but a necessity. The era of doing it strictly by the book is slowly being taken over by the functional requirement of the individual over style. Nevertheless, quality and value for money is at an all time high, forcing everyone to be accountable for the services they provide and the end user for the requests they make.

We find that in a lot of homes, children are not generally consulted in the design of their space and so it doesn’t represent them accurately. In those instances, we find kids who have outgrown the childish decor adopted by well meaning parents when they were infants. So these kids have transitioned from the infant’s cots to toddler’s beds and on to standard single beds but but the walls are still pink with flowery curtains. The result of this is a teenager who seldom stays home but prefers their friend’s houses because they are unable to relate with their space.

The cycle of all life is important for our existence. If you are not a pet lover, try bringing some of nature into your space and keeping a link between your inner space and nature. An easy way to do this is the use of plants. Apart from the beauty they add to any space, plants have been proven to reduce stress and they clean the air we breathe by absorbing toxins and acting as our very own much needed oxygen production plants. There are so many resources available that instruct on the right kind of plants to suit your personality and style.

I am your Wellbeing Cognoscente. I exist to make the process not only simple but enjoyable with the sole purpose of achieving wellness in every area, one person at a time.

“I aim to transform, not just inspire.”

— USI

References: importance of plants in the home - https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=The+importance+of+plants+in+the+home&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Plant Knowledge and buying resource: bloomboxclub.com

Lived In And Picture Perfect 8

Some things are inevitable and denying them would be futile. Chances are that a newly wed couple will start a family and when that happens, the kids will grow. Just as kids grow into their oversized clothes, they grow into their spaces. Likewise the parents evolve with every passing year, needing their private and communal spaces to evolve with their lifestyles.

A happy home is one where the design evolves with the rest of the family, taking every aspect of each member’s personality and lifestyle into cognizance and implementing aesthetic decor while maintaining functionality and style.

This family has found comfort, beauty and function for everyone’s needs, bringing a bit of nature indoors as they await the summer months to take their creative ideas outdoors.

Is your space evolving with you?

We are here to help keep the family happier together a little bit longer by providing concepts, ideas and design guidance that aid the transition of the seasons in each person’s journey.

Happy space, happy family…!

USI

Lived In And Picture Perfect 7

Where; What; How

Obedience to the principles of design will always ensure that the methods employed adhere to standards and guarantee full satisfaction. These principles make provision for personality centric designs to conform with structural requirements and aesthetic values.

Adhering to principles not only keep us on track but ensures integrity both in self discipline and process of delivery. In this case, design and space management is the focus; providing satisfaction of both the function of the built environment and it’s aesthetics.

Sometimes, it’s the “what” that defines a container. Other times, it’s the “where” that defines the “what”. Regardless of what and where, the “how” is the most important variant and often a function of knowledge, instruction, obedience and principles observed. The method / process informs the experience and the most pleasurable experiences are those born out of obedience to the core of the individual and the principles of the trade in creating spaces.

As a tribute to my Father and to honor the legacy of his life and work ethics - self discipline, integrity, for God, love and truth, these photos of lived in and picture perfect spaces have been carefully selected from our homes (my siblings and I). Spaces created to serve the intrinsic nature while reflecting adherence to the principles of the trade with creative interpretation that augment without detracting.

As an Ambivert, my Father would often be found in any of these nooks, reading, journaling, adding value to the function of the spaces and making their creation worthwhile.

We are not just space managers, we are space users and as a wise man once said,

“ You cannot lead where you are not going” - Elder Isaac Okechuku Izeogu (101). -Sept. 6, 1037 - March 3, 2021.

Lived In And Picture Perfect 6

Form And Function

‘Form follows Function’ - a phrase coined by the architect Louis Sullivan (1856-1924), which became a touchstone for many architects, is a principle of design from the late 19th and 20th century architecture and industrial design in general. This principle states that the shape of a building primarily relates to it’s intended function or purpose.

Until the 20th century, the interior of a building was designed alongside the exterior to maintain a cohesive design. Decorating and designing have always been influenced by different architectural periods and art. Therefore, understanding the time frame represented by objects in a design, the shapes and motifs chosen for use and the structure of the space work together in providing bespoke designs.

Personality centric design seeks to interpret and represent the interest of all occupants by providing an environment that tells a bit of everyone’s story and allows them to own their private spaces within the whole. It considers that a design is not only for function, comfort and aesthetic reasons. Every space design suggests a lifestyle and tells a story of its occupant.

It has been argued whether form follows function or if function follows form? According to Louis Sullivan, “where function does not change, form does not change.” He further stated that “It is the pervading law of all things….”

In designing the interior of spaces, we find that function is constantly changing without the form necessarily being impacted. It isn’t uncommon to find perfectly well maintained gothic style building with very modern interiors and in other cases, very modern builds with victorian themed interior designs complete with floral wall paper, etc.

Sometimes, we don’t get to choose the form of our space, but we sure can do something about ensuring that the space we live in is actually ‘Lived In And Picture Perfect’ for us. We always suggest a periodic audit on our client’s space. As the story is constantly evolving, so should our space, in pursuit of wholeness.

Enjoy organizing.

USI

References:

The Interior Design Institute, The History of Style, Decoration & Architecture.

Louis H. Sullivan, The Tall Office Building - Lippincott’s Magazine. 1896: 402-409

Lived In And Picture Perfect 5

Finding Common Ground

Our featured space today shows so much character. It would be difficult to guess the personalities of the people behind this home and the vibrancy of the colors quite deceptive at first, but with the help of studies, clarity can be reached in providing the perfect functional space for each personality within concept creation of personality centric designs.

The trick is to find the common ground between all occupants of the space and work with that as the foundation of the design.

Our featured space is home to a lovely professional couple who have different personalities with one commonality between them - they are both introverted, one more than the other. Where the husband is closer to being 100% introverted, the wife is an extroverted-introvert, with high tendencies of an ambivert.

For this space, the common trait chosen for the foundation has informed the choice of lighter wall colors to provide an anchor around the vibrant and multiple use of burnt orange and burnt yellow based art, and the more pronounced “Bohemian -Chic” style. A feature wall has been added to balance out the design’s foundation for the benefit of the extroverted side of the wife’s personality.

Looking through the setting, we find pockets of break-out areas suggesting regular entertainment but also the need to retreat and rejuvenate in seeming solitude. The introvert naturally gravitates towards these solitary areas as they are energized in solitude. However, the ambivert fluctuates between introversion and extroversion without warning so this has been taken into account to ensure total spatial solutions and functionality for both personalities.

Connection to the outdoors is extremely important to both personalities and is clearly reflected in the free flow of design linking the outdoors, the use of plants indoors and the obvious love for pets.

All in all, the unfolding of this design over time by this renowned structural and interior architect and his public figure wife has been a joy to witness but most importantly, is to have a couple happy in their space and a guaranteed ‘Lived-in and Picture perfect” ambiance.

Remember, it’s not about perfection, it’s about your designs translated to suit your personality, into colors and textures. This is where you need us.

Happy designing.

USI.

Lived In And Picture Perfect 4

BELOW THE SURFACE

Underlying Issues, root cause, foundation, are all terms used interchangeably in every area of life - behavior, habit, health, style, design, architecture, construction, engineering, mortgage, insurance, finance, the list goes on and on. This points to the importance of understanding the ‘back story’ which unfortunately is largely ignored.

As much as people are a product of their upbringing, environment and experiences, there is still that piece of the puzzle that is peculiar to each individual. No one was born to not be ‘a morning person’. Rather, habits have been formed to make that person so.

A good design seeks to identify and separate the intrinsic personality from the learned habits in translating spatial needs and accurately interprets those findings into three primary design functions from which all other functions evolve: Structure, Texture, Color (light / dark).

This week we shall attempt to share some DIY design tips for the Introverted Extrovert (people who have at least 2 of the introverted traits as well as Affiliative trait, one of the 2 known extroverted traits), to give your bedroom a boost.

• Ensure that your bed is positioned either against a wall facing the window (where the sun does not rise on that side of the house) or that your head board is placed on the wall to the left or right (where the sun rises on that side of the house).

• Declutter the room to the barest minimum where possible, leaving just the bed, bed-stand, lamps, with warm white or yellow lights preferably, use white or off-white sheets, accentuating with your power colors (limit to 2 bold colors).

• See that you have a small speaker that equalizes well (not your telephone) to wake up with soft playing music, meditation, praise or a positive message each morning. Having a TV in the room is counter productive for this personality type so this practice is not advisable.

Send us a message, let us know how you get on. In the meantime, get to understand your ‘WHYs’ and enjoy your space.

Lived In And Picture Perfect 3

Seasons In A Lifetime…

Personality translated in its raw form is applied in creating this space for a developing young adult client. The importance in allowing the natural personality of teenagers especially shine through in their personal space within the home cannot be stressed enough as it promotes mental health and adds to overall wellbeing.

Teenagers already feel like everything they do is dictated and guided by the experiences and prejudices of their parents or carers and rightly so, but within reason. It is important for Parents and Carers to remember that they too were teenagers once and be guided in providing an environment for their children and wards to develop into their own ‘beings’.

In a season where people are cooped up indoors, mental health is fragile even for the seasoned adult and everyone is realigning themselves with who they truly are. Findings during the redecorating of this space uncovered the quirky reason behind having the funky changing colored lights in the room: It helps to change the scenery and recreate mental imagery, gives the an illusion for social media posts, provides an ambiance for daytime naps and allows connection with like minded people. So if you like me ever wondered why a particular room in your neighbor’s house has constantly changing colored light that sometimes flashes? Well now you know, a young adult lives there.

In managing space, our approach is human centered for this reason: every occupant of a space deserves to have their personality represented in the design. The merits of this approach is that everyone (yes, including the really tiny people a.k.a. babies and toddlers), is accounted for. When everyone has a functional space with a bit of themselves represented in the ambiance, not only does it foster inclusion, but expresses recognition and foundational harmony in spirit.

No matter how small the space, we find creative ways of translating the personality of the occupant(s) into colors and textures, allowing for easy change and adjustments as we know first hand that each lifetime presents evolving and developing personalities in everyone.

We remain committed to making small spaces do great things.

Shallom,

USI.

Lived In and Picture Perfect 2

DESIGN WITH A HUMAN POINT OF VIEW

When one steps into a space, it is easy for the trained eye to determine if the space has been decorated ad-hoc or by a professional. Where more value has been placed on aesthetics over function or personality, the space will hardly promote the wellbeing of its occupants, is seldom well maintained for long and in some cases, hardly in use.

This week, we are looking at a well managed kitchen space. This featured home is occupied by two adults who are avid fans of home cooked meals. Although they both have vibrant personalities, they are equally introspective and calm individuals who love the outdoors.

In creating a design concept, we opted for light walls (shades of white in coffee tones), textured runners with tan hues to break the monotony and graduated spot light fittings to give the mix of bright or dim depending on their mood. Taking advantage of the high walls beyond the garden, we opted for clear untreated windows to allow natural light during the day and a clear view of the garden and lights at night which will always add aesthetic views, especially so in the summer months when the garden is in full use.

Providing a home for all the kitchen appliances, utensils and condiments ensures not only that the design can be maintained but that the space can be fully utilized and enjoyed by both parties. Since they are garden sitting, Tea and Coffee lovers, it was only natural to ensure that an accessible and functional coffee station was incorporated into the design inspired by their observed natural habits and tendencies.

To fit with the residents personalities, a minimalist approach was adopted for their furniture to allow ease if and when they require additional pieces. The most important aspect of the exercise is always the participation of the residents of the house especially in a season where most people now live where they work and work were they live.

Design Advise: Always start with a consultation. The Picture in the magazine or from that beautiful holiday resort may not serve your personality in the long run, considering also the ‘little people’ if any.

Most important questions: Who is the space for (Personality), What will it be used for (Function), What times of the day are busy and slow (Interaction)?

Enjoy a creatively productive week.

“Remember, No design is right or wrong, it’s just creatively you!”.. -USI

Lived In and Picture Perfect

Welcome to our new series - Lived In and Picture Perfect.

This is a series that speaks to the art of using Space Management to foster wellbeing.

We’ll bring you tips to help identify and translate personalities into color, shapes, light, flow and lines - elements that help define individual style. Finding harmony between space and personality is vital to the level of comfort enjoyed in any space. Interior design is only picture perfect if it does not address this concept of harmony.

For the purpose of our series, we have picked 3 individual spaces for our illustrations and recommendations. We will attempt to provide practical guides as we share the concepts used for decluttering, re-organising and re-using the existing furniture in redesigning the spaces in our examples. Procuring and using additional furniture and pieces is totally at the discretion of the user and sometimes, it is discovered that some items are long overdue a facelift or recycling.

We will also share pictures that show the spaces are in use and how the lifestyle is served by the design. We will present you picture perfect spaces with the evidence that they are in use and not staged for their aesthetic value.

It is important to note that when a picture is taken to showcase the workmanship, the focus is on design rather than the personality of the occupants of the space. With our pictures, the personality and need of the user determines the design.

We bring you authenticity in design for wellbeing.

LauraMiller Spaces @TheWellbeingCognoscente

COME BACK EVERY MONDAY FOR YOUR WEEKLY INSPIRATION

(FEBRUARY AND MARCH ONLY)