Home Decoration - Transforming our space

A very dear friend has asked me to write a post sharing my knowledge on home decoration. For me, it is such a vast knowledge that I might not be able to put it in one post but I am so grateful to him for having me get started on this topic.

For me, a Home is my/our Temple, where we live. You will not find a mandir in our home, since I intend to transform the entire space in which we live into a Mandir/Temple. 

I am a lover of beauty in all and everything around and I cannot live without decorating. Even if I have to live in a space with one floor mattress, in a shared room, for 2 weeks, I will decorate it. For me it does not matter if the space is owned or rented. If I am living in it, it is loved, transformed and decorated creatively for those moments.

Home is a space which must be enriching and rejuvenating. A space from which we do not get bored or want a break from. That is possible only if we transform the space into a loving, meditative buddha-field.

When it comes to decorating home, there are two aspects to it 

1. Decorating the space with objects (furniture, furnishing, art, plants, etc.)

2. Transforming the space with vibration of love, soothing sounds, fragrance, laughter, creativity. No TV, No unwanted noise, no clutter, no unnecessary objects, etc.

I will share my knowledge and tips for both. Since I have worked as a professional photographer and a painter, I tend to use the learnings from both these artistic pursuits in Home decoration.

Tips on decorating the space with Objects:

1. Respecting the spaciousness of the space

It is important to remember that every object has energy and we must add objects to our space carefully and not just because we go shopping a lot.

The word 'Room' simply means 'Space'. If we fill the room with objects completely, we cannot survive. Keeping that in mind, the objects (furniture or furnishing) must be added so it makes the space look more spacious and not cluttered. 

Some examples of the spaces decorated by me:

Tip on making the space look more spacious by adding an object:

I have learnt this particular tip from photography. Our eyes have a tendency to see the objects and not space as is. In order for us to experience the complete space, add an object like a large plant, or colorful flowers or anything to the end of a large empty space. If we see an object at the very end of a large space, we see the entire space with it compared to when not adding any object. This will make the space look and feel bigger even after adding the object.

For example, in the above pic you are bound to see the orange ottoman from the other end of the space too.

And the christmas tree while moving your eyes from the front of the space to the back

2. Make the home colourful

Do you ever wonder why we feel dull when there is no sunlight in winter for weeks ? Or why winters are more dull than summers. One main reason is that colours are missing. Colours are extremely important in making the home more ALIVE and beautiful.

You can experiment with colours as per your taste. I have changed many homes in my life, many countries, cities and houses, and I have always made it a point to not repeat. Every new space is a complete experiment in every way. I will share some pics to make this point.

Add colours in a beautiful subtle way. Colours have energy, choose colours wisely.

Tip on making the space more colourful without being loud

If you ask me, easiest way to add colour and must thing is put a contrasting coloured carpet. You can't imagine how the choice of the carpet can transform the whole space beautifully. Carpets usually covers the major space and a beautiful contrasting carpet can make the whole difference.

Few more must dos 

- Colorful cushions with peaceful art if possible - adds to creativity and making the environment soothing

- Add a lot of alive Green plants and trees - alive plants have their own energy and supportive of creating a harmonious environment

- Choose a colour theme for each bathroom and room. Use curtains, cushions, rugs, bathroom mats, towels etc. to match the theme and you will not regret it

- Play with colours and enjoy

3. Be Creative

The beauty of creativity is that it is Infinite. Be creative. Be inspired.

Some quick pointers

4. Do not block your entryway with any object. Energy must flow freely

5. Bedrooms (especially) must have minimum furniture - if possible just a bed and nightstand. Each and every object in the bedroom can impact your relating with your partner or loved ones. (How? is out of scope of this post)

6. Do not add a mirror facing the entry door - it will reflect back all the incoming energy

7. Keep the corners empty. Corners carry the maximum energy and you can test this if you just stand in a corner with eyes closed and body relaxed and just feeling the space. 

In case if you have items in the corner, try to move them once in a while so energy can flow

8. Keep your home(temple) clean

9. Any art that you have must feel peaceful, alive, joyful or whatever feeling you want to come back to when you are home, Look at the art for a few moments and feel how it feels. If it makes you feel unsettled or chaotic then do not buy it. These days there is a lot of art with no meaning, just colors. I would suggest do not buy that since every object has energy - add an artwork that is powerful in transforming the space.

Tips on transforming the space:

1. Sounds

Sound is the deepest sense that is experienced when any spiritual seeker reaches to the point of self-realization. 

Sound is experienced by the baby in the womb very early on.

Every matter when scientifically explored is just a vibration and a sound

I cannot stress the careful usage of sound on our state as human beings. We have never kept a TV in our house so that there is no unnecessary sounds or images and it ensure that we have more time to spend in creativity and being with our loved ones.

Tips on using the sound carefully

- No unnecessary sounds, noises (including TV. If you want TV, keep a separate space just for watching TV and it must not be in the common area where family gets together and chit chat or eat )

- Play background soothing music - if possible flute (the music of the bamboo flute goes quiet deep) and it does have a tremendous impact on transforming the space into a rejuvenating energy field

- Play mood music

- Invest in a good indoor waterfall

- You can add a melodious wind chime for the outdoor setting

- Keep a small separate space for fighting or throwing out the rubbish so that fights are reduced and in the remaining areas, we speak to each other lovingly, respectfully and the entire house is not affected by the vibration of fight or negativity. 

2. Lighting

Lighting has a deep impact on our moods, energy levels and sleep. A sunny day in winters make such a difference. Buy a house with lots of windows and towards the direction of the sun if possible.

Invest in good lighting, lamps etc, and light the space just enough that you see faces of the people in the evening. It adds to the aesthetics when you are aware of the surrounding objects but they do not interfere when looking at the faces of the loved ones. Just sufficient light adds to the mood and to a state of relaxation. Light candles in the evening if possible.

As the evening approaches, dim the lights and see how the sleep is transformed especially for people with sleep issues. Do not use artificial lights like mobile, tablet etc, just before sleeping.

3. Fragrance

Ventilate the entire space and use incense stick (agarbatti) - if possible original sandalwood (chandan) one

4. Lovingness

Remember our home is only a temporary abode and the people we live with today wont be with us forever in these bodies. Feel reverence and enjoy living with them with love and gratitude. 

As I told, I have moved homes a lot and I enjoy it as it declutters the house and the mind, reminds the impermanence of life and gives me a fresh canvas to decorate every time. One challenge however, is to transform the energy of the space. People who lived in a space have the spaces vibrate with their energies. The best way to transform the space and make it into our home is by being loving. Love has a very high vibration and it can transform everything sooner than we can imagine.

5. Inviting and Warm

Let your home be so inviting and so warm that 

each one who enters your space feels touched, 

is rejuvenated inside and out, 

each one who stays in your space even for a short while

feels at home, feels your warmth, care and love.

I hope this article will inspire you to create and transform your space even more. If it does, do let me know and I will be inspired to share more.