Creating Harmony at Home

When you think of your home, do you think harmony? Life can seem anything but harmonious, chaotic at times. Busyness, demands take energy and leave us drained. We need a place for retreat and restoration.  We need to Create Harmony at Home by Julie Ann Segal

What does a harmony in a home look like? One way to define harmony is a “pleasantness in arrangement”. By paying special attention to design and maintenance of our homes, we can help cultivate a sense of harmony. We can create a place to come home to that’s pleasant for us and our families.

I believe that when you change your space, you change your life. As an Interior Designer and Feng Shui Practitioner, I’ve observed firsthand that if rooms feel chaotic, you’ll have little chance of finding a sense of harmony, little chance of restoring yourself from the hectic pace of life. Rooms should be pleasant, calming. Your mood should instantly shift when you set foot in the door.

Pare Things Down & Start Fresh

Clutter breeds chaotic energy. Too many things in our homes means too many things visually distracting us, vying for our attention – offering little peace.  Decluttering miscellaneous things, and careful editing of décor, artwork, and furniture are key.

Once your space has been decluttered, you can look at adding new, special touches in certain areas, with the intention of creating a calming, nurturing ambiance. You can do this many different ways, such as by adding softer features like candlelight, restful colors, indulgent fabrics and rugs, maybe even a water feature or relaxing music.

Recent clients of mine set a great example for paring down. When I met the Baumanns, they were on a mission to live a freer and easier life – less possessions, less square footage. Leaving their five-bedroom home in Eden Prairie, Shari and Tom’s aim was to downsize and start fresh in Minneapolis.

Bring Nature Inside

With that goal in mind, I helped the Baumanns transform a brand new, empty penthouse apartment overlooking Lake Calhoun into a beautiful contemporary living space. We created a haven for them with all new furniture, artwork and finishes in keeping with the apartment building’s unique style.

Besides minimal clutter, we designed a nature-inspired space, with visible natural elements and organic shapes. We brought the lake and the landscape – the harmony of nature – inside, which feels peaceful and restorative. “Interweave” by Cynthia Starkweather-Nelson (art pictured here, with the couple) is one piece amongst many we found for the Baumanns. They fell in love with it, and it’s a magnificent addition that completes the living space. Nature’s inspiration is carried in details throughout the apartment.

Don’t Forget the Bedroom

Does your bedroom nurture you? It’s probably the most important area of the home to pay extra-special attention to. Unfortunately, bedrooms are often one of the last places people put energy into decorating. They should be a much higher priority. Bedrooms are the places we heal and refresh our bodies and minds. It is essential that they have a harmonious feel.

For the Baumanns, we created a place to rest with simplified furniture and décor, but finishes that still feel rich and comforting. As with the rest of the apartment, the colors and lighting are soothing. The bed is lit from underneath; besides adding warmth, it creates a floating effect for a hint of magic.

If your bedroom isn’t helping you find peace amidst life’s chaos, change is in order. Transform this most-important space into one that makes you feel supported and calm.

Your home is the closest energy to you. It’s a mirror – reflecting what’s there back to you. Take some time to assess your space, and how it’s serving you. Ask yourself, is it comfortable? You’ll feel comfort. Is it beautiful? You’ll dwell in beauty. Is it your style? You’ll be right at home.

If your space lacks harmony in any way, decluttering and design changes can surely bring it into balance, so you can have a place for retreat, to get the restoration your body and spirit need.

This article previously appeared on TOSCA Magazine.

Julie Ann Segal is an Interior Designer, Feng Shui consultant, and President of Metro Interiors, Julie Ann is renowned for her deep commitment to providing clients with state of the art design. Always on the cutting edge, Julie Ann's dynamic approach utilizes all resources within reach.  She is also the author of "Change Your Space to Change Your Life: Elevate Your Energy with Feng Shui One Room at a Time," published in 2023, which gives practical advice and real-life examples from more than thirty years of interior design experience and teaches the reader how to reimagine their surroundings with loving intention.

We love the idea, the intention, of harmony.  Check out this article by Kim Julen Bringing Harmony to Your Relationships.   Harmony at home - in your work - in your family and loves - it's there for all of us.  And we deserve it. 💖