Home décor is important because it can affect everything from our self-perception to our confidence and productivity. Learn more!
Remember the day you moved into your own space for the first time? The walls are empty, the carpets smell of soap from the cleaners you overpaid to shampoo it, and the whole place looks like promise- promise of happy times to come and perhaps a few too many late nights binging Netflix on your hand-me-down couch. After a while, you hang some photos, put together those Ikea end tables, and order a monogrammed cutting board from Etsy to display in your kitchen. Before you know it, walking into your home makes you smile. You are reminded of memories with loved ones when you pass by their photo, the sight of the new slip cover on your hand-me-down couch makes you feel a little fancy (it affirms that you’re better than that 1970’s floral print), and in general, there’s a place for everything and everything in its place.
Why does this process matter? The way we decorate our home is our opportunity to create the kind of space we enjoy, and it says a lot about our personality. Are you an extrovert, arranging as many chairs as you can so you can bring all your people together or an introvert designing the perfect reading nook? Everything from your choice of colors to the number of throw pillows you put on the sofa is an opportunity to create an environment where you and your loved ones will thrive and to make your mark. You can create a calming space with simple color schemes, a cozy and inviting home with warm tomes, or a bright and lively entertaining area with bold patterns. We think Deborah Needleman explains this idea best in her book, The Perfectly Imperfect Home.
The point of decorating, as far as I can tell, is to create the background for the best life you can have.
Decoration can be life-enhancing. It can make dinner parties more fun, kids happier, relaxing easier, talks more intimate, guests at ease. And to think, decorating is often considered frivolous. Making a charmed and happy home is a noble endeavor.
The simple secret is making sure that every decorating decision contributes to the creation of beauty and comfort. Beauty to uplift our senses (to transcend the mundane) and comfort to make us feel taken care of (to embrace us in the mundane.)" -Deborah Needleman
Beyond expressing ourselves, home décor can affect us physically. Do you light a scented candle while working in your home office to set the mood for a productive day or keep a lavender scented sachet with your sheets so that they smell like bedtime? In an article for Scientific American, Rachel S. Herz, an assistant professor of psychology at Brown University, states that scents can affect mood and productivity based on associative learning. For example, people who worked in the presence of a pleasant-smelling air freshener reported higher self-efficacy, set higher goals, and were more likely to employ efficient work strategies than participants who worked in a no-odor condition. Read more on that here.
Home décor is important because it can affect everything from our self-perception to our confidence and productivity. So, go ahead, buy that new throw pillow or piece of art if it makes you happy. You’re not treating yourself, you’re creating an environment in which you can be the best version of yourself!
Sachets by Room:
🧖♀️Bathroom: Bee Happy
👩💻Living Room: Summer Romance
👕Laundry Room: Laugh, Love, Laundry
