Your Place of Solace..Part 2: Re-Post - Design Thoughts STUDIO

** Hi Design Thoughts readers!! As my family and I TRY to get back to normal after a week of no work, no gas, but thank GOD electricity due to hurricane Sandy, and continue to sort out this mess(our house) and continue packing for Nashville, I need a week. A week of not worrying(obsessing) about Design Thoughts. So for the next 7 days, I am going to be re-posting a few of my fav’s from the Archives! This will probably be the most consistent posting you will see for a while because I am scheduling them lol!!

I hope all of you on the East coast are starting to get back to normal too!! enjoy these oldies!!

*****

SOLACE:

“That which relieves in distress; that which cheers or consoles; relief. Rest; relaxation; ease”.

I have been so overwhelmed with the response I have gotten from my first post

( Your Place of Solace part one) Thank you to everyone for reading!!

I think there is some voyeuristic part in all of us that loves seeing into other peoples lives…no? oh that’s just me then!! Actually, I think its so amazing that the most common thread through all these special spots, no matter what we do for a living, whether you are a mama, an Interior Designer, a nationally known Design blogger, an Accountant, a Teacher or a Fireman ( I’m kidding, there are no Fireman, BUT there could be..see my point AFTER the parentheses), is that whatever the spot is, we are drawn to them for sentimental value and or memories. I happen to believe that Interior Design is at its best, when it makes you FEEEEEL something!! Right? that’s what good design really is!!

SO sit back, and enjoy part 2 of the amazing spaces that bring YOU solace!!

Sherry P. – Richmond, VA~ Author of YoungHouseLove Design Blog

This funny little corner of the dining room is so oddly special to me. It’s where we keep our wedding album and a book that we made full of photos of our daughter Clara along with a shadow box from our wedding day and some of my favorite little objects (like the white ceramic squirrel and a small gold box full of love notes from the hubby). Even the dark teal paint on the back of the bookcase and the curtains that I sewed myself just make me happy. It’s not a spot where I sit, but one that I walk by and glance at with a little giddy grin. After six months of living in our new house this corner is one of the places that makes me feel most “at home.” Sometimes I just walk in there and stare. Weird, but true.

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Rebecca L.- Nyack, NY~ Owner and Clothing Designer for Belle&Beanzer Childrens Clothes
(* Belle & Beanzer will be available in 2012…in the meantime, check out the blog!)

1. My bedside table: I like it b/c it’s got all my books queued up to read, it has a flourishing beautiful green plant, it’s got my crystal bear that holds spiritual significance and the greens play off each other, it has a candle that I adore the smell of and each night and morning I take a nice inhale, and last but not least, a necklace my daughter made for me for mother’s day. Something about the personal sentiment and the way it all mingles in my eye. I enjoy looking at it, and I’m glad it’s one of the last sights I have and one of the firsts. Oh, I also like how the light comes through that window. Its a happy little corner of my home.

2. My dressing table: for many of the same reasons. It’s loaded with objects of sentimental value, and that are so “me.” The table was my moms when she grew up, was mine growing up. I did all my homework on it, it went to college with me, to my first home after college. It was in my first home I shared with Andrew. It’s a piece of my life. On it, I have all my lovely smelling things. I ADORE perfume. There are actually 12 lined up there. I wear what I feel for the day, what I feel I need. I mix some of them to make my own scents. Also, my favorite pieces of jewelry are there. A jar of blessed water from my blessing way. On difficult days, I bless myself. My prayer flags, and crafts from the children. I look around, and feel happy. It’s a table loaded with happiness, and good things.

3. My guest bed: This is sorta random, but it’s in my home office, and I LOVE hanging out on that couch. Maybe bc this room is really MINE. The light is so nice through the window, it looks out on our garden and blooming hydrangeas, across the wall from is is loaded with inspirational quotes, drawings and pics of my family. It’s comfortable. It’s easy.

4. I like the last space for similar reasons as the others. It’s got a family photo we recently took together that I love. Andrews guitar that is a memory of times we spent when we dated, reminder I’d songs he made up for me, a encouragement to let out that creativity. My safe stick for my cleansing rituals, a candle I love it’s glow in the living room. A keepsake from my grandmother. Was a gift to get from my grampy. I used to play with it all the time as a child, looks like an original record player and plays lauras theme. Lastly a framed poem called “what is a house” I love it.

I guess in all the spaces I’ve sent, they are smaller scale. As a clothing designer, it’s weird to me that I can see what I love, but decorating is hard for me. Each of these spaces are emotionally significant to me, and spaces I feel like I’ve been able to make aesthetic sense of.

Xo, R

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Angie K.-OH~ Former Model, turned Mama of 3,

with one on the way! ( yaay!!)

This is my “quiet time” spot! It’s in the sun room. I try to get here early in the morning before the kids wake up to read the bible and pray. To begin my day refreshed and ready.

I also sprint to this spot when the kids nap to eat lunch, maybe fold a bit of laundry, and catch up on some TV shows.This is also the spot “M” and I sit in the evenings!!
So it’s a special spot all day for me! It’s a spiritual place for me in the morning, a place for housework and entertainment in the afternoon and a place for me to reconnect with my husband after a long day!

~~~

Elena M. -Upper Grandview, NY~Voice Over Artist, and Mama of one

( also with one on the way!)

This is my peaceful, most favorite spot these days. I love to sit in this chair and look at my garden, the bird feeder and of course my son playing. The birds are always chirping and usually there is a nice breeze as the day goes on. It’s the perfect place to reflect, read a book or just have a moment with a cool glass of lemonade.

~~~

Mary Ann G.- DeWitt, MI ~ Educational Consultant

This is a strange picture, but it is a very restful, comfortable place for me. The chair fits me. I can relax, read, listen to music, put my feet up, drink coffee and read the paper, even work on the computer. But the key is the fit of the chair. I also love the comical giraffe picture. It is a bit classy, but mostly whimsical and depicts one of the animals I fell in love with in Africa. I have a chair at the cottage that gives me that type of relaxation, too. Right now, Frankie is in it!

~~~

*Side note..Mary Ann is my Step mom, and Frankie is my doggie Brother 😉

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Becky B. Grandville, MI ~ Mama of 3

This is A spot that I have dates with my kindle 🙂

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Jennifer B.-CA~Sr. Buyer and Mama of one

( ALSO with one on the way!)

For me – the nook at the end of our bedroom dedicated as my ‘shoe tribute’ area is MY place of Solace 🙂

~~~

Katie M.-Grand Rapids, MI~Territory Sales Manager

The Inn at Bay Harbor – Petoskey, MI

I thought about your question , and realized that there is not one spot in my home that truly relaxes me. It’s not that the couch isn’t comfy enough, etc. It is because my mind constantly races, and I think of all the things that I SHOULD be doing (laundry, dusting, expense reports, etc). As a result, the place where I can actually unwind is in my favorite hotel room in Petoskey, Michigan. And, yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds. As you know, I travel regularly for work. Sometimes it is annoying, but other days I get excited when I have to stay overnight. I get to have a little space all to myself, plus there is no need to fret about household chores because I’m not at home to do them!

*note: Kate, I dont think that is Ridiculous AT ALL!! I love that youcan get away!!

~~~

And NOW, its my turn!! I actually have a few places of Solace in my home, oh wait, first my job titles..

Kim S-Sloatsburg, NY ~ Interior Designer, Blogger and

Mama of one ( not in that order)

My first place, is my Dresser..It may seem strange to some, but this dresser holds so much personal happiness for me!! First, we waited sooo long before we bought a “Grown Up” dresser.We literally had my tiny dresser from when I was a child ( think, 3 drawers and 3′ high) until I got Pregnant..I’m not kidding! So when we bought this one, I was sooo happy!! Also, it is where I hold very special things. First, our Family Picture (taken by Lori Kade Photography+Studio Bliss) Truly, this family picture means so much to me, well, because its my family, ha but also because it took us 8 yrs of struggling with infertility,( see this post on THAT) to fill that frame..sigh…Every time I look at it, my heart just swells..next, my beautiful Lotus flower candle holder that my BFF Kisha got for me..I had always loved hers, and she found one for me.

I also get great joy out of my stack of books..I have my Flower Spirit Cards, my mommy journal and most importantly my “Simple Abundance” book from my friend Sarah..I wish I could say I read that everyday, but I don’t. When I do, I get so inspired!

I try to take a moment each morning to look at my dresser top ,center myself, and start my day!

The Next spot for me is our bed. Another big girl purchase, once I got pregnant! We use to sleep in a full bed, and with the extra 50 lbs I gained ( okay, so maybe I took it a little too far with the whole “eating for two” thing lol ) there was NO WAY I was gonna stay in a full. Its where we spent the first 8 weeks of Liam’s little life, up 4 times a night to feed him, while holding him in this bed, and now, where we wrestle and love our almost 2 YEAR OLD..honestly I could cry at any moment…its going too fast!!!

Lastly, The reading chair in Liam’s room…this is where we sit every night as a family before Liam drifts off to sleep, and read books like Pirate Potty, over, and over, and over..I will ALWAYS cherish the time spent in this chair , we have been doing this ritual since he was 6 weeks old, and are starting to see the number of books increasingly dwindle…we use to read 4 books and he would say more, or before he could talk, give us the sign for more..now after 1 book he says, “Bed Mamma??” and I say NO!!! MAMMA NEEDS TO READ TO YOU WAHHHHHH” haha I joke ( kind Of) I love that chair and everything it means to our little family 🙂

The quilt on the back of Liams Chair is from Red Envelope, it has
every word that you would hope for your little boy.
Its one of my favorite gifts we got after we had Liam, from my friend Katie

I can NOT express my level of Gratitude to all of the women who contributed to this post and,Part One!! Its been so fun to get a little glimpse inside your lives!!

Enjoy your weekend everyone….and if you didn’t have a chance to send a pic and a story, please feel free to send ’em on!! If I get enough, I will do another!!

Lots of love

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