Oh, I cannot stand chaos, my palace is always the court of calamity and order.

Hi, Lux!

It's nice to connect with you again this month, dear friend! Moreover, this topic is of particular interest and relevance to me. For more than 20 years, Mrs. Shady and I lived in a house that had a high vaulted ceiling but a deceptively small amount of usable indoor living space. The lack of ample square footage combined with too much furniture resulted in cramped living. In addition, the large overhead volume created by the cathedral ceiling led to an unpleasant echo effect whenever people spoke, this despite numerous rugs, carpeting and wall hangings we acquired in an effort to absorb sound. Throughout those 20+ years, we kept birds, dogs and cats in the house. As much as we loved them, our pets created dirt and mess and added unpleasant odors to our indoor environment, not to mention noise. The same was true of indoor plants. Lovely as they were, they produced dirt and their leaking and overflowing pots caused water damage.

When we bought a new house and moved north two years ago, we vowed to correct some of these issues, and we did. We no longer have pets. The last one died a few months before we moved. Not having animals in the new house makes it easier to keep it clean, fresh smelling and clutter free. We also did away with indoor plants, choosing instead to decorate with beautiful artificial plants and trees. Although our new house doesn't have an awesome vaulted ceiling throughout the main living area as did our old home, the acoustics in the new one are much better. We can clearly hear each other when we speak. Instead of raising our voices and repeating everything as we often needed to do in our old house, we can now use our "indoor voices" to communicate. Good acoustics in your living space has a calming effect. We also adopted the minimalist approach you mentioned in your article. We didn't try to fill every square inch of space with furnishings. More open space is pleasing to the eye and eliminates that cramped feeling. The house has a basic muted color scheme. The walls are off-white and the flooring is brownish gray. In the great room, we started with area rugs that have a subtle gray and white pattern, then added dashes of color including a royal blue sofa, a world globe, an artificial bamboo tree and an artificial snake tongue. In the kitchen we have bright, mustard yellow bar stools, fruit bowls and other colorful accents. Throughout the main floor and loft of the house, we decorated the walls with framed art prints of classic 18th and early 19th century paintings. For calming mood lighting in the great room, we have a three-prong arching floor lamp, a fireplace and a set of flickering artificial candles. The quality of the air you breathe is also important for peace of mind. We have humidifiers to make the air more breathable in winter and dehumidifiers to do the same in summer. Keeping the house clean and clutter free is a never ending challenge, but it can actually be a joy when you start with the wise decorating choices you outlined. So Lux, those are some of the ways Mrs. Shady and I went "from chaos to calm" and transformed our living space into a sanctuary when we moved into our new house.

I'll be back with a new post at Shady's Place this coming Sunday, March 9, and hope you can stop in. Until then, have a wonderful week ahead, dear friend Lux!

I live in a small 1 bedroom apartment so we are always decluttering the place. So we have room for new stuff or just the stuff that we want to keep.

What great advice. I agree with all these steps.

Have a fabulous day and week. Hugs. ♥

I really need to declutter and organize. I'm always starting but I never get around to finishing. Great post.

Such beautiful spaces, no orderly and calm. Our nine cats you cause chaos to return quickly I think LOL!

Gracias por los consejos. Te mando un beso.

Gracias por los consejos.

All these tips are spot on. I have practiced a number of these and I have created a relaxing space for my self that I quite enjoy.

Allie of
www.allienyc.com

I love a space that's properly thought out to bring out the best emotions in us! This is a nice post to guide us in doing just that. Thanks for sharing!

beautiful post thank you

I love the focus on decluttering, calming colors, and sensory elements to create a peaceful home. Small changes really do make a big difference. Thanks for the great tips! 😊

It was a big blast <3 :D I had a really great time at my birthday and the days after my birthday. So crazy to celebrate one week of Carnival <3 :D The parade was so good. Thanks. I wish to collect more memories like this =)

This is a really nice post with beautiful accessories for your home. I love to have a cosy home like that <3

I have to focus on that :)

I really loved these tips dear Lux 👌♥️
I think everyone loves his home,I love my home naturally 🥰

I agree with each bit you mentioned in the post my friend and thankfully some people these are adopted already 😍
I bet your words will be great help for many including myself,thank for so much for sharing
Blessings 🙏♥️

Clutter seems to be my life these days and I'm always looking for ways to organize the mess. It might help if I got rid of things, but I'm a bit of packrat!

very beautiful post thanks

I agree that a tidy and organized home improves the mood of those who live there. Thanks for the tips to improve our spaces.

Thanks for the tips!

Tienes mucha razón en que un hogar desordenado puede ser un desastre y no apetezca el relajarte, pero siéndote sincero mi lugar preferido de mi hogar es mi despacho que mira a mi patio trasero, y que es desde donde trabajo con el blog, leo, y me relajo...Bueno pues la mesa principal del mismo siempre está llena de libros, documentos, etc. y lo que a otros muchos que me han visitado les pueda parecer un caos, no es así, ya que mi desorden es mi orden, y sin perder un segundo encuentro al momento todo lo que busco, y además es como estoy a gusto.
Un abrazo, Lux, y gracias por tus buenos consejos para hacer más placentero cualquier espacio del hogar.

For the truth! In an age of all-encompassing consumption, we have filled our homes so full of things we don't need that it is difficult to rest in them.

Wonderful ideas ~ thanks,

Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
clm ~ A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

I focus on capturing authentic moments at your Norfolk wedding while you soak up the joy and atmosphere, knowing you can be fully present in every moment. My relaxed and fun approach as a photographer helps you feel comfortable in front of the camera, letting your true emotions shine through.