We are conditioned to “make do” with what we have. We are conditioned to live with “good enough.” To choose function over form. To spend our money on practicalities, instead of on beauty.
Many of us are taught that spending money on beauty – on beautiful clothes, on a beautiful space – is “frivolous.”
We have more important things to worry about, we’re told. Like getting good grades, working a good job, raising a family.
All of those things are important.
Yet beauty is also vital.
We are beings that crave beauty.
Without beauty, we starve.
Beauty is our lifeblood.
And so, a story:
As we prepared to travel to England for the holidays, I wanted to show up and spend time with the people I love from a powerful, healed place. But I was also going through a hard time personally, and I was feeling anxious about spending two and a half weeks in someone else’s space.
And my normal beauty touchstones wouldn’t be available to me when I was across the ocean. Plus, as I started packing, all my warmest clothes were dull and drab. I realized that I’d outgrown them – not in terms of size, but in terms of style.
Then my favorite store (anthropologie) had a huge sale. And I realized, as I tried on outfit after outfit of beautiful colors and patterns, that
But these new clothes did. I felt like me in them. I felt stronger. I felt like I could see myself better, and therefore be seen.
It might sound trivial, but if you’ve ever found the perfect outfit and then lit up the room at a job interview, a party, or a date, you know the magic of beautiful clothes.
Here’s the thing: Space is the same way.
The magic of beautiful space can transform your day-to-day experience.
Calling in beauty is a radical act. And for the clients we’re featuring today in a new gallery, it was their second act with Houseplay!
For our first project together, we renovated the ground floor – creating a mudroom to store their bikes and ski gear and transforming an old playroom into a modern lounge – and updated the children’s bedrooms. (See their first before and after.)
For this project, we transformed the kitchen and living area.
The family had redone their kitchen when they first moved in, more than 15 years ago. Similarly, their adjoining dining room table and chairs moved in with them, and the furniture was a bit worse for wear.
Initially, they had planned to simply update the kitchen cabinets, countertops and fixtures. But when we gathered for our first design meeting, it became clear that the layout wasn’t working, either. They both realized that they spent a lot of time walking around the giant kitchen island, and gathering items for cooking.
So during the design phase, we carefully considered how they use their kitchen every day, and created a brand-new kitchen layout that would complement that.
After their first project, this family told us that the renovation had completely changed the way they live in their house.
I’m telling you: creating a more beautiful, intentional space creates a powerful shift in your whole life, in how you experience your day and how your family interacts.
Come inside and see the space we transformed with beauty and intentional design.
You will never regret calling more beauty into your home. If you live in Jersey City and you’re ready to explore options for creating more beauty and better function, set up a complimentary, no-obligation 20-minute phone consultation with me. {These are normally by application only, but I’m opening my calendar for you!}
