This weekend, I attended a workshop led by my friend, Jennifer of Sensori House, who designs products and interiors with our nervous system in mind first. She developed this awareness after her son was born with Down's syndrome and she noticed his agitation when he was in environments that were not designed with the senses in mind, like big box stores with fluorescent lighting, concrete walls and not a window in sight. Bad design was making him upset. I get it. Maybe this is why I hate grocery shopping?
In the workshop, I was reminded how our senses play a role in how we connect to our homes. Our eyes may need to rest on white space, I certainly feel calmer when the clutter is straightened and the dishes done; the touch of natural materials on our bodies just feels better, it's why we choose cozy rugs, and cushions for our floors and linen sheets to lay our bodies down at night.
Jenn makes these weighted pillows in a muted selection of linen and velvet covers.
What we fill our homes with has it's affect on us, whether we notice it or not, and the materials matter. Jenn pointed out that a real wood shelf, coming from the earth, holds so much more grounding, as it comes from the earth, than a shelf made from mad made materials. It's how low lighting can change the mood we are in, and a dog barking or construction sounds can take its toll when it interrupts our experience.
This awareness has been there subconsciously as I choose what goes in my home, my appreciation for preserving what is old in our home, like reusing the fir floors from the attic in the bathroom, but it was interesting to learn there was a term for what I've been drawn to, and why the materials matter. I can certainly notice that in my own home, where there are hardly any new pieces of furniture, the 70 year old wooden kitchen table that I write this on is patina-ed with every art project my children ever did, burn marks from Sunday dinners, and scratches etched into the surface telling the story of our families time around this table as it moved with us from home to home.
And, of course, a huge way we experience our home is through our sense of smell. The welcoming scent of a fire, a favorite meal cooking, the essential oils you drop in your bath... these all play a huge part in how we feel nurtured in our homes. We labored over the scent of course when developing our candle but also the other senses: the unglazed porcelain, so that you can feel the texture of the porcelain in your hand, the see through paper wrap that crinkles when you open it, and the wax seal topper. It's also why we choose the biodegradable packing peanuts that dissolve with water, and re use boxes and paper that is sent to us to ship to you, because all the materials matter.
AND I'm so excited that it sold out this weekend! If you were hoping to grab one, you'll need to head on over to Forage Florals in Santa Ynez for one! I'll let you know when they are online there ;)
What have you chosen in your home for how it makes you feel? Which sense is the most important to you when making decisions?
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