Creating an In-Home Sanctuary

sanc·tu·ar·y

noun

1. a place of refuge or safety

When considering the transformation of any space, I recommend first pouring a cup of tea and calmly stepping back to take inventory of what you already know. As the details begin to reveal and express themselves, questions might arise:

What kind of light graces the room? Is there a way to invite more, if that is a goal, or less?

How do you want to feel there? More energized and creative? Or?

What is the sense of spaciousness in the room and what would you ideally want?

What is already there to work with in terms of furnishings, art, architectural details (that are special, that you want to keep, not that you feel you should keep.)

What is your budget?

Can you use what you have by giving it new life with upholstery, paint, new, hardware or refinishing?

And how can you create something that is a unique expression of your goals and visions?

Before starting your sanctuary project, drop into what you are longing for.

Is it in fact a room that is being dreamed up? An outdoor environment? A whole house? Is it a place for an expression and invocation of a specific spiritual path and practice? Or is the “sanctuary” merely meant to evoke a sense of calm, contemplation, and stillness?

Do you crave a space that reflects nature, colorful and lush through the inclusion of earth, plants and/or crystals? Do you want something austere and zen or something that celebrates many different spiritual paths, influences and cultures?

Throw some words out, and write them down.

Ask yourself, what should a sanctuary feel like? Authentic. Peaceful. Connected to nature.  (Make this yours and yours alone.)

While preparing for this piece, I imagined I would be writing about how to create a specific and inherently spiritual and inspiring space, or at least one that evokes a deep sense of calm. A room that has a focal point and is a kind of oasis from the world: the classic altar at the front of a meditative and breathy environment. But as I sat with this concept I realized the “in-home sanctuary” is what everyone should aim for in absolutely every space within and without, a balm from the world that is uncluttered, inspiring, clean, and always personal, but not necessarily austere.

Choose things that resonate, that have a story.

Spend some time on Pinterest —a practice I highly recommend for any creative and design spring boarding— culling together images for deeper inspiration and understanding of WHAT A SANCTUARY IS TO ME. (For the luddite this can also easily be done with images torn and pasted into a scrapbook or pinned on a wall.)

I put together a kind of inspiration board of visuals on Pinterest, and by the end I had an exquisite assemblage of a limitless sanctuary that tumbled into rooms and spilled outside, all enveloping, all inspiring, and divine. The connective tissue in all its disparateness were the elements of nature, creativity, self-expression, and authenticity (with a little humor thrown in for good measure).

Don’t forget to take your time with it all, because finding and creating the right elements is a practice in patience.

A space will also tell you what it needs and wants to be if you get quiet enough and listen, but it also needs time to reveal that. Most importantly, have fun with the process and don’t stress, for wouldn’t stressing over creating a sacred space be a nice cosmic joke!?

If you are still stumped, bring a friend over, pour some more tea and ask for help. Of course there are also many competent interior designers in the Hudson Valley, some with the added benefit of bringing Feng Shui principles to the project. And if you still need help and live within an hour’s drive of me, I’m happy to offer some advice and an extra pair of eyes if I have time, so reach out. I have worked on many interiors in my previous incarnation owning my Nectar shops; design is something I will always love.

Whatever you end up creating, may it evoke a sense of wonder and dreaming and help you reconnect with the importance of stillness. We need that more and more in an increasingly chaotic world. And whether or not your space will be overtly sacred, may you feel absolutely your truest and fullest self within it.

Namaste.