Developing a Haven in Your Home

modern architecture mirror under mushroom
When you open the front door to your house and step outside, you step into a world of dangers and strangers, uncertainties, and things you simply can't control. It's a big scary world out there, and for the most part, you have no influence over what goes on at all.

When you step back through that front door at the end of the day, you are finally returning to a place that is your own. This is your home, you can choose to move this here, and that there, you know that is over there because you put it there yourself. You have a sense of control, a sense of safety, because it is your own.

That is why it is so important to have peace, and balance within ones home. The world is a chaotic and difficult place; the home should serve as a haven, a place to rest from the worries of the day and find inner enlightenment.

Unfortunately sometimes your home is not your own. If you have kids, or even room mates, often the home is a place of compromise, where things are constantly moved and jostled, and nothing is quite where you want it. It is community, which is wonderful in its own way, but it's not your own, it isn't a haven.

table design

A haven does not necessarily have to be isolated. Yours could be a corner of the living room where you have your favorite arm chair set up just so. Some people have a desk, where they have their computer set up along with small inspirational statues and signs.

The most important thing from a decorative point of view is that the space is personalized. It should contain items and affects which are special and meaningful to you in some way. The colors should reflect your moods, and should evoke serenity in your subconscious. The whole space should be catered to your slightest whims, and set aside, protected and untouched by anyone else in the house.

living room interior desig

Everyone needs a place that truly belongs to them, where they choose what things look like, how they feel, what colors, and textures, and accents are added or taken away. They need a place where they can be comfortable and safe, a place all their own that nobody can touch. It is possible to carve such a niche, even out of the tiniest of . Even if all you have is a corner, at least it is a place that is your own.

French architecture

Screening: Hiding the Ugly with the Attractive

Everyone has parts of their house that they don't like. Whether your unsightly part is a water heater, a structural element, or a large piece of athletic equipment, you can mask these aspects by screening them. There are numerous ways to screen different sections of your house, but we're just going to look at some of the most common ways.


bar restaurant interior design
Most people who want to screen something generally go out and buy a screen at a local retail store. Some screens even have picture frames in them so instead of looking at an eyesore, you are looking at the friends and family you love.
modern design house
Other screens have shelves, so if you are hiding something that you don't need to get to regularly, you can place vases and other decorations on the shelves. For smaller items, you might want to purchase a small CD rack to fill up with CD's so that you can't see what lies behind it.

royal decoration in palace interior design

Although screens are a great option, they can be fairly expensive. Watch for them on sale, or you can make your own. You can make your own screens with a variety of materials and components
.

One idea is to take two or three old doors, use hinges to put them together, and use that as a screen. If the doors have windows, then you could use those to display a collage of pictures or quotations. You can also purchase shutter doors, and once again using the hinges put them together, and hang them from the ceiling for a hanging screen; old windows could work the same way.

Fabric is also a popular choice for screening. Fabric allows you to use any shade, color, or design to match your room. For a sleek, modern look, you can take vertically striped fabric and use a curtain rod to hang it in front of the ugly item. You could also use wire for an industrial look. If you have a lot of antique furniture or quilts, you might want to use a piece of twine, hooked to the wall, and hold the fabric on it with antique clothespins. If you don't want to pay for a few large pieces of cloth, you could purchase remnant fabric from the store and sew it together in large blocks or designs. Fabric offers a variety of options, all using your creativity and ingenuity in their creation
.
living room sofas chairs design
One last note on screening: When screening any item, make sure your screen matches the room. You don't want your guests wondering what you're hiding behind the random screen in the corner. If you use fabric, pull the design or colors together in fabrics in other parts of the . Perhaps you can make your screen and your curtains using the same fabric so that the screen truly disappears into the room.
modern decorations
Whatever ideas you have, figure out how they can work, and create your own special screen that will meet your needs and mesh with your room.