Interior designers make indoor spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting essential and decorative items,
such as colors, lighting, and materials. They must be able to draw, read,
and edit blueprints.
I LOVE to be apart of making something beautiful, extraordinary, dreams come true & empowering people to live a life they love. As an interior designer I was given impossible tasks that unless God showed up I was going to fail horribly. I enjoyed a very successful business only because God made it so. I believe He gave opportunity to come alongside people and help make their house a home they love.
There were so many instances in my decorating career that I could share that remind me of God’s presence, provision, wisdom and His delight in the details of the work He’d assigned me. One in particular comes to mind. It was one of the most challenges jobs for many reasons. One being the distance from my office & resources. Having window treatment made for a 2 story tall window in Naples Florida in a workroom in Missouri is close to impossible to calculate considering the weight of the fabric, humidity, and installers. Hanging 20+ feet from the floor it was to dance on the carpet. Touch it perfectly. No puddling allowed. And it did….. I couldn’t take credit for perfect measuring because the elements that could weight that fabric 1/8” were out of my control. I want you to know it was perfect and years later it still hangs perfect. Maybe there are some minds out there that could anticipate the elements out of my control, but I choose to believe that God is constantly delivering exactly what I need when I need it!! AND He extends grace & favor as well…. that was a home that I was interviewed by Architectural Digest for. (every designers dream publication) Please know that it’s not because I was allllll that goooood. I totally believe that God orchestrated a beautiful home and I got to work with Him to see dreams come true.
I want you to understand my process in interior design work. It has taken me places and provided beyond my abilities. My greatest gift in making a beautiful life and home is this truth.
I believe the wise woman knows…
This is where I start with each phase of the project. Because we are daughters of the King we think differently than the rest. We know who we are because our confidence is in Jesus. Our circumstances are not the controlling force in our life or in our assignment because GOD IS!
Therefore, we all come together resourced, having the desire & will to do what pleases God. This is my reality and I flourish as I stay intimately connected to Him. YOU may be wondering about this….. sooooo much Jesus talk and you just want to decorate. But I encourage you, as a believer, you have a sense of what I’m talking about. Anyone can watch HGTV and get tips, unrealistic ideas of how much $ and how long a project will be. There are all kinds of resources for decorating. BUT…
What I’m giving you is a process to:
Decorate with your heart as you cultivate your relationship with Jesus!
Because we all come from all different backgrounds and our home lives are uniquely different this Home Matters Series is written for everyone who wants to raise the quaility of their relationship with Jesus & watch Him make each area of our life beautiful… Soooo I’m going to keep first things first, important things priority, & our relationship with Jesus central so that regardless of our circumstances 7 differences what I am sharing this is applicable for everyone. Sounds interesting! Right?!
I’m writing this believing that …
- YOU are here by Divine Appointment
- YOU have a desire to live a life you love
- YOU enjoy being loved, and valued and filled with God’s peace and confidence.
- YOU want a place to call home where you can grow a flourishing life
- YOU want to sense and see beauty & purpose in your home
So let’s get started:
There’s a song that I played and prayed as I started to write this session to help get my heart and mind aligned for a beautiful work.
In Your Midst by Allie Paige
I come to sit at Your feet to drink from the fountain of life. How it satisfies. No where else, do I want to be. The warmth of Your heart is enough. It’s enough for me. Oh, I’ve come to have communion with the King to sit at the table and dine with the highest priest. Oh, to know, just what’s on Your mind. The secret of Heaven, I’ll live to search, to find. So hide me deep inside Your heart, Lord. Cover me with Your wings, bring me into safety. Oh, bring me into fellowship with who You are, Lord. Father, Son and Spirit, this is all I long for. I come to sit at Your feet to drink from the fountain of life. How it satisfies. No where else, do I want to be. The warmth of Your heart is enough. It’s enough for me. So hide me deep inside Your heart, Lord, cover me…
This gets my head in a thankful place where my mind is set on Him, and I’m open and operating in His presence. I pray asking Him to take charge of my thoughts, open my mind and understanding, speak to my heart, and give me wisdom to build my home. Once I sense He is with me I’m ready to look at the project.
- How do you currently feel when you look at this space?
- What do you want to feel when you look at this space?
- What does this space currently say to you when you seeing it?
- Ask yourself what do you want this space to say?
- What 3-5 words would currently describe how you feel when you walk in this space?
- When that space is opened and you step inside what 3-5 words do you want to describe happens to you?
The reason this is essential to process is because building a home is that when you process how you feel and want to change you need to know where you want to go. If your answer is it’s ugly and I don’t like it dig deeper… ugly = makes me feel like not good enough, alone, _____ and you want to feel attractive = appealing, drawing, accepting. Understanding what it is that you really want will help you get it!
The scripture tells us what a wise woman does…
A wise woman builds her home,
but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
Proverbs 14:1
Being wise and a woman who builds her home requires tapping into the most creative Source available. Once you’ve taken the time to answer the questions and process your answers you are ready to make something beautiful happen.
I’m going to give you an example of some possible answers and how they guide me in making a decorating plan. Let’s use an Entryway/Front door as the space we’re working with
- I currently feel like it needs a makeover/update?
- When I pull in the driveway I want to feel welcomed, warm, invited. I want to see seasonal pieces, seating that’s calling my name to come and relax!
- This space currently says there’s no life, nothing that draws my interest when I see it
- I want this space to say I LOVE MY HOME, come in and enjoy
- Words that currently describe how I feel when I walk in this space are – Nothing special, No interest, it’s okay but I need help
- When that space is opened & I step inside what I want to happen is an instant sense of home, peace, thankfulness & beauty
In looking at the answers I get a sense of purpose in what I want to do in the entry.
Asking questions that help me think through the logistical pieces need to be processed as I make my plan.
These questions help me decorate with my heart as I’m thinking about those who live here and how they feel when they are welcomed home –
- Who comes in this door?
- Do they take off their shoes? If so what needs to be there for them to do that?
- Do we need a place to hang a purse or backpack?
- Do we have to step over or around what is currently there?
- Lighting?
- Smell?
- Rug?
- Impact peace?
Then I go to work.
I start asking God to show me, point things out to me, open my mind to creative things. When I’m driving I look at the homes, when I’m watching a Hallmark movie I’m paying attention to what I see. I want to create an entry that will feed what I want to grow and make it beautiful as well as able to function as needed for those in this home. Sometimes it can be as simple as cleaning the entry from top to bottom and adding a seasonal touch can make something feel all new. You can search Pinterest & Houzz for ideas or hire someone to help you. Regardless of where you get your inspiration if you work this process I do believe you’ll experience a new level of meaning and beauty to your project.
Let me give you a quick-start example to get you started…..
Start with the door. Here are 3 pictures I thought I could use to walk you through.
1. Glossy black door. It’s simple and classic. Even if you have shutters of another color this might be something to consider if you want a high impact door.
2. Trim & door & siding all different tones of the same color otherwise known as monochromatic. This has the potential to give your accessorizes an extra pop.
3. Colorful doors most often feel most fitting when the color chosen harmonizes with the house exterior. Notice the two different colors of doors both work well with the brick.
Painting is a fairly inexpensive and quick way to give your front entry a new, updated & fresh look. Consider chosing a paint color that doesn’t look “out of season” as the seasons change and is fitting with the exterior of your home. Updating light fixtures & door hardware may be what you need. If you don’t use your front entry you might consider focusing on the one you use. If it’s the garage door then you might want to start there.
Sharing pictures of my entry gives me an opportunity to share my heart & help me illistrate things that matter.
Selecting a size of rug that fits your space is important. One of the things I think about is the amount of space that’s available and does the rug give 3 steps before entering? I have grand double front doors and my rug fits my doors and my space perfectly.
In selecting decor for beside the door you need to consider scale. If your door is tall or porch has a high ceiling then choose decor accordingly. A formula to keep in mind to figure scale is to divide height into thirds & work space in thirds. For example if my entry is 9′ then the surface arrancement should be approx 3′ tall. My doors pictured are 8.5′ tall and my door hanging is approximately 3′ and covers 1/3 of my door.
What does your entry smell like? Almost all year round I have a Young Living essential oil recipe that I spray to keeps bugs and spiders away as well as making it smell amazing at the same time. Plants, scented pinecones, plugins or door wreaths with a drop of good smelling magic can provide a special effect to your entry.
Seating that is comfortable and a table to put coffee on while our Gbabies ride their bikes is pretty priceless to us. “Let Love Grow” lantern is a reminder to take the time and sit where we can rest & enjoy home.
Last, but not least, is lighting. Because my front doors are my major impact I have uplighting that spotlights them. Use uplighting behind your urns, under windows where you hang a wreath. Put extra uplights on a timer so you can enjoy a welcome home that says…. “we left a light on for you”
As we go… know that you are God’s masterpiece created anew in Christ Jesus so that you can do the good things He has planned and live the abundant life that He created you for! For His glory & your good Live for His pleasure
