Living Space

The home that calls

You can tell a lot about a person by the look of their dwelling, both inside and out. What do you notice about furniture choices? What about wall hangings? How tidy or unkempt are the various rooms? Does the yard include flower beds or a vegetable garden? Are there trees? Is the lawn manicured or more natural?

The way we organize, decorate, and tend home and garden is a dialog we have with our surroundings. The space calls out to us for something, and we respond with various actions that transform a space into a personal statement. What is your dwelling saying to you and to the world? What does your home say to others about what matters to you? How do you want to use your home as a way to call others to something that matters?

Color is the result of the brain’s interpretation of various wavelengths of light. There are only three primary colors (red, yellow, & blue), and it is the various mixtures of these colors that create all other colors. Colors have a powerful impact on us, and we can use them in our homes to experience different kinds of callings. The warm hues of red, orange, and yellow tend to excite us; while the cool hues of green, blue, and purple tend to relax us.

• Red calls forth energy, strength, and passion.
• Orange calls forth energy, creativity, happiness, and determination.
• Yellow calls forth joy, intellect, and energy.
• Green calls forth growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility.
• Blue calls for trust, wisdom, confidence, and faith.
• Purple calls for drama and sophistication.

In addition to color, there are many things to consider to get your living space to be the calling space that is meaningful for your own spiritual journey. Here’s a video that suggests a number of ways to put your signature on your home.

Some Questions to Ponder:

• What general impressions do you get when you walk into each room of your house? How does the room call you?
• What reminders do you have in your décor, such as artwork or books, that call you to be the person you aspire to be?
• What do the colors and the lighting say to you as you enter each room?
• What are your thoughts on having a screen-free zone in your home?
• What scents are most powerful in shaping your experience of being at home?
• What are the sounds that you hear in your home? What do they mean to you? What sounds would you like to add or eliminate?
• How do the textures of your floors and countertops feel to the touch?