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LaVigne fans, if it seems like we are pushing Self Care over here…Oh, we ARE! We’re thinking of every which way you can carve some time and space out for yourself, in skin care, health care, nutrition, body care – and how about a little consideration for the important spaces you spend your time in? We loved these tips from Darcey – hope you enjoy too! XO The LaVigne Team

 

 

Secrets of An Interior Designer: How to Create the Ultimate Self Care Spaces in Your Home

By Darcey Heath

If you’re like the rest of us, you’re spending more time than ever in your home. And there is no doubt that how your home functions can affect how you feel. That’s why, as an Interior Designer, I really like to devote time to focusing on how clients use their space, how they would like it to function, and most importantly how they would like to feel in the space. In this article I’m going to show you how to set up spaces in your home to feed your mind, body and soul, no matter how big or tiny your space is.

  1. Start the Day with Nourishing Your Mind

Mental health is at the forefront of our wellness quest in 2021 and here are some tips for setting up a space to aid in mental wellness. For me it’s my bedside table.

My day usually starts somewhere around 4 AM, when my two year old toddles into my dark room and helps herself to the centre of the bed. As she prefers to sleep in a full pike position this often relegates me to precarious balance on the edge of our king size bed. After about an hour or so of delicately balancing myself in partial sleep with the accuracy of an Olympic gymnast on the balance beam, my back begins to ache and I can no longer sleep.

Unfortunately although I am now awake, I also I’m trapped because the small toddler senses my presence like a Jedi master and will awaken if I try to escape my ½ inch of the allotted bed space. Even if I silently roll off the bed, the girl who can sleep through three brothers loudly cheering during a hockey game will undoubtedly awaken at the small creek of any floorboard as I try to escape the room. If that happens, she will not go back to sleep, and the day will not go to plan. So instead, I stay as to not disturb this tiny princess. And here comes my favourite, most vital part of my day:

My Bedside Table Tips:

  • Have a small spot set up near your bed to promote your own mental wellness. For me it’s a beautiful candle that I light each morning, for a small amount of light and my favourite bedroom scent, a mixture of warm tobacco leaf and theraputic fir.
  • After lighting the candle, I spend time in silent meditation, as my daughter and husband softly snore next to me. I have a mantra I repeat, or you may want to spend this time in prayer.
  • After the meditation I move onto visualization where I imagine all the things that I want to do, be, see, and have. I also have my vision board for the year next to my bed, which makes the visualization simple.
  • Next, I have a beautiful journal. In the first several pages, I have written my personal affirmation for the year, and can read it daily. I have also voice recorded these affirmations onto my phone, so I can listen to them on my wireless headphones.
  • After the affirmations are blank pages where I jot down 10 things I am grateful for each morning.
  • And finally I have a stack of nonfiction books that inspire, motivate or educate me. Some days I read a chapter, some days I randomly open a book and read 10 pages. And some days I choose not to read at all, but instead listen to a podcast that feeds my mind.

Why it works: By having my bedside set up in this way, it encourages this time devoted to my own mental wellness, rather than endlessly scrolling social media while awaiting my family to wake up.

Hal Elrod is the author of the book The Miracle Morning, and encourages 6 activities to start every day with. By setting up my space this way, I’ve accomplished five out of those six activities every day before I even leave my bed!

  1. My Tricks for Nourishing Your Body

Many times as moms and women we place the needs of others before our own. Busy feeding others, we often forget to fuel our own bodies in healthy ways.

For myself I would just be so busy during the day that I would quite literally forget to eat, until 3:00 came around and I was so starving I would hoover the closest chocolate bar.

How many times have you seen, or been, the mama who doesn’t take a plate for herself and instead says she will just finish whatever the kids don’t eat.

Perhaps one of the most important mind shifts that I have had when it comes to personal wellness and my body, came from working with nutrition coach Lyndsay Pahl. She taught me the concept that my body is not my children’s food waste bin, and about intentionally fueling my body.

But how can home decor encourage healthier eating habits?

Setting up a beautiful space just for you in the kitchen, a space that feels special and is not just a workspace, can help you connect, savour, and be thoughtful about planning your daily eating. As a mom of four kids, running three businesses, having grab-and-go things is key for me.

  • Here it starts with having a small amount of counter space to lay out a beautiful charcuterie board each morning. Having the board laid out just for me this way, encourages it to be filled.
  • Pulling out some simple fruits, veggies, nuts, etc and having them easily accessible throughout the day allows me to make healthy choices, and these beautiful handmade pottery measuring cups are the perfect portion controls.
  • I struggle with getting enough water each day, but will happily sip herbal tea or hot water and lemon all day long from this beautiful mug. And when I really want to treat myself, I make a homemade chai tea, just for me, with this vintage golden mortar and pestle given to me by a dear friend for crushing my tea spices. It feels like such an indulgence and little bit of self care.
  • I found this beautiful print in a vintage store, and sprayed the frame out in gold. I loved it because it made me think of New York City in the 1800’s, but now I love it even more because it gives me all the Bridgerton vibes. I’m sure no one else in my house, not my husband, certainly not my teenage boys, and not my toddlers, appreciate this piece of art but that’s OK because I love the way it makes me feel in this small spot of the kitchen that’s really just dedicated to me.
  1. My Tips to Soothe Your Soul

Whether it’s cozying up with a book, chatting to a dear friend on the phone or zoom, or hunkering down and bingeing your new favourite Netflix show, setting up a cozy corner in your home to escape for a bit, can really feed your soul.

    • Convertible Cozy Lounge Space. This little corner of the upstairs landing outside the bedrooms is filled with toys and forts during the day.
    • But in the evening, once the small people are in bed, I convert the kids play couches into my own personal chaise lounge. It’s all about creative use of space and multifunctional items!
    • The artwork was commissioned by a local artist, and depicts the view from the family cabin my husband grew up with. Not only is this artwork meaningful, it also evokes the feelings of travel, happy memories, and being away from it all.
    • Curling up here with a warm blanket and a glass of wine at days end can really help me feel like I have my own space for a few hours. In a busy house, with family that is home and together more than ever before, this little corner of my own feels luxurious in a way I never imagined a corner of a hallway could.

    So take some time and ask yourself questions about what you need in your space to feed your mind, body, and soul. Then look for a little corner, table, nook, or different ways that you can use parts of your space, to design them to be special, meaningful, and functional – just for you. Allow yourself the indulgence of spaces in your home that are designed to take care of you.

About the author:

Darcey Heath is an Entrepreneur, Interior Designer, Product Designer and business coach. She is also a wife and a mother to four children, ages 2-16.

Darcey has her BSc from SFU and had a career travelling around the globe studying primates. Her priorities shifted however when she became a mother and wanted a career that would keep her closer to home. Darcey became a successful entrepreneur and has coached hundreds of women in their businesses as well. Darcey has a life long passion for home decor and interior design, but when a house fire damaged her home and all her families belongings, she was determined to turn her personal tragedy into a triumph for the community. Rebuilding her home and possessions , Darcey decided to source everything from locally owned businesses, local artisans and even everyday people in her community by purchasing vintage and second hand. Seeing how it impacted her community, Darcey launched her own interior design company with this same focus of local sourcing, Stylized Nest Interiors. While working with artisans to collaborate on custom pieces for clients’ homes, Darcey also began to create an entire line of unique home decor, all made by local BC artisans. Joining forces with her former design client turned business partner Jennifer, Stylized Nest Artisan Market was born. Darcey believes that the things we choose to put in our homes should feel special, meaningful, and loved. She advocates that our homes and decor should have a personal connection, and that having a few special items in our home is more fulfilling than having many items that hold little emotional value.

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