Right at Home Chapter 1: What Makes You Happy
Photo: Sara Ligorria Tramp
In case you haven’t heard, my new book, Right at Home, is now available! My goal for writing this book was to teach everyone how good design is good for the mind – and help you create a home that works for you. In each chapter, I tackle a different aspect of design and offer tons of tips on how to make it happen. And I’m going to be breaking down each and every chapter – starting with (obvi) Chapter 1: How To Articulate What Makes You Happy.
There’s a lot to learn in my new book. And it’s not just about interiors and making a beautiful home. It’s also about the connection between design and mental health, happiness, and living your best life. So let’s start things off with the most fundamental part of it all – Chapter 1: How To Articulate What Makes You Happy.
right at home: chapter one
How To Articulate What Makes You Happy
What makes you happy is truly the most important thing ever – both in life and in your home. So when thinking about your space, I want to start by discovering what makes you happy. (Coincidently, things that make you happy are also awesome for your mental health!) The first thing to consider is that there are other words that can mean happy or represent a general sense of happiness, like calm, safe, inspired, fun, or joyful. When you think about any of those words what comes to mind? What are you drawn to? This is what makes you happy! And remember to trust your own instincts. It’s okay to love what you love and not be concerned with what’s trendy or what other people like.
right at home: chapter one
If You Love It, It Will Work
Once you’ve narrowed down what makes you happy, how do you translate it into designing your home? I suggest following the Happiness Guy Check(list). This is an easy way of narrowing down to items in your home that will make you feel good. The list includes:
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- SOMETHING THAT REMINDS YOU OF SOMEONE YOU LOVE
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- SOMETHING THAT MOTIVATES YOU
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- SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL COMFORTED OR COZY
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- SOMETHING THAT ELICITS A STRONG, POSITIVE EMOTION
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- SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL SUPPORTED
Go through this list and you’ll start to translate what makes you happy into actual items in your home. And when it comes to finding a design style, well don’t worry about it! You don’t need to fit into a box of an exact style, just find an item you love and use it as a jumping-off point to start designing. The pieces will start to fall into place after that.
right at home: chapter one
The Good Bits
As you find your happiness and began to add it to your home, there are a few things to also remember. What makes you happy is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing, and your happiness is the foundation of good home design and great mental health. Any good design is going to work for you and serve you. Choose items with intention, and design can be a powerful tool to help you be happier and achieve your goals!
