What is home…?
Home is your sanctuary that you create for yourself. It can transcend our physical being with memories or be firmly grounded by our roots and experiences. I love to think of my home as a sanctuary from my everyday routine. Home is what we create for ourselves in the present moment. So, we feel rejuvenated, refreshed and safe. One of my favourite quotes from Eckhart Tolle is:
“You cannot find yourself in the past or the future. The only place where you can find yourself is in the Now.”
What defines a home?
Connection.
Deep Connection defines a home. Connection to our true self. To our family. Our friends. Our pets. A home is where you live your life and feel uplifted. Where we connect with our friends and family. Where we can shut the door and live in harmony and thoughtful Connection to our core values. Surround yourself with people and things that have meaning, and that you love. That is home to me.
What is the cornerstone of a home?
Authenticity. Love. Personality. Inspiration.
A home is what we create for ourselves that brings us endless joy, inspiration and passion. Our home is an integral part of our journey and how we choose to show up in our lives. Our homes are vessels to share, to learn, and to build a community around everything that is important to us. Full of meaning and connection.
Location…
I live in a city that is close to the water and the mountains. I have moved countless times in my life and career, and I always find myself coming back to where my friends and family are.
What materials hold significance for you?
I love working with texture in my home and my client’s homes. I tend towards using organic materials whether that is stone or wood for its natural beauty, or fabric for its softness. It is about creating visual harmony and interest. One of my favourite ways to bring depth and meaning home? Always asking ourselves what materials we connect with and introducing those into our personal spaces.
I also firmly believe that it is crucial to allow natural elements into our domestic lives as much as possible. Bringing the outdoors in. Nature grounds us and by bringing in foliage, plants, gardens into our homes and lives we rare laying down roots. Even subconsciously.
Colors…
For my everyday life, I live in neutral tones because I find those colours are what ground and calm me. Yet I still love and appreciate colour! I am just selective with how I incorporate it. I love layering with pops of colour from art, throws, blankets and cushions. I will often ask my client’s if they will allow me the courtesy of exploring their wardrobes and closets. It is possible to learn so much from seeing what colours people select when dressing. I get a “sense” of how they present themselves in the world and then I help them to incorporate that sense of self into their personal space. Our homes are always a reflection of our true selves.
I also love introducing seasonal colours into both my home and my client’s homes. I believe it helps us connect with the present and lifts us up and adds a sense of celebration and joy throughout the year.
Why do we feel the need to decorate our home?
This is such a personal question as it is so very different for everyone I connect with. It can be a way to release creativity, to try something new. For connection and resonance. To lift our spirts. For a sense of accomplishment. For release of the old and to usher in the new. So many reasons.
Or it could be as simple as timing and the need for change. As I sometimes tell my clients, change for good is a brave act. Because allowing yourself the permission to introduce new colours, new textures, new décor pieces, art, furniture is not easy. Sometimes it is about letting go of our past and accepting the unknown.
What are your priorities and criteria when deciding what to bring into your home?
It is the art of the mix with old and new. I try to weave life, layers and stories into my own home and that of my client’s.
I do believe strongly in keeping close those very special items that connect us with our past because those pieces hold our memories within. But it is ok to gradually introduce the new as we continually change and grow.
What is important to you?
Alignment… Connection… Meaning… Gratitude…
Part of my journey as a design stylist is exploring all the different design styles, including those that are deeply rooted in design over the centuries and what we might consider trends. Sometimes it is about blending and incorporating different elements.
I discovered Wabi-sabi. Taken from the Japanese words wabi, which means less is more, and sabi, which translates to attentive melancholy, “wabi-sabi refers to an awareness of the transient nature of earthly things and a corresponding pleasure in the things that bear the mark of impermanence. Essentially, it means finding beauty in imperfections.” Embrace the broken-use it. A fractured object doesn’t lose its value in your heart. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose by bringing it back and incorporating it in a fresh way into your home.
What is special about your home?
No matter the size of your space, city or country, apartment or home, create a room of your very own. Make sure to carve out a room or a niche that is uniquely yours and brings you joy. That is devoted to your interests and hobbies or is simply a place to decompress.
I surround myself with meaningful family photos and art pieces that my late husband and I chose together on our travels to some of our favourite places. I layer with soft fabrics with my favourite throws and velvet pillows. Ceramic pots. Crystals. I love my personal niche as I find the energy equally uplifting and calming. It is my very own, perfectly crafted for me, happy place. I try to never put restrictions on myself when I introduce new things into my home. I buy what I love. I buy pieces and items because I find them beautiful and fascinating and especially if they lift me up.
How do we navigate life, home, and interior design…?
With integrity and gratitude.
Life throws us curve balls and it is how we choose to show up that makes us who we are. Our homes are meant to uplift us, rejuvenate us, and be a haven. Invite friends and family over to enjoy simple evenings, game nights or late-night dinner parties. Our lives are so full these days it is easy to forget to slow down and appreciate the abundance we have built for ourselves. It is more important than ever to “slow down, take the time to smell your favourite flowers” … better yet take them home with you and put them in your favourite vase in your favourite room. They will bring you endless hours of joy each time you set your eyes upon them.
What to bring back into the home…?
Personal expression. Light. History. Flowers, good food and fabulous wine. All the core elements of entertaining. And books. Always books. Old and new.
What should we have less of…?
Conflict. Decisiveness. Noise. Clutter. Rude people. Homelessness. Bad Chaos. Fear.
More of…?
Purposeful acts of goodness. Positive energy. Good people. Light. Calm. Good Chaos. Spontaneity. Freedom to choose how we want to live. Faith. Hope. Clarity. And always, always LOVE.
What to let be…?
Allowing life to unfold as it is meant to. The more we resist the harder it is.
Change happens when…?
We allow it in. When we trust that we will be ok. When we are ready for it.
What can’t you do without…?
Inner peace. A sense of self-worth. I will always say friends and family because they have been my life support through the years. Yet life has taught me that we have such depths of inner strength from which to draw when we truly require it. My Sphynx who are my babies. The ocean and the mountains. Humour. Light. Warmth. Mingling the old and the new. Creating Harmony. Constant movement. Love and gratitude.
What can you do without…?
Propaganda. Soulless individuals. Constant movement, lol.
Organic is…
Allowing life to unfold as it is meant to. Living a life of good health and abundance. Authenticity. Allowing one’s own light to shine through. Laughter. Even better- belly laughs!
Fulfillment is…
For me, fulfillment is all about finding my purpose. And this has proven to be a lifelong journey of self-awareness and enlightenment. And service to others.
When there is chaos then…
Things start to look murky. We lose clarity. When this happens, I take steps to regain my equilibrium, so I feel grounded and deeply rooted in place. It is a message that says things are not in alignment. But from chaos good things can emerge. If we find the strength to push through to the other side…
When there is order then…
We can breathe deeply. It is a wonderful time to create and express. It is a wonderful time to explore. To experience. To live in peace and harmony. To appreciate.
Favorite corner…
Wherever I sit with a book and a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. It can be in my home or in a cafe on one of my trips away.
What makes your home warm and homely?
I like diversity. I like that art, furniture and décor can have a soft side. But also, a masculine side. I like to blend these contrasts.
Colour-bold and neutrals. Texture. Balance. Scent.
Expression. Love. Sincerity.
Gratitude.
Melanie Boivin
Interior Design Stylist
lifthomedesign.ca
Email: melanieboivin@lifthomedesign.ca
Phone: +1 (604) 345-5733