Book Tour: The Happy Home Project

Book Tour: The Happy Home Project

Writer and editor Jean Nayar started a trip in 2010 to create the happiest house possible, and blogged about her adventures. Wearing her journalist’s hat, her shopping shoes and her job gloves, she interviewed countless experts, toured homes, kept up on new goods and historical philosophies, and undertook all those pesky house jobs that had been sitting on a to-do list for a long time.

The goal was”to promote a cross-cultural conversation that re-examines age-old philosophies, observes new trends, and promotes fresh approaches to motivated, and healthy design.”

After all her job was complete and everything documented on the blog, she chose put her research and expertise into a book, The Joyful Home Project: A Practical Guide to Adding Style and Substance to Your Home. It’s a great way to get yourself jump-started on your own to-do list and tackle each room in your house, one by one.

The first step would be leaving it out on your coffee table so that you can pick this up for inspiration to get moving on your list.

Knowing that Nayar had also edited a book on weekend jobs, I asked her to recommend a job we can reach with ease to get us started. “Create a mini kitchen backyard by planting oregano, chives, mint, parsley and thyme in little pots or all together in one big one,” she says. “You can’t get fresher herbs than ones that you cut out of pots on your windowsill or porch — and you will save money at the supermarket, too. In addition to adding fresh flavor to your foods, these — and all — plants are natural air purifiers, as they absorb CO2 and release life-giving oxygen for a by-product.”

Renovating her own kitchen within its existing footprint within an eco-friendly way was the job that gave Nayar the biggest feeling of accomplishment while she was on her own quest for a happier house.

One way you can strengthen your kitchen without cabinet demolition would be to follow the philosophy of Vastu. In a nutshell, it is an ancient Indian science that promotes spiritual and physical health via style. The sunlight-grabbing, east-facing windows maximize prana (an energy reminiscent of chi in feng shui). There’s a whole lot more to Vastu than this, but for that you will have to read the publication.

This entryway is a good instance of Nayar’s colour rule of thumb:
“To create serene spaces… limit the amount of colours in a room to three or four, with 2 of the colours in a palette serving as beams,” Nayar advises.

This organized entryway is also an example of global-influenced design because of the rich accent colour, African baskets, oriental rug and hand-woven cushions. Objects that remind one of your journeys can transport one to another place; objects that you understand encourage micro-economic ventures in impoverished states (like these baskets) consistently make you feel good.

Sustainable design is also a joyful home objective. Nayar claims that the easiest way to get started would be to”switch out incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescents. Lighting consumes a large amount of energy.”

Selecting eco-friendly furnishings is just another easy way to decorate sustainably. You can purchase used bits, furniture made from reclaimed materials or new furniture that’s sustainably manufactured. For instance, this sofa, ottoman, and wing chairs are all by CR Laine Furniture and therefore are certified green by the American Home Furnishings Alliance.

The objective of the bathroom renovation was to create”an airy, fresh space full of lots of easy-to-access storage and personal touches.” Elements of the renovation included creating a counter that provides more surface than a stand-alone pedestal sink, including sink bottoms reclaimed to include personality, installing mirrors that flank the vintage mirror which conceal recessed cabinets, switching out old fixtures for a more compact bathroom and bathtub save room, and benefiting from natural light with reflective white tiles and with mirrors.

Developing a clean and uncluttered bedroom would be the best way to ensure a more restful sleep. Pedestal tables, a platform bed on delicate legs, and wall sconces in lieu of bedside table lamps provide lots of room for chi, prana, and all other kinds of fantastic energy to maneuver around. This serene bedroom from the publication was a part of a master suite addition.

Within her own house, installing a window shade using a blackout lining was the detail that had the most significant effect on her house’s happiness quotient. “This helps my spouse have a better night’s sleep, which in turn helps me get a better night’s sleep,” she says.

Gridley + Graves Photographers

In this living room photo from her novel, the light, airy and open character of the room was maximized. Clunky built-in closets flanking the fireplace were torn out, light walls and a light ceiling take advantage of this natural light, and comfortable upholstered furniture makes it a room everyone appreciates.

Gridley + Graves Photographers

Finally, having room to enjoy fresh air and perspectives will up your happiness quotient tenfold. While you may not have a stunning lake house using a screened-in porch like this one, you can certainly charm up your porch, balcony or patio with comfy furniture, plants, and lighting that helps you use it for longer hours of this day. Here, a glowing green wall, wicker and twig furnishings, a pot of flowers and a breeze result in one very joy-inducing spot.

I’m keeping Jean’s book on top of my pile all summer so that it will continue to inspire me to tackle more house jobs. To keep track of what Jean is around, you are able to follow her website , recent articles and crafts, books, interiors she’s staged and more about her site. You can get find her book .

More:
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Organizing: Create Calm Within Chaos

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