Decorotherapy: harmony inside

As is often written in books and shown in films, life goes in a circle – we meet, enter into relationships, “build our own nest”, have children, then the children grow up and leave us, but the grandchildren return to the parental home. Life changes, and with it, our home is transformed – we decorate it, making it cozy and safe at the same time. Interior designers integrate our need for protection and comfort into their products. And the economic crisis of recent years has made the house almost the only safe haven in the ocean of events and problems.

Psychologists consider the situation in the apartment to be our third shell, after skin and clothes, so we strive to take care of the house and keep it clean. Jean-Philippe Cache, designer and decor therapist, believes that “interiors reflect our inner well-being. Our home is always a place of peace, a secluded corner where we strive. How can we modernize it to improve not only the design, but also our internal well-being?

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Vibrations of color

The inspiration for turning the “home into art” comes handily from Feng Shui, a centuries-old Chinese tradition. The idea of ​​Feng Shui is that our living environment is affected by a number of principles, including the complementary energy flows of yin and yang, as well as the five elements – water, fire, metal, earth and wood, with a harmonious balance of which one can achieve physical , moral and intellectual perfection. “Our psyche is a constant dialogue, we receive as much as we give,” says decor therapist Alexandra Viragh¹.

We mutually enrich ourselves by transferring our energy to the house and receiving its energy in return. To help us deal with stress, restless sleep or poor health, decorotherapists use design elements that have a beneficial effect. For example, each color has its own unique vibrations. It certainly resonates with us, but not always in the way we think. “Tension rises faster in white interiors, and decreases in warm yellow environments or where there is a lot of wood,” notes Thomas Thibon, interior designer.

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It took Elena, 45, several tries to introduce color into her home interior. For a long time she was sure that white, which she chose as the main solution for her apartment, is a conductor of calm and tranquility. “It was everything I wanted, but the space just didn’t come to life.” Finally, it was decided to add a few other elements to the design – a fireplace with a decorative woodpile, as well as bright curtains and red cushions. “These decisions brought life to our home.”

“We try to take a new approach to every interior, to make it beautiful both from an ergonomic and aesthetic point of view,” comments architect Franck Dupuy. Using the principle of the golden section, finding interesting proportions, working with positive symbols and the play of light, one can and should create new meanings, seek and find harmony and balance.

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Behind the scenes

Psychoanalysis has taught us that choosing a house and furnishing it is not only an act of conscious decision, but also a decision of our unconscious. Why, for example, do some of us live quietly in trouble, ready to constantly put off cleaning or repairs until tomorrow, while others, on the contrary, always buy something, throw it away, redo it? It seems that they will never be satisfied with the result.

Maria, 50, rearranges her apartment several times a year. “I know that if nothing is done, then nothing interesting will happen.” Our choices always reveal many hidden patterns, and it is this that structures our home (and ourselves). Two sofas, located face to face, speak of readiness for discussion, give a feeling of duality; a sofa and two armchairs, as it were, require accountability, testify to the owner’s slightly overbearing character, while the corner sofa unites the family and speaks of hospitality.

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If some rooms contribute to personal growth, then others, on the contrary, hinder. Such an influence is often exerted by apartments overflowing with furniture left over from a long time ago. But how can a house cause harm? Isn’t a large amount of furniture just an indicator of practicality? Sometimes it can be a way to hide what we really care about. Alexander, 40, says: “After a couple of years of dating, my girlfriend and I decided to start living together. Since I am a designer, I began to develop the interior for our joint home with great enthusiasm. And I didn’t even notice how everything in the new apartment turned out as if I were going to live in it alone. Soon we broke up, although at that stage only my unconscious knew about it.

Cleaning the house and getting rid of useless things can also cleanse us ourselves, decorotherapists are sure. “When I talk to people about the design of their interiors, they soon begin to see the relationship between the objects inside their homes and personal problems. This work reveals everything. After it, a person must decide for himself whether he wants to turn to a psychologist, or decorotherapy will be enough, ”says Frank Dupy. One way or another, but, as you know, experienced emotions are always with us. All our past and future houses have actually been equipped for a long time – each person strives to repeat the concept of the house of his childhood, since the unconscious considers this period of life to be the happiest and safest. The home of childhood will always serve as a basis, a “womb”, a place where you always want to return.

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What can we do right now?

• Design the energy of your home. It is not so difficult to create a minimum balance of five energies in your rooms: electrical appliances should be placed in the southeast and northwest, old furniture and relics dear to the heart should be placed in the south, the head of the bed should be in the north, and the dining table should be oriented in the western direction.
• Awaken all five senses. Fabrics that are pleasant to the touch, beautiful objects around, travel books and delicious cooking…
• Optimize space. Nothing should interfere with the natural flow of air and energy. Leave as much space as possible in rooms and corridors for it to circulate.
• Give each family member their own personal territoryso that they can create comfort at their discretion. Do not forbid your husband to put his favorite bulky chair at his desk, even if it does not really fit into the overall concept of the interior. And do not interfere with the organization of your own space by teenage children: this is also one of the stages of personality formation, growing up.
• Get rid of stress along with dust: ventilate the room as often as possible, arrange wet cleaning, organize the best places to store things that collect dust. Remember that each object should have its own place: you are not going to hang photos of your loved ones in the toilet, and the TV is absolutely out of place in the bedroom – a place of silence, rest and relaxation.

¹ Author of the bestseller Vastu, la psychodécoration inspirée de l’Inde, Le Souffle d’or, 2012.