Creating the Perfect Environment

[oBakasan]

I've come to a grave realization as of late: My room is shallow and empty. The walls are white and barren, the colors are dull and uninspiring and the only furniture is a couple of ancient chairs and some wardrobes.

Belch!

I want to liven up the room a bit to create an environment of inspiration and creative genius. But, how do I do that? Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Angela]

What do you dream of when you think about your fantasy environment? In your vision of your ideal life, look around, what do you see? How are you dressed? How does your body feel? Who else is there? Is it sand or grass or concrete that you feel underfoot? What's the temperature? What do you do during your Ideal Day? What are you most passionate about? What's your favorite movie?

[Boreas]

This sounds kind of tricky to me.

OK, it is good to have a place to retreat to and think, but then what happens when something is out of order, or goes missing, or when you get tired of it all?

I say take the opposite perspective and cultivate the ability to make anywhere you are your ideal environment.

[ns123]

boreas,

For me, my environment does not make me anything, I make myself. But, creating a beautiful, peaceful environment DOES encourage me, and help support me into seeing beauty and peace in all things.

I am a firm believer in creating beautiful, supporting environments/surroundings to help support and encourage me to turn towards what I want.

It sounds like you need to do a little remodeling and organizing. This can be a first step in turning towards remodeling/organizing your self. Purging what you don't need and creating space for beauty and the things in your environment is a mirror in purging what you don't need spiritually as well as creating space for beauty and things in your life.

How I help myself stay organized is to have a place for everything. When I make space for my things (things I need, in my every day use) I also make space for things I need spiritually and emotionally. Starting with your exterior environment is a good first step in making space and creating beauty in your interior (spiritual) environment.

You can consult a designer or even read books on how to create the environment that fosters beauty, peace, and making room for things you love.

edit: I highly recommend this. Purging of the things you don't need and bringing in things that will help support you in turning towards the life you love. Organizing and making space for your every day things. It will bring peace to you as well as your surroundings.

[pterodactyl]

Go to Apartment Therapy! Lots of good ideas there.

[Angela]

I love that site, pterodactyl!

[MagicalRealist]

Originally Posted by oBakasan

I've come to a grave realization as of late: My room is shallow and empty. The walls are white and barren, the colors are dull and uninspiring and the only furniture is a couple of ancient chairs and some wardrobes.

Belch!

I want to liven up the room a bit to create an environment of inspiration and creative genius. But, how do I do that? Does anyone have any suggestions?

I agree with ns123--get rid of anything you don't love, or that brings you down. Even if you don't have a replacement yet, get rid of it; intentionally clearing space for new, better things is a good way to attract them into your life.

Bringing color into it won't be hard--change the bedspread, or if you have a comforter, buy a duvet cover for it in a color and pattern you love. I have maybe a dozen duvet covers, and I change them all the time, depending on my mood; if you shop around and look for sales you can find them realtively cheap. I've bought a few at Ikea for not a lot of money. They are a great no-commitment way to start redecorating a bedroom if you don't know where else to start.

Throw pillows in your favorite colors are another way to go. And when I say "your favorite colors," I mean it. If you want purple or orange or magenta or crazy patterns, go for it. Too many people don't buy what they love for their homes because they afraid to go beyond neutrals and muted colors. So go crazy, if you like.

If you don't yet want to get rid of the chairs, maybe draping small throw blankets over them (or finding slipcovers) and adding pillows would make them look better.

The wardrobes can be painted, or you could glue fabric to the doors to give them a whole new look.

A large, colorful framed poster of something that you love will help dress up plain white walls until you're ready to paint them. A big mirror on the opposite wall will reflect both the colors, as well as daylight coming into the room, making it seem brighter.

I don't know how much money you have to work with, or how much DIY you want to do/are capable of doing, but these are just a few fast, relatively inexpensive ideas.