A space to recharge

Home is one of my favourite places to be, sure I love travel and want to do so much more of it, and sure I love hanging out with friends, (I am lucky to have some awesome ones), but for me home is not only where my heart is, it is where my soul is too. 

On reflection this is probably why I love interior design and styling so much, because I need to feel comfortable in my home and be surrounded by things that inspire me and nurture me. Family is of course a huge part of what makes my home a happy place, but the truth is I also spend a lot of time home alone.

Alone, but not lonely. I am an introvert, although many people who know me would say otherwise. When I met my now husband Steve (@photoglanville) through mutual friends back in 2000 they were convinced we would never work. You see Steve is an introvert too, anyone who knows him would never argue otherwise. But people saw (and many still see) me as an outgoing, confident girl. I was the girl who was always surrounded by friends, always out on the weekends, and always chatting away and having a laugh. So to our friends they thought Steve was way too ‘quiet’ for me, they thought I would soon get bored. I guess that is because in many ways I hid that introverted side of myself a little too well. All I craved was to find someone who I felt like would be my ‘home’, my ‘safe haven’, someone I would laugh with, someone who would understand if I needed to cry, and someone who I was of course passionately attracted to. I found all that in Steve. I didn’t need to go out every weekend, I didn’t need to be the centre of attention (in fact I hated it), I just needed to be with someone who made me feel like me, who let me be me! 

Being at home for me is something I enjoy, but more than that being at home for me is something I crave and essentially need. If you don’t know much about an introvert it is not so much that we are ‘shy’, it is that we need alone time in order to reflect, to recharge our batteries and to think. There is of course many levels of introversion, but for me  if I spend a lot of time out or with people I then require some alone time to recharge. I love spending time with people, I am actually very social, but if I don’t balance it out with some quiet time I burn out quickly and feel mentally exhausted. 

So my home is an important space for me. And I believe when we are home we should feel nurtured, relaxed, yet also inspired. It is important to surround ourselves with not only people who make us feel that way, but also objects. If you walk through the front door and see things that you dislike or even hate then it’s time to make a change! It is time to turn your home into a space you love! And this is especially important if you are an introvert. Often if you are an extrovert you are always out and barely find yourself at home, unless of course you are entertaining that is! Extroverts love to be surrounded by people and they actually recharge by being around people or by doing something active, like sport or shopping with friends. 

But if you rely on your home to recharge then it is crucial that you make at least one space in your home into a kind of retreat. Now I am sure those of you with kids are like “yeah right”, but making a part of the home feel like a haven is doable. Even if it can’t be a whole room, then dedicate a space in a room that is all about YOU! 

Here are a few tips which may help inspire you:

• Your master bedroom. Throw out anything that isn’t related to sleeping or relaxing. Do not put a desk in your bedroom! Do not store children’s’ toys! If your baby sleeps in your room or even an older child that’s fine, but do not store their toys in this space. Also think about changing your bed spread, if you don’t love it then buy a new one, add a couple of cushions and a throw rug in calming colours such as shades of white, pale blues, dusty pinks, silvers, or even lemons. Keep an inspirational book near your bed and have soft lighting in your room.
• Bathroom. Hide away clutter the best you can. If you have a bath add a lovely bath matt that is soft and feels luxurious. Pop some lovely shower or bath gel in your shower. Throw out old crappy towels, it is time for softness and freshness. (It’s better to have 2 sets of lovely towels than loads of cheap ones). Add a small vase with a couple of flowers from your garden, or even just foliage.
• Kitchen. Add a lovely hand wash, or hand cream next to the sink. Pick a cream that feels lush and smells beautiful. Again throw out old tea towels and get some pretty and soft new ones. Add a vase of flowers, or at least a bowl of fresh fruit. Keep a lovely glass and jug of water on your bench, it looks great with fresh fruit in the water too.
• Living room. Again add flowers, or indoor plants. I love @misspots they actually are a great addition to any room! If you are like me and love books then place books everywhere, OK maybe not everywhere, but at least have a few fav’s on the coffee or side table. A throw rug will add instant comfort to a lounge room, and if you can’t afford to replace a sofa then a throw rug can at least cover it up. Again try to store any toys away. Stores like Target and Kmart have some lovely baskets. A gorgeous rug to cover up old carpet or just to add warmth are great too for adding that nurturing touch to any room. Wait for sales, you can by a better rug for a great price!
• Pictures or Quotes. To personalise any space add a photograph, a print, a sculpture, or an inspirational framed quote to the room. Something that either relaxes you or inspires you. I do this with my favourite coffee mug, it has a quote so that when I have ‘me time‘ I can be reminded of one of my favourite quotes.
• Don’t forget the outdoors. Time spent in your garden can also be a great place to reflect and recharge. Take a book, a magazine, your camera or a journal outside and have some quiet time. Plant some pretty flowers, or some fruit trees, or just spend some time with your dog.

Do you have any tips on how to create a space to recharge? How do you recharge? 

Thanks for joining me, love Mackenzie xx

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